India has secured a major academic achievement with 54 of its universities featuring in the QS World University Rankings 2026, the most from the nation ever.
At the helm of the Indian group is the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), which has jumped to the 123rd ranking worldwide, a huge leap from its last year's ranking of 150.
This feat also marks the highest-ever global ranking for IIT Delhi in the QS rankings, reflecting its increasing standing in the global academic community.
Announcing the news on X (formerly Twitter), the Ministry of Education said:
"India's higher education institutions experience unprecedented surge in QS global university rankings, with more institutions than ever before positioning themselves on the world stage."
The ministry added further:
"India has emerged as the fastest-growing G20 country in the QS World University Rankings, with an astonishing 390 per cent growth over the last decade."
In wake of IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay—which topped the Indian contenders last year—has dropped down to 129, a decline from its 2025 position of 118. While that, IIT Madras jumped up quite significantly, rising 47 spots to 180, from 227 last year.
This year also welcomed eight Indian universities into the QS rankings, a record-breaking number of debutants from any nation, demonstrating India's growing presence in global higher education.
With this momentum, India is now ranked fourth in the world in terms of representation, only behind the United States, United Kingdom, and China. In addition, almost half (48%) of the Indian universities on the list showed improvements over last year.
Interestingly, five Indian institutions were ranked within the top 100 in the world for Employer Reputation, which indicates global recognition of Indian graduates in the labour market.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tweeted his appreciation of the achievement:
"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 Narendra Modi ji’s govt. in the last decade. NEP 2020 is not just changing our educational landscape, it is revolutionising it."
Other prominent Indian institutions featured in the list include:
- IIT Kharagpur at rank 215
- Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore at 219
- University of Delhi at 328
The list also points towards the increasing number of private universities, with BITS Pilani at position 668 and OP Jindal Global University in the 851–900 category.
At the international level, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) remains on top for the 14th year running.
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