- Friday, June 20, 2025
In the 2026 QS World University Rankings, IIT Delhi becomes India’s top-ranked institution at 123, surpassing IIT Bombay. MIT retains its global number one spot for the 14th consecutive year, leading a reshuffled top 10.
By: Vibhuti Pathak
In the QS World University Rankings 2026 released on Friday (20), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has emerged as the highest-ranked Indian institution, securing the 123rd position globally. This marks a significant leap from its 2025 rank of 150, and an even more impressive jump from its 197th position in 2024 — climbing more than 70 spots in two years.
Globally, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) continues its reign at the top for the 14th consecutive year. It is followed by Imperial College London in second place and Stanford University, which rose to third this year.
The rankings, published by UK-based education analytics firm Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), assess institutions across various indicators such as academic reputation, employer reputation, research impact, and international student diversity.
India’s Top Performers in 2026
IIT Delhi’s meteoric rise can be attributed to its impressive performance across QS metrics — it now ranks 50th in employer reputation, 86th in citations, 142nd in academic reputation, and 172nd in sustainability. IIT Bombay, which was India’s top-ranked institute in 2025 at 118th globally, slipped to the 129th position this year.
IIT Madras showed one of the biggest improvements among Indian institutions, jumping 47 spots from 227 to 180. Other prominent Indian institutes in the top 300 include IIT Kharagpur (215), IISc Bangalore (219), IIT Kanpur (222), and the University of Delhi (328). Notably, Delhi University maintained its 328th position this year after a massive leap of 79 places in 2025.
Eight Indian institutions were newly added to the 2026 rankings, increasing the country’s total representation to 54. This places India as the fourth most represented country after the United States (192 institutions), the United Kingdom (90), and Mainland China (72).
Notable Indian Rankings
Here are the top Indian institutions in the QS 2026 rankings:
Institutes like Anna University, Shoolini University, IIT Indore, JNU, and IIT BHU also featured within the top 600. Among private universities, O.P. Jindal Global University and Manipal Academy of Higher Education secured ranks in the 851–900 band.
Global Rankings: MIT Leads Again
At the international level, MIT held on to its top spot. Imperial College London remained in second, while Stanford University climbed from sixth to third. The rest of the top 10 includes institutions like Oxford, Harvard, Cambridge, ETH Zurich, NUS, UCL, and Caltech.
Several global institutions showed significant improvements. Italy’s Politecnico di Milano entered the top 100 for the first time, ranking 98th. In Asia, Chinese universities continued their upward momentum — Tsinghua University moved up to 17th, and Fudan University rose nine places to secure 30th position.
What’s New in QS 2026?
A notable addition to this year’s methodology was the International Student Diversity (ISD) indicator. Although unweighted in 2026, ISD examines the proportion and diversity of international students — signaling growing attention to global inclusivity and cultural exchange.
Over 1,500 universities were evaluated, making this one of the most comprehensive editions of the QS rankings. This year’s expansion in participating institutions also reflects the increasing global emphasis on education excellence and international competitiveness.
India’s strong presence in the QS World University Rankings 2026, led by IIT Delhi, underscores its growing influence in global higher education. As Indian institutions improve across academic, research, and employer reputation metrics, the country continues to assert itself as a key player in shaping the future of global academia.
