The article was updated on 16th Jan, 2026
Everyone aspires to study at the best university, and choosing the best Indian University is easy now. All you need to do is consider several factors, including its global ranking.
Every year, the QS World University Ranking releases the list of the best Indian universities and top universities across the world.
In the 2026 edition of the QS World University Rankings, more than 1,500 universities from more than 100 locations were included.
54 Indian universities made it to the global list this year, compared to only 11 in 2014. This makes India the fourth most represented country overall, after the USA, UK, and China. But only three of those have made it to the top 200.
Table of Contents
Key Takeawys
- India ranks 4th globally with 54 universities in QS Rankings 2026, up from just 11 in 2014.
- Only three Indian institutes—IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, and IIT Madras—feature in the global top 200.
- IIT Delhi leads India, rising to 123rd rank due to strong employer reputation and research impact.
- QS rankings prioritise reputation and research, which together account for 60% of the total score.
The QS World University Rankings
Universities are assessed and ranked based on six metrics, which include:
- Academic Reputation: Accounts for 40% of the overall score.
- Employer Reputation: Accounts for 15% of a university’s overall score.
- Faculty/Student Ratio: 15% of an institution’s score is based on this metric.
- Citations per faculty: Accounts for 20% of a university’s overall score.
- International Faculty Ratio: Accounts for 5% of the total weightage.
- International Student Ratio: Accounts for 5% of the total weightage.
The QS World University Rankings – Best Indian Universities
| Sl No | University | Global Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) | 123 |
| 2 | Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) | 129 |
| 3 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) | 180 |
| 4 | Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) | 215 |
| 5 | Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore | 219 |
| 6 | Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) | 222 |
| 7 | University of Delhi (DU) | 328 |
| 8 | Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) | 334 |
| 9 | Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) | 339 |
| 10 | Anna University, Chennai | 465 |
| 11 | Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Himachal Pradesh | 503 |
| 12 | Indian Institute of Technology, Indore | 556 |
| 13 | Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi | 558 |
| 14 | Indian Institute of Technology BHU Varanasi | 566 |
| 15 | Savitribai Phule Pune University | 566 |
| 16 | Chandigarh University | 575 |
| 17 | Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) | 664 |
| 18 | University of Mumbai | 664 |
| 19 | Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani | 668 |
| 20 | Jadavpur University, West Bengal | 676 |
| 21 | Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, India | 691 |
| 22 | Symbiosis International (Deemed University) | 696 |
| 23 | National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli | 731-740 |
| 24 | Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi | 761-770 |
| 25 | Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala | 771-780 |
| 26 | University of Calcutta, Kolkata | 771-780 |
| 27 | IIT Gandhinagar | 801-850 |
| 28 | University of Hyderabad | 801-850 |
| 29 | Manipal Academy of Higher Education - Manipal University (MAHE), Manipal | 851-900 |
| 30 | OP Jindal Global University, Sonepat | 851–900 |
| 31 | Lovely Professional University (LPU), Chaheru | 901-950 |
| 32 | Panjab University, Chandigarh | 901-950 |
| 33 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Tiruvallur | 901-950 |
| 34 | University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun | 901-950 |
| 35 | Amity University, Noida | 951-1000 |
| 36 | Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi | 951-1000 |
| 37 | Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar (IIT BBS) | 951-1000 |
| 38 | Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh | 1001-1200 |
| 39 | Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | 1001-1200 |
| 40 | Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi | 1001-1200 |
| 41 | Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar | 1001-1200 |
| 42 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai | 1001-1200 |
| 43 | Ashoka University, Sonipat | 1201-1400 |
| 44 | Chitkara University, Rajpura | 1201-1400 |
| 45 | Galgotias University, Greater Noida | 1201-1400 |
| 46 | Osmania University, Hyderabad | 1201-1400 |
| 47 | Pondicherry University, Puducherry | 1201-1400 |
| 48 | Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai | 1201-1400 |
| 49 | Shiv Nadar University, | 1201-1400 |
| 50 | Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar | 1201-1400 |
| 51 | CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru | 1401+ |
| 52 | Indian Institute of Information Technology - Allahabad | 1401+ |
| 53 | Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi | 1401+ |
| 54 | Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS), Faridabad | 1401+ |
IIT Delhi tops the list among Indian universities at 123rd position. It was at 150 last year and at 197 in 2024. The institute scored well across key metrics — 50th in Employer Reputation, 86th in Citations per Faculty, and 142nd in Academic Reputation.
IIT Bombay, which was the highest-ranked Indian university in 2025 at 118th position, slipped to rank 129 in 2026.
One of the biggest gains is IIT Madras, which jumped 47 spots to rank at 180.
Eight Indian institutions entered the QS rankings for the first time, the highest number of new entries by any country this year.
The Top 10 Universities in the World According to the QS World University Rankings 2026
| Rank | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States |
| 2 | Imperial College London, UK |
| 3 | Stanford University, United States |
| 4 | University of Oxford, UK |
| 5 | Harvard University, United States |
| 6 | University of Cambridge, UK |
| 7 | ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Switzerland |
| 8 | National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore |
| 9 | University College London (UCL), UK |
| 10 | California Institute of Technology (Caltech), United States |
Globally, MIT continues to retain the top spot for the 14th straight year. While Imperial College has maintained its second position for the second consecutive year, Stanford University jumped to third position from sixth in 2025.
Conclusion
The QS World University Ranking lists the top universities around the world. If you wish to study in the best institution in India or abroad, check the list before applying.
Source: www.topuniversities.com/
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