The Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT-Delhi) has retained its position as India’s highest-ranked university in the QS World University Rankings 2027, climbing five places to secure the 118th position globally and matching the highest-ever ranking achieved by an Indian institution in the prestigious international index.
The latest edition of the QS World University Rankings, released by QS Quacquarelli Symonds, also highlights India’s rapidly growing presence in global higher education, with 52 Indian universities featuring in the rankings. This makes India the fifth most represented higher education system in the world and marks a remarkable 271 per cent increase from 14 institutions in 2017, the fastest proportional growth among G20 nations.
The rankings underscore a broader transformation underway in Indian higher education. Of the 52 Indian institutions ranked this year, 26 improved their positions, nine maintained their rankings, 15 witnessed a decline, and two entered the rankings for the first time. More than half of India’s previously ranked universities registered an improvement, reflecting growing global recognition of the country’s academic and research ecosystem.
Welcoming the performance, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the results demonstrate the transformative impact of reforms introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
“India’s strong performance in the latest global university rankings reflects the transformative impact of NEP 2020, with 52 universities across 19 states and union territories now represented and more than half improving their positions. As institutions such as IIT-Delhi achieve record-high rankings, India is emerging as a leading global knowledge hub, driven by research, innovation and the talent of its youth,” Pradhan said.
He noted that the progress across both public and private institutions reflects the emergence of a diverse, decentralised and globally competitive higher education system that is contributing to the vision of a Viksit Bharat.
At the forefront of this achievement is IIT-Delhi, which has steadily improved its global standing over the past several years. The institute has climbed 79 places in just four years, moving from 197th position in the QS World University Rankings 2024 to 118th in the latest edition.
The improvement was driven by strong gains across key performance indicators. IIT-Delhi’s Employer Reputation ranking rose by 11 places to 39th globally, highlighting growing confidence among employers in the quality and employability of its graduates. The institute also recorded a significant jump of 60 positions in the Employment Outcomes indicator, which measures the ability of universities to prepare graduates for successful careers and leadership roles.
Its research credentials also strengthened considerably, with IIT-Delhi improving by 26 places in the Citations per Faculty metric, a key indicator of research quality and academic impact based on the average number of citations received per faculty member.
Commenting on the achievement, Prof. Somnath Baidya Roy, Dean, Planning and Head of the Ranking Cell at IIT-Delhi, said the institution remains committed to delivering world-class and affordable technological education while expanding its international footprint.
“IIT-Delhi remains committed to the goal of providing world-class, affordable technological education and becoming a preferred destination for scholars worldwide. Our revamped curriculum, new infrastructure and increased international engagement will enhance our quality and impact in the coming years. We see rankings as an outcome, not an objective. If we do the right things for the right reasons, rankings will follow naturally,” he said.
The institute has also continued to strengthen its academic reputation across disciplines. In the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 announced earlier this year, several IIT-Delhi programmes, including Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Chemical Engineering and Civil Engineering, featured among the world’s top 50 disciplines. IIT-Delhi also secured the 36th position globally in the Engineering and Technology category, remaining India’s highest-ranked institution in the field.
While IIT-Delhi led the national rankings, several other Indian institutions also performed strongly. IIT-Bombay secured the 134th position globally, followed by IIT-Madras at 170th, IIT-Kharagpur at 205th and IIT-Kanpur at 221st. The University of Delhi improved its standing to 322nd globally, while Jamia Millia Islamia reached 686th position.
The rankings also indicate that India’s progress is becoming increasingly broad-based and is no longer confined to the IIT system alone. A total of 18 Indian universities achieved their highest-ever global rankings this year. Notably, 13 of these institutions are non-IITs, highlighting the emergence of academic excellence across a wider range of universities.
Among the institutions recording their best-ever performances were Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University, BITS Pilani, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Chandigarh University and Shoolini University. Their success points to a growing diversification of India’s higher education landscape, with strong performers emerging from both public and private sectors.
Several universities registered remarkable improvements in their rankings. VIT emerged as one of the biggest gainers, climbing 94 places to reach 597th globally. BITS Pilani improved by 93 places to secure the 575th position, while Jamia Millia Islamia advanced by more than 75 places to reach 686th.
The report also highlights India’s strengthening position in research and employability indicators. Eleven Indian universities are now ranked among the world’s top 100 institutions in the Citations per Faculty metric, reflecting growing research influence and academic impact. Six Indian universities have also secured positions among the global top 100 for Employer Reputation, demonstrating increasing industry confidence in Indian graduates.
QS noted that India now possesses the world’s third-largest research output base, underlining the country’s growing contribution to global knowledge production and scientific advancement.
Despite these achievements, the rankings identified internationalisation as an area requiring further attention. Indian universities continue to lag behind many global peers in attracting international students and faculty members. Academic reputation and global engagement remain areas where further progress is needed to enhance India’s overall competitiveness in the international higher education landscape.
Jessica Turner, Chief Executive Officer of QS, said the results highlight the important role universities will play in India’s long-term development journey.
“As India advances towards its Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, its universities will be among the institutions that shape the country’s future most profoundly. Their contribution extends beyond classrooms and campuses. They are developing talent, ideas and discoveries that will underpin economic growth, technological leadership and social progress,” Turner said.
She added that the rankings demonstrate how India’s investments in research, innovation and talent development are increasingly translating into stronger global visibility and performance.
The QS World University Rankings 2027 evaluated more than 1,500 institutions across 106 countries and territories, reflecting the growing intensity of global competition in higher education. For India, the latest results not only reinforce the rising stature of institutions such as IIT-Delhi but also signal the broader emergence of a more competitive, research-driven and globally connected higher education system.
(With ANI inputs)
