For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please refer to the Habib University official website.
Habib and IBA are the two Karachi-based universities most applicants weigh against each other. Both are strong, and both are competitive. What matters when you're picking between them is the shape of the undergraduate experience, not the ranking, because they're structured very differently.
IBA is best known for its business and economics programs, and its Computer Science program has grown significantly in recent years. Its core identity is professional and pre-professional. Habib is a liberal-arts-anchored university with a shared core curriculum every student sits, regardless of major, and DSSE (engineering, computer science, math) plus AHSS (humanities, social sciences) sitting alongside each other.
IBA has a larger cohort with all the network and breadth advantages that come with scale. Habib's cohort is smaller, which means smaller class sizes and closer faculty contact from year one. Which one fits depends on how much you value scale versus intimacy.
Both universities run their own entrance tests. Habib uses the Accuplacer plus a WritePlacer essay. IBA runs its own aptitude test with its own preparation curriculum. Both accept SAT scores above published thresholds. Confirm the current admissions requirements for each on their official sites before you plan.
Official Habib source: https://habib.edu.pk/admissions/
Pick IBA if you're heading toward business, economics, or a scale-focused computer-science degree, and you want the network that comes with a large Karachi institution. Pick Habib if you value the liberal-core model, smaller cohorts, and interdisciplinary options woven into your degree. Both are strong bets, they're just different bets.
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