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QS World Rankings 2026: IIT Delhi leads India's charge with 123rd rank
The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) has emerged as the highest-ranked Indian institution in the QS World University Rankings 2026, rising from 150th to 123rd globally. The rankings, released early Thursday, also highlight a broader upward trend for Indian higher education, with nearly half of the listed institutions improving their positions. Globally, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) continues its reign at the top for the 14th consecutive year.
Five Indian universities have placed among the top 100 globally for Employer Reputation. With an average score of 43.7, 8 Indian universities ranked in the top 100 worldwide for Citations per Faculty in terms of research impact, surpassing the rankings of the US, UK, and Germany.
QS World rankings 2026: IIT Delhi named as 'India's top-ranked university'
This year, IIT Delhi outperformed its competitors, rising to the 123rd spot in the world from 150 in 2025 and 197 in 2024. According to the QS 2026 rankings, it is now the top-ranked Indian university. The institute performed well on many important measures, placing it 142nd in Academic Reputation, 86th in Citations per Faculty, and 50th in Employer Reputation globally.
Closely behind, IIT Bombay, which ranked as the best Indian university in 2025, fell to 129th position this year from 118th last year. One of the most remarkable gains among Indian universities was made by IIT Madras, which rose 47 spots to 180th place from 227 in 2025.
QS World rankings 2026: India on global stage
With 54 universities included this year, India is the 4th most represented nation in the world, behind Mainland China, the United States, and the United Kingdom. India's increasing academic prominence on the international scene is reflected in the 8 Indian institutions that made their debut appearance on the list, the most of any nation.
IIT Kharagpur (215), IISc Bangalore (219), and Delhi University (328) are further prestigious Indian institutions. Private universities like OP Jindal Global University (851-900) and BITS Pilani (668), have also improved or maintained their ranks.
In contrast, IIT Bombay has dropped 11 places, from 118 to 129. This year, 54 Indian institutes have made it into the QS rankings. India is ranked in fourth place after the US (192), UK (90), and China (72), which is a vital achievement.
Top 10 Indian Institutes in QS Rankings 2026
• IIT Madras- 180
• IIT Delhi- 123
• IIT Kharagpur- 215
• IIT Bombay- 129
• IISc Bangalore- 219
• IIT Kanpur- 222
• Delhi University- 339
• IIT Guwahati- 334
• Anna University- 465.
QS World rankings 2026: Global universities rankings
MIT continues to lead the QS World University Rankings for the 14th consecutive year, followed by Imperial College London in second place and Stanford University in third. The United States remains the most represented country on the list, with 192 institutions – many of which have improved their positions in this year's rankings.
Asia's impressive showing persisted, with Fudan University leaping nine spots to 30th rank, Tsinghua University moving up to 17th, and Peking University remaining stable at 14th. Ireland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region were acknowledged as having some of the best educational systems. Positive results were also seen in Europe, especially in Italy, where Politecnico di Milano made its debut in the world's top 100, coming in at number 98.
Significance of QS World rankings
More than 1,500 universities from more than 100 locations were included in this round of the rankings. The International Student Diversity (ISD) metric, which was added this year as an unweighted indicator, is a noteworthy addition. It records the percentage and geographic distribution of international students, which is a step in the direction of identifying campus cultures that are inclusive of all cultures.
Because they provide a systematic comparison of universities across the globe, the QS World University Rankings are significant because they help students make well-informed decisions regarding their academic and professional pathways. These rankings, which offer information on internationalisation, research impact, and academic reputation, are an invaluable resource for institutions, companies, and students alike.
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