Delhi University (DU) maintained its position as the top public university in the country in the QS World University Rankings 2026 released on Wednesday, even as it recorded notable improvements in several key indicators, including employment outcomes, research performance, and international collaboration. While it retained its overall ranking (328), DU topped Indian institutions in terms of employment outcomes.
The varsity also saw a 26% improvement in its total score, rising from 33.8 last year to 42.6 this year. Among Indian institutions, DU was placed seventh overall, the varsity said on Thursday.
Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh on Thursday said the improvement reflects the university’s “strengthening academic profile, expanding global research collaboration, and enhanced graduate outcomes.” “The marked improvement in our overall score —from 33.8 to 42.6—underscores the University of Delhi’s rising academic excellence and expanding global reputation. With the global rank at 328, this score enhancement reflects the growing depth, quality, and impact of our institutional efforts. Our faculty, researchers, and students are at the forefront of this transformation, consistently delivering innovation, high-impact research, and international engagement,” he said.
In the latest QS rankings, Indian representation in the global rankings has grown significantly, with 54 universities making it to the list — a five-fold rise from 11 in 2015.
According to the QS rankings, India is now the fourth most represented country globally, after the United States, the United Kingdom, and China.
With a global rank of 123, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi led the Indian institutions, climbing from 150 last year. The list includes seven IITs, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, at 219, and Anna University at 465 (both saw a drop in ranks), and DU, which maintained its position at 328.
In terms of employment outcomes, the varsity was ranked 30th globally — a jump of 14 places compared to the previous year. The indicator measures how successful a university is in preparing its graduates for the job market. The weightage of this indicator, however, is only 5%.
Beyond employment outcomes, DU also improved in other critical areas measured by the QS rankings. Its position in the International Research Network rose from 406 to 294, indicating stronger global research partnerships.
The university’s citations per faculty rank (weightage 20%) also improved, climbing 85 spots from 488 to 403, suggesting a wider reach and influence of its research output. In terms of academic reputation, an indicator which carries the highest weightage of 30%, DU was ranked 248th globally, while it secured 297th position as far as the sustainability indicator is concerned.
DU also pointed to improvements in its research productivity. It reported a 13% increase in research publications and a 24% increase in citations year-on-year. These gains, the university said, reflect its focused efforts on producing “high-quality, high-impact research aligned with global benchmarks.”
The QS World University Rankings’ latest edition evaluated 2,250 institutions across 105 countries based on several indicators, including academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, international student and faculty ratios, research citations, international research networks, and sustainability performance. The varsity ranked sixth among Indian institutions in both academic reputation and sustainability.
Delhi University also saw a 26% improvement in its total score, rising from 33.8 last year to 42.6 this year. 
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