The Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT-D) has earned the top spot in India in the ‘QS World University Rankings: Asia 2025’, thanks to improvements in eight indicators, most prominently, staff with PhD, in which it climbed by 58 places.
Meanwhile, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) got the second spot. It remains the country’s most well-renowned university among international academics and employers, placing 27th in academic reputation and 16th in employer reputation.
Regionally, IIT Delhi climbed to 44th rank from 46th rank, taking the national top position and overtaking last year’s leader, IIT Bombay which slipped from 40th rank to the 48th rank regionally.
It is not just IIT Bombay that has seen a decline, some other top varsities such as IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, IISc and IIT Kanpur also observed a drop in their rankings. While IIT Bombay fell by eight ranks, IIT Madras saw a drop of three years (from 53 to 56 this year). The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and IIT Kanpur saw a decline of four ranks each as IISc fell from 58 to 62 this year and IIT-K fell from 63 to 67 this year. IIT Kharagpur, however, saw a decline of only one rank as she fell from 59 to 60th rank this year.
| 2025 Rank | 2024 Rank | Institution |
| 44 | 46 | Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) |
| 48 | 40 | Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) |
| 56 | 53 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) |
| 60 | 59 | Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP) |
| 62 | 58 | Indian Institute of Science |
| 67 | 63 | Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) |
| 81 | 94 | University of Delhi |
| 104 | 111 | Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) |
| 108 | 116 | Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR) |
| 110 | 117 | Jawaharlal Nehru University |
| 120 | 149 | Chandigarh University |
| 148 | 218 | University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) |
| 150 | 163 | Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) |
| 168 | 213 | Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences |
| 171 | 215 | Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani |
| 173 | 210 | Savitribai Phule Pune University |
| 177 | 179 | Anna University |
| 179 | 187 | University of Calcutta |
| 183 | 186 | Amity University |
| 188 | 206 | Jamia Millia Islamia |
| 197 | 210 | Manipal Academy of Higher Education – Manipal University (MAHE) |
The University of Delhi (DU) made a big jump of 13 ranks this year as the central university jumped from 94 last year to 81 this year. IIT Guwahati, which ranked 104th regionally, earned the top 8th spot in India. The other two universities in the top 10 (India) are IIT Roorkee at the 108th spot regionally and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at the 110th rank regionally.
Chandigarh University earned the 11th spot (120th rank), followed by University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) at 148th spot, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) at 150th rank, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences at 168th rank and Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani sealed the top 15 in India with 171th rank regionally.
University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) is Asia’s second most improved university in the ranking, climbing an impressive 70 positions to place 148th. It has improved in nine of QS’ indicators.
As per the data, more Indian universities have seen an increase rather than a drop. This year, a total of 163 Indian universities participated in QS rankings. Of these, 59 universities have climbed the table, 51 dropped in ranks and 31 remained stable in their ranks or bands.
Indian universities have performed excellently in reputation indicators, marking the country’s most improved metrics. In academic reputation, 75 per cent of its previously ranked universities have climbed while in employer reputation, 73 per cent climb.
Research productivity represents a major strength for Indian universities. Interestingly, of Asia’s top five universities in Papers per Faculty, four are Indian. Anna University has earned the regional second rank.
| Indian Universities in Region’s Top 10 in Papers Per Faculty | ||||
| Overall Rank | Institution | Indicator Score | Indicator Rank | Indicator Change |
| 177 | Anna University | 100 | 2 | -1 |
| 521-540 | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology, West Bengal | 100 | 3 | -1 |
| 62 | Indian Institute of Science | 100 | 4 | 0 |
| 221 | Bharathiar University, Coimbatore | 99.8 | 5 | 1 |
| 104 | Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) | 98.9 | 9 | 1 |
Interestingly, eight Indian universities have tied in second place in ‘Staff with PhD’ category. These universities are IISc, IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Ropar, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design & Mfg Kancheepuram, IISER Bhopal and IIT Bhubaneswar.
| Indian Universities Tied in Second in Staff with PhD | ||||
| Overall Rank | Institution | Indicator Score | Indicator Rank | Indicator Change |
| 62 | Indian Institute of Science | 99.9 | 2 | -1 |
| 56 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) | 99.9 | 2 | -1 |
| 60 | Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP) | 99.9 | 2 | -1 |
| 67 | Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) | 99.9 | 2 | -1 |
| 521-540 | Indian Institute of Technology Ropar | 99.9 | 2 | -1 |
| 701-750 | Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design & Mfg Kancheepuram | 99.9 | 2 | -1 |
| 501-520 | Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal | 99.9 | 2 | -1 |
| 421-430 | Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar | 99.9 | 2 | -1 |
Regionally, the top four remain unchanged year-on-year. Peking University takes the highest rank, followed by The University of Hong Kong in second. Singaporean institutions take third and fourth, with the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). China’s Fudan University climbs to fifth, usurping its domestic compatriot Tsinghua University, which drops to seventh.
| QS World University Rankings: Asia 2025 – Top 10 | |||
| 2025 Rank | 2024 Rank | Institution | Country/Territory |
| 1 | 1 | Peking University | China (Mainland) |
| 2 | 2 | The University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong SAR |
| 3 | 3 | National University of Singapore (NUS) | Singapore |
| 4 | 4 | Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) | Singapore |
| 5 | 7 | Fudan University | China (Mainland) |
| 6 | 10 | The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) | Hong Kong SAR |
| 7 | 4 | Tsinghua University | China (Mainland) |
| 8 | 6 | Zhejiang University | China (Mainland) |
| 9 | 8 | Yonsei University | South Korea |
| 10 | 17 | City University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong SAR |
“With the government’s unwavering commitment to advancing India’s position as a global education superpower , its dual focus on attracting international students and strengthening research through global collaboration remains essential. The NEP 2020’s student-focused reforms, aiming to boost the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) to 50% by 2035 — a 40% increase — highlight this commitment. Additionally, initiatives like the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), which enables foreign universities to establish branch campuses with streamlined regulations, illustrate India’s readiness for global partnerships. Complementing these efforts, the comprehensive campus set to be established by the University of Southampton in Gurugram underscores India’s drive to expand its educational footprint and reinforce its global academic ties,” said Dr Ashwin Fernandes, QS Executive Director for Africa, Middle East & South Asia.