QS World University Rankings 2026: IIT Delhi Breaks Record, India Surges with 54 Institutions in Global List

The QS World University Rankings 2026, released early Thursday, brought good news for Indian higher education with IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay securing spots in the top 150 universities worldwide, and India marking its strongest-ever presence in the global list with 54 ranked institutions.   

PM Modi Tweets About It

The QS World University 2026 Rankings bring great news for our education sector. Our Government is committed to furthering research and innovation ecosystems for the benefit of India’s youth. https://t.co/wO11jvnr0J

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 19, 2025

IIT Delhi Hits Best-Ever Rank

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi emerged as the top-ranking Indian institution, securing the 123rd spot, jointly ranked with the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA. This marks IIT Delhi’s best performance yet, climbing from 150 in 2025 and 197 in 2024—signifying a remarkable upward trend.

IIT Bombay Slips Slightly but Holds Strong

IIT Bombay, while slipping from its all-time high of 118 in 2025 to 129th in 2026, continues to hold a firm position in the global top 130. It remains a favorite among employers, ranking 39th globally in Employer Reputation, a critical parameter in QS’s methodology.

Other Top-Ranked Indian Institutions

India’s representation in the QS 2026 rankings includes prominent institutions such as:

IIT Madras

IIT Kharagpur

Indian Institute of Science (IISc)

University of Delhi

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)

among others.

With eight new Indian institutions added this year, India has made a leap from 46 entries in 2025 to 54 in 2026, becoming the fourth most-represented country in the world, behind:

United States (192 institutions)

United Kingdom (90)

Mainland China (72)

India's rapid rise is unmatched this year, with Jordan and Azerbaijan coming next in terms of improvement, each adding six institutions.

Global Rankings: MIT Leads Again

The global top 5 institutions in the QS World University Rankings 2026 are:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – Retains No. 1

Imperial College London

Stanford University

University of Oxford

Harvard University

Among Asian powerhouses:

National University of Singapore (NUS) ranked 8th globally, continuing its reputation as Asia’s academic leader.

China’s top institutions saw steady gains:

Peking University held its 14th position

Tsinghua University rose to 17th

Fudan University made a leap of nine places to rank 30th

Notably, Hong Kong SAR was recognized as the most improved higher education system globally (among countries with 5 or more ranked universities).