Capital University of Science and Technology (CUST) Islamabad

Capital University of Science and Technology (CUST) is a private-sector university in Islamabad, located on the Expressway at Kahuta Road, Zone V. It began in 1998 as the Islamabad campus of Mohammad Ali Jinnah University and received its own federal charter in 2015. Part of the Punjab Group, CUST is known for engineering, computing and business programs, a Pharm-D and law offering, and a scholarship policy shared across the group. Compare it with other private and public options in the universities archive.

Quick Facts

City	Islamabad
Province	Islamabad Capital Territory
Established	1998 (campus); charter 2015
Sector	Private
HEC recognition	Recognised — listed on hec.gov.pk
Official website	https://cust.edu.pk/
Admissions portal	https://online-admissions.cust.edu.pk/

Faculties and Undergraduate Programs

The official Fall 2026 admission notice lists these four-year BS programs. Source: https://cust.edu.pk/apply-at-cust-for-islamabad-fall-admissions-2026/.

Engineering: BS Electrical, Computer, Civil and Mechanical Engineering
Computing: BS Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Robotics & Intelligent Systems, Mathematics with Data Science
Management and social sciences: BBA, BS Aviation Management, BS Accounting & Finance, BS Psychology, BS English
Health and life sciences: Pharm-D, BS Biotechnology, BS Medical Laboratory Technology
Law: LLB (Bachelor of Law)
Two-year Associate Degrees in Business Administration, Accounting & Finance and Computer Science, with lateral entry to the fifth semester of the BS

Admission Process

CUST admits in both Fall and Spring. Applications are made online (or in person at the campus); after submission a fee challan is generated on the portal and can be paid by card, online transfer or at any Bank of Punjab branch. Applicants then sit the CUST admission test, unless they hold a valid HEC-approved test score, and merit lists follow. The processing fee amount is not published in the policy — check the official website. Source: https://cust.edu.pk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/CUST-Admission-Policy-Complete-MMA.pdf. Current cycle status is in the CUST admissions 2026-27.

Entry Test and Merit

Official merit weightage is Matric 10% + FSc 50% + Admission test (or HEC-approved test) 40%, with a minimum 50% aggregate required for consideration. Source: https://cust.edu.pk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/CUST-Admission-Policy-Complete-MMA.pdf. The CUST entry test guide covers the test and exemptions.

Fee Structure

CUST sets fees per program and directs applicants to the fee table for their chosen degree. Per-program figures were not printed on the pages we verified — check the official website for the current tuition and admission charges. As a private university, CUST charges tuition per semester that is typically higher than public-sector peers, and engineering and Pharm-D programs sit at the upper end of its range. Fee challans for admission are paid through the Bank of Punjab or online channels, and the admission policy describes a structured refund window early in the semester.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

The admission policy lists merit-based, PGC (Punjab Group colleges), need-based, sports, special (differently-abled) and other scholarships, governed by a separate CUST Scholarship Policy. Percentages are not stated in the policy document — check the official website. Source: https://cust.edu.pk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/CUST-Admission-Policy-Complete-MMA.pdf. National schemes are in the scholarships archive.

CUST also offers two-year Associate Degrees that bridge into the fifth semester of a BS, giving students who start with a shorter commitment a path to a full degree. Teaching is semester-based with a summer session for repeat courses, and the university accredits its engineering programs with the Pakistan Engineering Council and its Pharm-D with the Pharmacy Council.

Campuses

CUST has one campus in Islamabad. It does not run sub-campuses, though the wider Punjab Group operates separate institutions in other cities. See the campuses archive.

Why Students Choose CUST

Students pick CUST for a wide private-sector menu in one place — engineering, computing, pharmacy, law and business — together with Punjab Group scholarships and an Islamabad location. As with any private university, fees are higher than at public peers, so compare with COMSATS and NUST before committing.