Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi has come out as the best-ranked Indian institution in QS World University Rankings for 2026 to climb more than 70 places in two years to 123 Globally position.
India has 54 year this year after eight new institutions were included in the report, and it is the fourth most represented country, after the US (192 institutions), the UK (90 institutions), and Mainland China (72 institutions). No country or territory had more new universities added to this year’s rankings than India. Jordan and Azerbaijan have the second most improved with both countries having six added in 2026 rankings.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, the QS World University Rankings 2026 have provided great news for India’s education with a record 54 institutions in the lists.
“The QS World University 2026 Rankings bring great news for our education sector. Our Government is committed to furthering research and innovation ecosystems for the benefit of India’s youth,” Modi wrote on X.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has likewise commended India’s performance in the rankings, saying the country has hit a new high.
With a record 54 HEIs featuring among the global best, India hits a new high in the QS World University 2026 Rankings.
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) June 19, 2025
From just 11 universities in 2014 to 54 in the latest rankings, this five-fold jump is a testament to the transformative educational reforms ushered by PM… https://t.co/TGANwE5EED
IIT Delhi this year was ranked 123rd compared to 197 and 150 in the last two years, with impressive scores in Employer Reputation (now at 50th), Citations (86th), Sustainability (172nd) and Academic Reputation (142nd). IIT Delhi jointly holds the rank with Georgia Institute of Technology, US. IIT Bombay dipped to 129th this year after a record high of 118th in 2025, still placing in the global top 130 and sustaining Employment Reputation before others came, at 39th.
Every year, QS World University Rankings, compiled by London-based global higher education analytics firm Quacquarelli Symonds, evaluate universities based on wide-ranging performance indicators, including academic reputation, staff-student ratio, research impact, international student diversity and graduate employment. “India is rewriting the global higher education map. No other country has seen more universities debut in this edition of the QS World University Rankings – a clear sign of a system evolving at speed and scale,” Jessica Turner, CEO of QS, said.
“In the world’s most populous nation – with more than 40 per cent of its people under 25 – the drive to expand both access and quality is not just an education agenda, it is a national imperative. Delivering on India’s 50 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio target by 2035 will require growth on an extraordinary scale – equivalent to building 14 new universities every week, according to QS estimates,” she added.
Turner said, “We see clear progress. Indian universities are strengthening their global research footprint and advancing in areas such as Citations per Faculty, Sustainability, and International Research Network. But the rankings also highlight the next frontier – attracting more international students and faculty and building academic capacity to support quality at scale”.
Nearly half of the 46 Indian universities listed in last year’s rankings increased their position this year. Based on the 2026 rankings, there were a total of 54 of over 300 ranked universities from 106 countries and territories from India. According to QS ranks, in 10 years India’s ranked universities have increased from 11 to 54, a 390% increase in ranked universities, the best of all G20 nations, and further evidence of higher education excellence from India.
This year, of India’s 11 public and private institutes of eminence, six saw their rank increase, including the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) which increased their rank by 47 (now 180) and made the top 200 for the first time.
The three private institutes of eminence all improved their positions this year, and were the only two private university’s Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences (503rd), Chandigarh University (575th), the only other two private universities ahead of Birla Institute of Technology and Science (668).
“India’s remarkable progress in this year’s QS World University Rankings reflects not only the rising global stature of its leading institutions, but also the growing breadth and ambition of its higher education landscape. The addition of eight new universities to the rankings, more than any other country, signals an encouraging trajectory.
“With increasing global engagement, investment in research, and a sharp focus on employability, Indian universities are beginning to align more closely with the expectations of a rapidly evolving knowledge economy,” Ashwin Fernandes, QS Regional Director – Middle East, Africa and South Asia, said.
