Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the significant qualitative improvements in India's education sector over the last decade, reflected in the QS World University Rankings. He commended students, faculty, and institutions for their dedication and emphasised plans to further boost research and innovation. IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi have achieved notable positions in the QS World University Rankings 2025. IIT Bombay climbed to 118th from 149th last year, while IIT Delhi rose to the 150th position, up 47 ranks.
MIT retains top spot globally
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) continues to hold the top global rank for the 13th consecutive year in the QS rankings.
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Delhi University recognised for employability
Delhi University (DU) was ranked 44th globally for the employability of its graduates, underscoring its strength in employment outcomes.
Comprehensive evaluation criteria
The QS rankings are based on multiple parameters including Academic Reputation, Employer Reputation, Faculty-Student Ratio, Citations per Faculty, International Faculty Ratio, International Student Ratio, International Research Network, Employment Outcomes, and Sustainability.
India’s representation in Asia
India has the third-largest representation in Asia with 46 ranked universities, following Japan and China. Of these, 61% of Indian universities improved their ranks, 24% maintained their positions, and 9% saw a drop. Three universities are new entries.
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Improvement in research impact
Significant improvement was seen in research impact among Indian universities, with 37 institutions showing better performance in Citations per Faculty.
Internationalisation challenges
Despite the progress, Indian universities still face challenges in internationalization and global engagement.
IIT Bombay leads nationally
IIT Bombay, leading nationally at 118th, has shown substantial improvement in research quality and reputation. It ranks 131st in Academic Reputation and has advanced significantly in Employer Reputation and Citations per Faculty.
Research growth at IIT Bombay
From 2018 to 2022, IIT Bombay generated 143,800 citations from 15,905 academic papers, focusing primarily on Engineering & Technology and Natural Sciences. Thirty percent of its research is published in top academic journals, surpassing global and national averages.
IIT Delhi’s research impact
IIT Delhi also improved in research impact, publishing 16,439 academic papers with 221,496 citations from 2018 to 2022. Twenty-nine percent of its research is published in top journals, highlighting its quality.
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Other notable improvements
Other institutions showing improved ranks include Indian Institute of Science (IISc) at 211, IIT-Kharagpur at 222, and IIT-Madras at 227. However, Banaras Hindu University and OP Jindal University saw their ranks remain unchanged or decline.
National Education Policy (NEP) impact
Jessica Turner, QS Chief Executive, acknowledged the bold implementation of India's National Education Policy (NEP) as a key factor in modernizing the education system. Emphasizing sustainability, global engagement, and employability will shape the future of India's higher education landscape.
QS’s commitment to global higher education
Turner reaffirmed QS’s commitment to supporting the global higher education community and India's strides towards academic excellence, innovation, and global influence with the release of the 21st edition of the QS World University Rankings.
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