IIT Delhi Leads India in QS World University Rankings 2026, Climbs to 123 Globally

In a significant shift among India’s top academic institutions, IIT Delhi has emerged as the highest-ranked Indian university in the QS World University Rankings 2026, securing the 123rd spot globally. This marks a remarkable 27-place leap from its 2025 rank of 150, displacing IIT Bombay, which dropped to 129, ending its long-standing dominance in the rankings.

This is the first time in eight years that IIT Delhi has led the Indian contingent, and the first time since 2018 that it has topped the national chart. Meanwhile, IIT Bombay’s 2025 rank of 118 remains the closest any Indian institution has come to breaking into the global top 100.

Global and National Landscape

Globally, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) retained the top position for the 14th consecutive year, followed by Imperial College London, Stanford, Oxford, and Harvard. India now stands fourth globally in the number of ranked institutions, with 54 universities featured, trailing the US (192), UK (90), and China (72).

Other top-ranked Indian institutions include:

IIT Madras: 180 (up from 227) – First time in top 200

IIT Kharagpur: 215

IIT Kanpur: 222

IISc Bangalore: 219 (down from 211)

Delhi University: 328

IIT Guwahati: 334

IIT Roorkee: 339

Anna University: 465 (sharp drop from 383)

Key Metrics Behind IIT Delhi’s Rise

According to QS, IIT Delhi made significant improvements in multiple categories:

Employer Reputation: +23 ranks

Citations per Faculty: +40 ranks

Employer Outcomes: +21 ranks

Sustainability: +252 ranks

These gains reflect both real progress and improved data reporting, according to QS.

In side-by-side comparisons with IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi scored higher in:

Citations per faculty: 93.1 vs 82.9

International student diversity: 6.3 vs 1.5

International research collaboration: 66.9 vs 46.6

Sustainability: 79.9 vs 75.2

IIT Bombay still led in academic reputation, employer reputation, and employment outcomes, highlighting strengths in industry linkage and visibility.

IIT Delhi’s Research Push

Prof. Vivek Buwa, Dean (Planning) at IIT Delhi, attributed the improvement to increased research output, better infrastructure funded by its Institution of Eminence status, and international collaborations. Over ₹200–300 crore was invested in new equipment, leading to high-quality publications and global research visibility.

New Entrants and Broader Trends

India added eight new institutions to the rankings this year — the highest number of additions globally. Notably, seven of these are private universities, including:

Ashoka University (1201–1400)

Shiv Nadar University (1201–1400)

Lovely Professional University (901–950)

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (1001–1200)

Christ University (Bengaluru) (1401+)

The only public institution among the newcomers is IIT Gandhinagar (801–850).

India’s presence in the rankings has grown 390% over the past decade, from 11 institutions in 2015 to 54 in 2026.

Metric-Specific Highlights

While no Indian institution cracked the global top 100 for academic reputation (30% weight), there were notable achievements in other areas:

Citations per Faculty: IISc ranked 15 globally; Anna University at 23

Employer Reputation: IIT Bombay ranked 39 globally

Employment Outcomes: Delhi University and Mumbai University in top 100

Despite mixed results, the trend shows growing global competitiveness of Indian institutions, driven by improved research, sustainability efforts, and global partnerships.