India has hit a new high with 54 universities featuring in the coveted QS world rankings 2026, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Thursday while lauding the performance of the country’s universities.
With this, India has become the fourth most represented nation globally, following the United States, the United Kingdom, and China.
Eight Indian universities are new entrants this year, the highest from any country, marking India’s position as the fastest-growing G20 nation in the QS rankings.
Leading the Indian contingent is the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, which has climbed to the 123rd position globally, jointly ranked with the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA. This marks the institute’s highest-ever rank, up from 197th in 2024 and 150th in 2025.
IIT Bombay, although down from its all-time high of 118 last year, continues to feature in the global top 130, ranking 129th overall. It retains a strong Employer Reputation ranking at 39th worldwide. Meanwhile, IIT Madras recorded a remarkable jump of 47 spots to reach 180th, entering the global top 200 for the first time.
“With a record 54 HEIs featuring among the global best, India hits a new high in the QS World University 2026 Rankings. From just 11 universities in 2014 to 54 in the latest rankings, this five-fold jump is a testament to the transformative educational reforms ushered by PM @narendramodi ji’s govt. In the last decade. NEP 2020 is not just changing our educational landscape, it is revolutionising it,” Union Minister Pradhan posted on X.
“Matter of immense pride that India is also the fastest growing education system among G20 countries and the fourth most represented behind only the US, UK and China. Confident that with NEP’s thrust on research, innovation and internationalisation, more Indian HEIs will scale global excellence in the times ahead,” he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Indian higher education institutions (HEIs) for being featured in the QS World University 2026 Rankings.
“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,” said PM Modi in his post on the platform X.
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The coveted QS World University Rankings, published annually by Londoon-based global higher education analytics firm Quacquarelli Symonds, assess universities based on a variety of performance indicators, including academic reputation, faculty-student ratio, research impact, international student diversity and graduate employability.
