Outlook Business Desk
The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT) has secured the 123rd rank in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2026 — the highest among Indian institutes. A record 54 universities from India feature on the list.
The QS World University Rankings, released yearly by London-based firm Quacquarelli Symonds, evaluates universities on academic reputation, faculty-student ratio, research impact, international diversity and graduate employability.
IIT Delhi has jumped over 70 spots in two years, now ranked 123rd. Its rise is driven by strong scores in Employer Reputation (50th), Citations (86th), Academic Reputation (142nd) and Sustainability (172nd).
IIT Bombay dropped to 129th in the QS 2026 rankings, down from its all-time best of 118 in 2025. Despite the slip, it stays in the global top 130 and ranks 39th in Employer Reputation.
India now has 54 institutions in the QS World University Rankings 2026, including eight new entrants . It stands as the fourth most represented country, after the US (192), UK (90) and China (72).
“Jessica Turner, CEO of QS, said, ‘India is rewriting the global higher education map. No other country has seen more universities debut in this edition of the QS World University Rankings — a clear sign of a system evolving at speed and scale.’”
QS officials highlighted that India’s ranked universities have risen from 11 to 54 in just a decade — a 390% increase. It’s the strongest growth among G20 nations, reflecting India’s rising global academic reputation.
Six of India’s 11 Institutes of Eminence improved their ranks in QS 2026. Notably, IIT Madras jumped 47 places to reach 180th, entering the top 200 for the first time ever.
All three private Institutes of Eminence improved their QS 2026 ranks. Shoolini University (503rd) and Chandigarh University (575th) ranked ahead of BITS Pilani, which stood at 668th.