QS Rankings 2026: IIT Delhi Becomes India’s No.1 Institute, Grabs 123rd Spot in the List

After eight years, IIT Delhi achieves a historic milestone, emerging as the highest-ranked Indian institution in the QS World University Rankings 2026. It is a very significant jump from last year’s 150th rank, thereby placing it ahead of all the other Indian institutions on the prestigious list. In contrast to this, IIT Bombay has dropped 11 ranks to 129, and the global list continues to be led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), marking its 14th consecutive year at the top of the leaderboard. Additionally, IIT Madras has also achieved an impressive feat by jumping up 47 places to secure the 180th spot, up from 227 in 2025. 

What is QS World University Ranking?

The QS World University Rankings, compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds(QS), is a worldwide and globally recognised system that ranks universities based on their performance and reputation. It is one of the most widely ready and influential university ranking systems globally. 

QS World University rankings are based on various indicators, including academic and employer reputation, research citations, and faculty-student ratio. This year, the rankings list includes over 1,500 universities from more than 100 locations. Furthermore, this year, there is an addition of the International Student Diversity (ISD) metric, which captures both the proportion and national spread of international a step towards creating a globally inclusive campus environment. Below is the list of the Top 10 Indian Institutions in the QS World Ranking:

This year, IIT Delhi has scored better than IIT Bombay in different metrics like citations per faculty, international student diversity, international research network, and sustainability. However, IIT Bombay scored better than IIT Delhi on metrics like academic reputation, employer reputation, and employment outcomes. Moreover, eight new institutions have joined the ranking, and India now has 54 institutions in the ranking. It makes India the fourth most represented country after the U.S., the U.K., and mainland China.