King Khalid University was ranked seventh on the level of Arab universities and second on the level of Saudi universities, according to the Arab Ranking for Universities (ARU). The ranking is affiliated with the Arab Universities Association, in cooperation with the Arab Nations University, the Arab Organization of Education, Culture, and Science (ALESCO), and the Union of Arab Research Councils.

The Vice-President for Graduate Studies and Research at King Khalid University, Prof. Hamid bin Majdou Al-Qarni, explained that this ranking is based on a set of Indicators, which are (Teaching and Learning, Research, Creativity and Innovation, Cooperation, and Community Service).

It is worth noting that the university performed exceptionally in research, where it placed second on the level of Saudi and Arab universities in the field of research.

Al-Qarni pointed out that King Khalid University aims to solidify its presence in various university rankings, to achieve a ranking that matches its academic performance, in accordance with university strategy, Asir Development Strategy, and Saudi Vision 2030.