QS World University Rankings 2026: India's Performance

India has achieved significant progress in the QS World University Rankings 2026, demonstrating a rapid expansion in the higher education sector.

Key Achievements

• India recorded the highest number of new entries globally in the rankings.
• The number of ranked Indian universities rose by 390% in a decade, from 11 to 54, marking the fastest increase among G20 nations.
• India is the fourth most represented country in the rankings after the US, UK, and Mainland China.

Top-Ranked Indian Institutions

• IIT Delhi - Joint 123rd
• IIT Bombay - 129th
• IIT Madras - 180th
• Other prominent institutes include IIT Kharagpur, IISC Bangalore, IIT Kanpur, University of Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Roorkee, and Anna University.

Research and Reputation

• Indian universities are enhancing their global research impact, especially in Citations per Faculty, Sustainability, and International Research Network.
• Five Indian institutions feature in the global top 100 for employer reputation, outperforming countries like Mainland China, Finland, and France.
• Eight Indian institutions are in the global top 100 for Citations per Faculty, indicating a robust research growth.

Challenges

• International Student Ratio: 78% of Indian universities saw a decline, highlighting challenges in attracting international students.
• Faculty/Student Ratio: 63% of Indian universities experienced a decline, a critical structural challenge.
• O P Jindal Global University is the only Indian university in the global top 350 for Faculty/Student Ratio, ranking 257th.

Future Directions

• The National Education Policy 2020 aims to promote India as a global study destination.
• Efforts to expand both access and quality in education are considered a national imperative due to India's young demographic.
• Future focus includes attracting more international students and faculty and enhancing academic capacity for quality at scale.