The Indian School of Mines in Dhanbad, which is an IIT, has secured the highest rank for an Indian institution in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, standing at rank 20 globally in Engineering (Mineral and Mining)—an improvement from rank 41 last year. Global higher education analysis Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) released the rankings on Wednesday. Seventy-nine Indian institutions featured in the rankings this year, 10 more than the 69 in 2024. Nine Indian institutions featured in the top 50 across subjects. This also included the Indian Institutes of Technology in Delhi, Bombay, Madras, and Kharagpur; the IIMs in Ahmedabad and Bangalore; and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The only private Indian institution in the top 50 was Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, ranked 26 in Dentistry. While it remains in the top 50, IIT Madras has seen a drop in its ranking, from 16 last year to 31 in Petroleum Engineering. IIT Delhi was ranked 26 in Engineering and Technology, making it the best-performing Indian institution in the subject, followed by IIT Bombay at rank 28. Both IITs have performed better compared to their ranking of 45 last year. IIM Ahmedabad was ranked 27 in Business and Management Studies, while IIM Bangalore secured rank 40 in the same subject. Both institutions have dropped in their rankings compared to last year— IIM Ahmedabad ranked 22, while IIM Bangalore secured a rank of 32 last year. JNU has also seen a drop in its ranking from 20 last year to 29 in Development Studies. India’s top-performing institutions in terms of the number of subjects they featured in the rankings (ranging from 18 to 29 subjects) are the IITs—Bombay, Kharagpur, Kanpur, Madras, Delhi, Guwahati, and Roorkee—along with the University of Delhi, JNU, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). Of these 10 institutions, the IISc recorded a fall in its rank in more subjects than a rise—its performance improved in five subjects and fell in six compared to the 2024 ranks. Of these 10 institutions, eight have seen their best ranks fall this year compared to last year. Among these are the older IITs—Bombay saw a highest rank of 25 last year and 28 this year; Kharagpur secured a highest rank of 28 last year and 45 this year; Madras saw a highest rank of 16 last year and 31 this year; Kanpur recorded a highest rank of 36 last year and 51 this year; Guwahati saw a highest rank of 42 last year and 51 this year. IIT Delhi saw an improvement in its best rank, from 35 last year to 26. In law, OP Jindal Global Law University is the highest-ranked Indian institution, at rank 78, improving from 74 last year. National Law School of India University stood in the 201-250 rank band this year, having seen a fall from the 151-200 rank band last year. The rankings cover 1,700 universities and 55 academic disciplines across 100 locations.
