Overview

• IIT Delhi rose 27 places to 123rd in the QS World University Rankings 2026, reclaiming its status as India’s top-ranked campus.
• Eight new entrants lifted India’s tally to 54 universities, making it the fourth-most represented country behind the US, UK and China.
• IIT Madras breached the global top 200 for the first time at 180th, and nearly half of previously ranked Indian institutions improved their standing.
• Indian universities performed strongly in employer reputation, citations per faculty and sustainability metrics even as 78% saw declines in international student ratios and 63% in faculty-student ratios.
• Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and Lovely Professional University secured places in the global top 50 of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025.