Yearender 2023: How have IITs performed in global rankings this year

IITs ranking in the last four years. (Graphics by Abhishek Mitra)

A similar trend was spotted in IIT Delhi for the past few years, however, this year, it failed to climb the ranks. IIT Delhi grabbed the 193 position in the 2021 rankings, after which it improved its score and jumped to 185 in 2022 and 174 in 2023. However, this year, the institute’s rankings took a hit as it got the 197th spot.

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IIT Kharagpur also climbed from 314 in 2021 to 280 in 2022 and 270 in 2023. While the institute’s ranking slipped by one rank (271). However, this year IIT Kharagpur came third amongst IITs, whereas last year, it was fifth. The decline of IIT Kharagpur was not as steep as other IITs such as IIT Kanpur which improved its ranking from 350 in 2021 to 277 in 2022 and 264 in 2023, only to fall to 278 in 2024. IIT Indore, too, slipped 42 ranks from its previous rank.

Meanwhile, IIT Guwahati has improved its position by grabbing 364th rank, an increase of 20 ranks from last year. Also, IIT Roorkee maintained its spot at 369. “Strengthening ties with renowned institutions has significantly enhanced the quality and impact of our research, and our future plans involve expanding these collaborations to facilitate knowledge exchange and cutting-edge collaborative projects. Recognising the importance of interdisciplinary studies, we actively promote cross-disciplinary collaboration among our academic departments to enrich the academic experience and foster innovation across diverse fields,” a spokesperson from IIT-G told indianexpress.com.

Some IITs have shown significant improvement in rankings like IIT BHU, whose rank soared by nearly 80 positions. Last year, it was in the rank band between 651 to 700, and this year it secured 571st position. On the other hand, IIT Hyderabad fell from the 581 to 590 rank band in 2023 to the 691 to 700 rank band this year, recording a fall of nearly 100 ranks. IIT Bhubaneswar jumped from the 801 to 1000 rank band in 2023 to the 731 to 740 rank band this year.

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Interestingly, while most of the IITs have improved their rankings in the last four years, in the 2024 rankings, out of the 11 IITs featured, only four saw an improvement, one remained constant and the remaining six registered a decline. ”

Engineering category

Even in the engineering category rankings lists, IITs have failed to register an increase every year. IIT Bombay ranked 47 in the 2023 rankings, which was a considerable increase from 65 in 2022 and 49 in 2021 but was a decline from 44 in the 2020 rankings.

(Graphics by Abhishek Mitra)

IIT Delhi has also struggled to retain its spot as it ranked 48 in 2023 which was a good improvement from 72 in 2022 and 54 in 2021, but a slip of a position from 2020’s 47th rank.

There are a few IITs such as IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras and IIT Guwahati who have improved their rankings since 2020, even if they saw a fall in the 2021 or 2022 rankings. “There was certain gaps in the interpretation of data by IIT MADRAS regarding certain parameters last year. We have set this right and hope that our rankings improve this year,” an IIT Madras spokesperson said.

Drop in rankings ≠ Reduction in quality

While the rankings saw a decline, QS’ Senior Vice President Ben Sowter said that stakeholders should remember that a drop doesn’t necessarily indicate a reduction in quality. “The expanding and increasingly competitive nature of the rankings means that other universities may be advancing more rapidly or that high-quality institutions are making their debut. Nevertheless, IITs continue to operate at the pinnacle of higher education in India, securing seven of the country’s top 10 positions, spearheaded by IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi, ranking 149th and 197th respectively,” he said.

Talking about what changes can be considered in IITs, based on the QS ranking analysis, Sowter explained that “IITs enjoy a burgeoning international reputation among academics. Their primary challenges are in areas relating to student and faculty scale and diversity. The QS rankings show a year-on-year drop in the faculty/ student ratio for all IITs, which raises considerations about the availability of teaching resources and class size. Additionally, drops in international student and international faculty ratios suggest an opportunity for IITs to enhance on-campus diversity and inclusivity policies.

“By incentivizing international inbound mobility for students and staff, IITs can enrich their talent pool, amplify research capabilities, diversify teaching methodologies, and drive innovation. Such efforts would not only elevate graduate employability and outcomes, as their graduates secure high-value careers around the world, but also contribute to long-term growth in both academic and employer reputation,” he explained.

IIT Guwahati also believes that it is essential to improve the student-faculty ratio, something which the institute is currently working on. “Our commitment to a personalised and impactful learning environment is evident in our focus on improving the faculty-student ratio. Through targeted recruitment strategies and investment in qualified faculty members, we aim to provide students with individualised attention, mentorship, and collaborative research opportunities. Furthermore, our dedication to global engagement is demonstrated by our efforts to diversify the student body through welcoming international students. Actively implementing outreach programs and scholarships, we aim to attract a diverse pool of international students, contributing to a globalised learning environment and enhancing cultural exchange within our academic community,” IIT Guwahati said.