The London-based QS or Quacquarelli Symonds releases the QS World University ranking for Sustainability 2026, with the names of 103 Indian universities, along with the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. In the QS World University ranking for Sustainability 2026, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi ranked top among the list of Indian universities, scoring an overall score of 83.1.
The latest edition evaluated nearly 2,000 universities from 106 countries, compared to about 1,750 institutions previously, reflecting a notable increase in global participation in assessing universities’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance.
Indian Universities Ranking in the QS Sustainability 2026
The list of Indian universities that perform well in the QS Sustainability Ranking 2026, along with their indicator scores, is:
Top 10 Universities in QS Sustainability Ranking 2026
From the thousands of universities from 106 countries, the top 10 universities in the QS Sustainability ranking are:
Lund University, Sweden
University of Toronto, Canada
University College London (UCL), United Kingdom
University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
University of British Columbia, Canada
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), United Kingdom
Imperial College London, United Kingdom
University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), Australia
McGill University, Canada
University of Manchester, United Kingdom
The above list of top universities shows the strong performance by universities in the UK and Canada, in which Sweden’s Lund University scored a perfect 100.
About QS World University Sustainability Ranking
The QS Sustainability Rankings, launched in 2023, evaluate how well universities respond to key global environmental and social challenges. The Rankings assess the performance of institutions in three key performance areas: environmental, which includes carbon emissions, green initiatives, and climate action; social, which includes equity, accessibility, and community impact; and governance and ethics, which includes institutional transparency and goals around sustainability.
Institutions are assigned scores that reflect the institution's performance across the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) categories, which also present an overview of their contribution to sustainability in a global context.
Why QS Sustainability Ranking Matters
As global challenges like climate change, inequality, and environmental degradation intensify, universities are increasingly called upon to set examples through sustainable practices. The QS Sustainability Rankings play a key role in this by
Encouraging institutions to implement eco-friendly operations
Support climate-focused research and education
Promote ethically responsible governance and inclusivity
Provide students with a perspective to assess universities beyond academic achievements
