In the latest edition of the QS World University Ranking released, around 50% of Indian universities’ ranking has improved from last year, with IIT Delhi gaining the top spot in India.

• India is now the 4th most represented country, behind the USA (192), UK (90), and China (72).

About the QS World University Rankings

• It is one of the most widely referenced global rankings of universities.
• It is published annually by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a UK-based higher education analytics firm.
• It evaluates institutions on academic quality, research impact, employer reputation, and internationalization.

India’s Performance in QS Rankings 2026

Reasons for Improvement in Indian Universities’ QS Rankings (2026)

• Improved Global Employer Reputation: Institutions like IIT Delhi ranked 50th globally in Employer Reputation.
  • Increasing global demand for Indian STEM graduates and professionals enhanced visibility and credibility of Indian institutions.
• Rise in Research Output and Citations: Better research productivity and higher number of citations per faculty.
  • IIT Delhi now ranks 86th in citations per faculty.
• Emphasis on International Collaboration: Indian institutes have signed MoUs and research exchange agreements with global universities.
• Focus on Sustainability: QS now includes Sustainability as a ranking criterion. Institutes are adopting green campuses, renewable energy usage, and sustainable development goals (SDG) practices.
  • IIT Delhi scored 172nd globally in sustainability, showing visible progress.
• Institutional Reforms and Autonomy: Institutions of Eminence (IoE) tag to select universities like IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IISc, etc.

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