India's QS World University Rankings Surge to 52 Institutions

India’s QS Surge Outgrows IITs, 52 Universities on List

New Delhi: India’s presence in the QS World University Rankings has expanded significantly, with the country now boasting 52 institutions on the list, marking its strongest performance since the introduction of the National Education Policy in 2020. This achievement positions India as having the fifth-largest contingent globally. Notably, the rise is no longer solely driven by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), as private, state, and central universities are increasingly making their mark.

Among the IITs, IIT-Delhi has achieved a significant milestone, climbing to the 118th position globally. This matches the highest rank ever attained by an Indian institution, a record first set by IIT-Bombay in the 2026 rankings. IIT-Delhi’s ascent reflects a five-place improvement from its previous rank of 123rd.

Other IITs also saw mixed results. IIT-Bombay slipped five places to 134th, while IIT-Madras rose to 170th and IIT-Kharagpur climbed to 205th.

Globally, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) retained its position as the top-ranked university for the 15th consecutive year. Imperial College London and Stanford University shared the second spot.

This year’s rankings also highlighted the growing prominence of non-IIT institutions in India, with 18 universities achieving their best-ever rankings, 13 of which are outside the IIT system.