 "IIT Delhi")
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi was adjudged as the highest ranked Indian institution in the QS World University Rankings for 2026 by climbing up to the 123rd spot, with a record 54 universities and institutions from the country making it to the coveted list.
It was followed by IIT Bombay ranked 129th, a drop from its all-time best ranking of 118th in 2025, and IIT Madras at rank 180.
Of the 54 Indian institutions listed this year, 30 are public universities while the remaining 24 are privately funded. This list also includes 12 IITs, along with one National Institute of Technology (NIT) and one Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT).
Over 1,500 universities were included in this year’s ranking list, which is annually compiled by London-based higher education analytics firm Quacquarelli Symonds. The list ranks universities on parameters ranging from research and discovery, learning experience, employability, global engagement, and sustainability.
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The number of Indian institutions in the global rankings has risen from 45 in 2025 to 54 this year, making the country the biggest gainer in terms of the number of institutions added to the list in a single year at nine.
With 54 Indian institutions in the global university ranking list this year, India is now the fourth most represented country in the ranking behind the United States (US) with 192 institutions, the United Kingdom (UK) with 90 institutions, and Mainland China with 72 institutions.
QS officials noted that in just a decade, India's ranked universities have grown from 11 to 54, which is the strongest performance across the G20.
Commenting on India’s performance, Jessica Turner, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of QS, said that the country is rewriting the global higher education map.
“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,” she added.
Turner also underlined that delivering on India's 50 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) target by 2035 will require growth on an extraordinary scale, which would be equivalent to building 14 new universities every week, according to QS estimates.
