NEW DELHI, June 19: India has marked its strongest-ever presence in the QS World University Rankings 2026, with 54 institutions featured — the highest increase among G20 countries. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi emerged as the highest-ranked Indian institution, climbing 27 places to secure the 123rd spot globally. This leap reflects a consistent rise from 197 in 2024 and 150 in 2025.
India is now the fourth most-represented country in the global rankings, trailing only the United States (192 institutions), the United Kingdom (90), and Mainland China (72). The latest edition of the rankings, released by global higher education analytics firm Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), saw India add eight new universities, the highest of any country this year.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan lauded this development, calling it a “new high” for India’s global education footprint.
IIT Delhi’s performance was particularly strong in several key metrics: 50th in Employer Reputation, 86th in Citations per Faculty, 172nd in Sustainability, and 142nd in Academic Reputation. It shares its overall rank with Georgia Institute of Technology, USA. Meanwhile, IIT Bombay, despite slipping slightly to 129th from its all-time best of 118 last year, retained its status among the global top 130, ranking 39th in Employer Reputation.
IIT Madras made significant progress, jumping 47 places to reach the 180th position — its first time in the global top 200. Among private institutes, Shoolini University (503rd) and Chandigarh University (575th) led the way, while BITS Pilani ranked 668th.
The QS report hailed India’s rise as a sign of systemic transformation. Jessica Turner, CEO of QS, said, “No other country has seen more universities debut in this edition. This is a clear sign of a system evolving at speed and scale.”
In total, 25 out of the 54 ranked Indian institutions improved their positions from the previous year. In Employer Reputation, five Indian institutes, including IIT Bombay and IIT Kanpur, featured among the global top 100. In research impact, eight institutions, including IISc Bangalore (ranked 15th), IIT Kharagpur, and IIT Guwahati, made it to the top 100 in Citations per Faculty.
