JNU India’s highest ranked university, 69 in top 500: QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024

The list is compiled by global higher education experts QS Quacquarelli Symonds.

JNU tops QS World Ranking and makes the nation proud. JNU VC Prof. Santishree D Pandit thanks all stakeholders & the entire epistemic community. pic.twitter.com/lTkhDp2wOa

— Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) (@JNU_official_50) April 10, 2024

The 12 Institutes of Eminence (IoE), which represent just a fraction of Indian universities, contribute 40 per cent of the country’s total entries, amounting to 180. Furthermore, the IoE lead the way with 47 of the 69 top-100 Indian positions and 14 of the 21 positions across 55 academic disciplines and five faculty areas in the 14th edition of the rankings.

The most represented Indian universities in this edition of the rankings are the University of Delhi (30 entries), IIT Bombay (28 entries) and IIT Kharagpur (27 entries). IIT Madras this year had 22 entries, of which eight improved, six declined and four remained unchanged. IIT Delhi followed this at the fifth spot with 19 entries, of which 11 improved, three declined and three remained unchanged.

However, India’s highest-ranked university is Jawaharlal Nehru University for Development Studies (20th globally, a new entry in this discipline). The next two highest ranked universities in these tables are IIM Ahmedabad, debuting in the 22nd position for Business and Management Studies, while Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (deemed to be university) secured the 24th spot globally in Dentistry and is the only Indian university to achieve a perfect score (100/100) in one of the QS indicators, namely the H Index, ranking number one in this metric, within the Dentistry table.

Subject-wise ranking

IIT Guwahati has been named as one of the world’s top universities for the study of Data Science and Petroleum Engineering subjects, securing a global ranking of 51-70, and Petroleum Engineering, where it ranks 51-100 globally. Additionally, four of IIT Guwahati’s subjects have witnessed an improvement in rank this year, including: Chemistry – From rank 301-250 last year to 251-300 this year; Biological Sciences – From rank 451-500 last year to 401-450 this year; Environmental Studies – From rank 301-350 last year to 201-250 this year; Economic & Econometrics – From rank 501-530 last year to 451-500 this year.

IIT Guwahati’s subject wise ranks

Meanwhile, the Jindal Global Law School has jumped to the 72nd rank in the world this year from 84th rank last year. The varsity has ranked first for the fifth year in a row. Besides JGLS, the other two law schools from India in the list are — National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru (ranked 151-200), and the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi (ranked 201-250).

Jessica Turner, QS CEO, said: “One of the biggest challenges faced by India is educational – providing high-quality tertiary education in the face of exploding demand: this much was recognised by 2020’s NEP (National Education Policy), which set the ambitious target of a 50% gross enrolment ratio by 2035. It should therefore provide some reassurance that the number of Indian programs featuring across our 55 subject rankings and five broad faculty areas has increased this year – from 355 to 454. QS also notes that several programs at India’s three privately-run Institutes of Eminence have made progress this year, demonstrating the positive role that well-regulated private provision can have in enhancing India’s higher education sector.”

Turner concluded: “While there is still a lot of work to be done to improve standards, access to higher education, universities’ digital readiness and global competitiveness, it is clear that India is taking significant steps in the right direction.”