New Delhi: A record-breaking 54 Indian institutions have been featured in the QS World University Rankings 2026 released on Thursday, marking a major leap for Indian higher education on the global stage. The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) has emerged as the highest-ranked Indian institute, climbing from the 150th position to 123rd — its best-ever performance in these rankings.
Highlighting this milestone, the Ministry of Education stated on social media platform X, “India's higher education institutes witness unprecedented rise in QS global university rankings, with more institutions than ever before earning their place on the world stage.” The Ministry further noted that India has recorded a phenomenal 390 per cent growth in representation over the past decade, making it the fastest-growing G20 nation in the rankings.
IIT Delhi is followed by IIT Bombay, which was India’s top-ranked institute in 2025 but slipped to 129th position this year from 118th. IIT Madras recorded a dramatic rise, jumping 47 places to secure the 180th rank, up from 227 last year.
For the first time, eight Indian institutions have debuted in the QS rankings — the highest number of new entries from any single country in this edition. This surge has propelled India to become the fourth most represented nation globally, following the United States, the United Kingdom, and China.
Nearly 48 per cent of India’s ranked universities have improved their standings compared to the previous year. Furthermore, five Indian institutions have secured positions in the global top 100 for Employer Reputation, underlining the rising global recognition of Indian graduates.
Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan, in a post on X, credited the surge to recent educational reforms: “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 government in the last decade. NEP 2020 is not just changing our educational landscape, it is revolutionising it.”
Other leading Indian institutions in the rankings include IIT Kharagpur (215), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore (219), and Delhi University (328). Private universities have also marked their presence, with BITS Pilani ranked at 668 and OP Jindal Global University falling in the 851-900 bracket.
At the global level, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) continues to dominate, retaining the top position for the 14th consecutive year.
With IANS inputs