IIT Bombay, Delhi listed under top 150 in QS World University Ranking 2025; MIT remains best varsity

Top ranked Indian institutes

Like last year, IIT Bombay is followed by IIT Delhi and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru with the two institutes ranked second and third in India, respectively. While IIT Delhi climbed 47 ranks (from 197 last year to 150 this time), IISc jumped from 225 to 211 (14 ranks).

The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP) has achieved the fourth spot as it went from 271 in the 2024 rankings to 222 this time. IIT KGP is followed by IIT Madras which climbed 58 ranks (285 to 227) this year. IIT Madras has taken the position of IIT Kanpur this time, which has slipped to the sixth position, even after climbing from 278 to 263 this year.

One of the biggest improvements has been made by the University of Delhi (DU) which jumped 79 ranks — from 407 last year to 328 this year. The central university has improved its rank from ninth last year to seventh this time.

(Source: QS Quacquarelli Symonds)

The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR), Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) and Anna University have achieved the 8th, 9th and 10th ranks, respectively.

Prof Devendra Jalihal, director, IIT Guwahati, expressed his delight over the institute’s performance. He said, “This year-on-year improvement in IIT Guwahati’s global ranking is a testament to the relentless dedication and hard work of our faculty, students, and staff. Our commitment to excellence in education, research, and innovation continues to drive us forward. We are proud of this achievement and remain focused on further enhancing our global standing and contributing to the advancement of knowledge and technology.”

While Indian Institute of Technology Indore (IIT Indore), Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University also featured in the top 15 list, IIT Indore is the only institute which recorded a decline — from 454 in 2024 rankings to 477 in 2025 rankings.

This year, Symbiosis International (Deemed University) is a new entry in the top 20 (16th) as it found a place in the 641-650 rank of the 2025 QS Ranking.

Other universities in the top 20 are IIT-Hyderabad, Chandigarh University, National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli, and University of Mumbai respectively.

How did India perform

A total of 61 per cent of Indian universities have risen in rank this time, while 24 per cent have maintained their positions. On the other hand, 9 per cent have dropped in rank, and three universities are new entries to the rankings.

In terms of improvement, the University of Delhi — a Public Institution of Eminence — has made the most significant improvement nationally, climbing 79 places to reach the 328th position this time.

Additionally, out of the 11 Institutes of Eminence featured in the rankings, eight have risen, one remains stable, and one has dropped.

In this edition of the rankings, boasting 46 universities, the Indian Higher Education system is the seventh most represented globally and the third in Asia, trailing only Japan (49 universities) and China (Mainland) (71 universities).

India has one more university within the top 150 rankings, IIT Delhi (150th) and two more entries in the world’s top 400 with the University of Delhi (ranked 328th) and Anna University (ranked 383rd) making their debut in this tier. Considering only the higher education systems with more than 10 ranked universities, India is the second in Asia per percentage of improved rank positions, with 61 per cent, surpassed only by mainland China, with 69 per cent.

The area where India has made significant strides is research and international collaboration, which is evidenced by its performance in the Citations per Faculty indicator. With a score of 37.8, India surpasses the global average of 23.5, securing the second-highest position in Asia among higher education systems with more than 10 ranked universities, only trailing behind China (Mainland).

Anna University (100 score CpF) has emerged as the best in India in this category, closely followed by Indian Institute of Science (99.9 score CpF) at second and IIT Guwahati (97.6 score CpF) at the third rank.

However, India faces challenges in internationalisation. As per the latest QS ranking, India “lags in the International Faculty Ratio and International Student Ratio indicators, underscoring the need for greater international collaboration and exchange.” India’s score for the proportion of international students is a mere 2.9, significantly below the global average of 26.5. Similarly, the average score for the proportion of international faculty is 9.3. Additionally, India’s Faculty/Student ratio score of 16.2 is considerably lower than the global average of 28.1.

“As we navigate the rapid transformation brought about by the advancement of Artificial Intelligence, the global higher education landscape is evolving. At QS, our mission is to deliver insights and data-driven solutions that empower universities and students to excel in this dynamic 21st-century knowledge economy. The growing prominence of Indian higher education is evident, with 46 universities now ranked and 61% improving their positions. The bold implementation of India’s National Education Policy (NEP) demonstrates the nation’s commitment to modernising its education system and addressing challenges and leveraging opportunities,” Jessica Turner, QS Chief Executive said.

Turner added: “Taking this significant step towards fostering a learning environment that prepares students for future challenges is crucial. Emphasising sustainability, global engagement, and employability will be vital in shaping India’s higher education landscape. These elements will define future institutions and ensure their relevance and success. With the release of the 21st edition of the QS World University Rankings, we reaffirm our role as a trusted partner to the global higher education community. We are honoured to support India’s higher education sector as it takes bold strides towards a future defined by academic excellence, impactful innovation, and global influence.”

Global rankings

For the 13th time in a row, MIT has secured the top rank this time, followed by UK’s Imperial College London which has improved its ranks from sixth to second this time.

The third rank is jointly achieved by Harvard University which climbed one rank, and University of Oxford which was at the third rank last year too.

(Source: QS Quacquarelli Symonds)

University of Cambridge, however, has fallen from the second rank last year to fifth this time. Stanford University, too, fell from fifth in 2024 rankings to sixth in the 2025 QS ranking.

ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, National University of Singapore (NUS), and UCL have retained their seventh, eighth and ninth spots respectively. Interestingly, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has climbed from 15th last year to the 10th spot this time. Additionally, ETH Zurich has been named Continental Europe’s top institution for seventeen consecutive years.

For the compilation of the 2025 QS World University Rankings, QS claims to have analysed 17 million research papers, 176 million citations, data from 5,600 institutions worldwide and insights from 175,798 academics and 105,476 employers.