QS World University Rankings 2025: IITB climbs up 31 places (118th), while IITD (150th) makes a leap of 47 places, both feature among world’s top 150

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has moved up 31 places topping the list among all higher education institutions at the QS World University Rankings 2025, as it stands out at118th position. The institute’s consistent improvements in research quality and reputation have driven its rise to prominence. Over the past six years, it has significantly advanced its Employer Reputation ranking from 102nd to 63rd and improved its Citations per Faculty rank from 226th to 116th. However, the institution's internationalisation metrics still require enhancement to fully realise its potential as a globally diverse institution. IIT Bombay also leads nationally in Academic Reputation, placing 131st in this key indicator. From 2018 to 2022, the institute generated 143,800 citations from 15,905 academic papers, reflecting a research growth of approximately 17%. Its research primarily focuses on Engineering & Technology and Natural Sciences, with impactful collaborative work in Astrophysics. Moreover 30% of its research output is published in the top 10% of academic journals by impact, surpassing the global average by 6% and the Indian average by 15%.

 

Similarly, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi also features among the world’s top 150, mainly due to significant improvements in the research impact and research network indicators. From 2018 to 2022, IIT Delhi published 16,439 academic papers, generating 221,496 citations and achieving a research growth of approximately 47%. This output makes it India’s fifth most productive research institution. IIT Delhi’s research efforts are also concentrated in Engineering & Technology and Natural Sciences. The quality of its research is highlighted by the fact that 29% of its output is published in the top 10% of academic journals by impact, as defined by CiteScore, surpassing the global average by 5% and the Indian average by 15%.

 

The current 21st edition of the rankings further showcases 46 Indian universities with the Indian Higher Education system being the seventh most represented globally and the third in Asia, trailing only behind Japan (49 universities) and China (Mainland) (71 universities). India also has two more entries in the world's top 400 with the University of Delhi (ranked 328th) and Anna University (ranked 383rd) making their debut in this tier. India is the second in Asia per percentage of improved rank positions, with 61%, surpassed only by mainland China, with 69%.

 

India's presence has grown 318 % over the past decade, leading all G20 nations. The next highest growth is seen in Saudi Arabia with a 186% increase, rising from 7 to 20 entries, followed by Mainland China with a 163% increase, expanding from 27 to 71 entries.

 

India has made significant strides in research influence, as evidenced by its performance in the Citations per Faculty indicator. With a score of 37.8, India surpasses the global average of 23.5, securing the second-highest position in Asia among higher education systems with more than 10 ranked universities, only trailing behind China (Mainland). This achievement underscores India's substantial contribution to scholarly literature and its growing impact within the global academic community. As many as 13 Indian universities feature among the world’s top 200, including two in the top 15: Anna University (second globally in this indicator) Indian Institute of Science (11th globally in this indicator). India scores 39 for International Research Network, its highest average score by indicator. While this is below the global average, it represents a significant improvement compared to last year, highlighting the work India is doing in fostering cross-border collaborations and partnerships to enhance the country's global research standing.

 

India's Employment Outcomes score is ten points below the global average of 23.8, reflecting the need to bridge the gap between job requirements and graduates’ skills and to create more opportunities for new graduates. Additionally, India's Sustainability score of 13.6, also about 10 points below the global average, highlights the need to prioritise and strengthen sustainability initiatives within the higher education system.

 

Anna University: Leads in Citations per Faculty, securing the world's second place with a perfect score of 100, significantly above the global average score of 23.5.

University of Delhi (DU): Stands out in Employment Outcomes, boasting a global rank of 44 and a robust score of 96.0, highlighting the employability of its graduates. In terms of Sustainability, DU leads domestically with a 220th global rank.

IIT Bombay: Excels in Employer Reputation and Academic Reputation, securing 63rd and 131st ranks globally, respectively.

IIT Delhi and Indian Institute of Science: Strong presence in Academic Reputation, ranking within the top 200.

OP Jindal Global University: Holds the 282nd position globally for Faculty Student Ratio, outperforming the global average score.

Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences: New entrant excelling in International Student Ratio, taking the 210th spot.

 

The rankings include 15 private institutions. Among these, seven have ascended in rank, four have maintained their positions, two have declined, and two are new entries. Notably, six private universities are now among the world’s top 1000 universities. Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences stands out, rising 31 places to break into the top 600. The increasing presence and performance of private sector institutions in the rankings underscore the significance of offering diverse educational models to cater to what is projected to be the world’s largest student population by 2025.

 

MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology celebrates its thirteenth uninterrupted year at the top of the rank. At the same time, Imperial College London has overtaken both Oxford and Cambridge to become the highest-ranked UK institution, securing second place globally. The University of Oxford remains in third place and Harvard in fourth, while the University of Cambridge completes the top five. ETH Zurich has been named Continental Europe's top institution for 17 consecutive years.

 

Jessica Turner, QS chief executive, said: "As we navigate the rapid transformation brought about by the advancement of Artificial Intelligence, the global higher education landscape is evolving. The growing prominence of Indian higher education is evident, with 46 universities now ranked and 61% improving their positions. The bold implementation of India's National Education Policy (NEP) demonstrates the nation's commitment to modernising its education system and addressing challenges and leveraging opportunities.”