QS World University Rankings 2027: IIT Delhi ranked highest among IITs; DU, JNU improve global standing

According to the QS World University Rankings 2027, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has retained its position as the highest-ranked for the second consecutive year, improving its global standing to 118th from 123rd last year.

IIT Bombay, which previously topped the country's rankings, slipped from 129th to 134th place. It had also fallen by 11 positions the year before.

Notably, among Indian universities, 26 improved their rankings, nine maintained their positions, 15 slipped, and two entered the list for the first time, reflecting a strong performance amid competition from over 1,500 institutions across 106 countries and territories.

Among the performance indicators that played a key role in IIT Delhi’s improved global ranking, employer reputation has recorded a jump of 11 positions to achieve 39th rank. In the employment outcomes category, the Institute recorded a jump of 60 positions.

QS World University Rankings 2027: Top 20 universities

Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) marked the sharpest rise among Indian institutions, moving up 94 spots to 597th. BITS Pilani climbed 93 places to 575th, and Shoolini University surged 51 positions to secure a place among India’s top 10 universities at 452nd.

QS rankings evaluate universities across a range of indicators including academic reputation, faculty-student ratio, citations per faculty, employer reputation, internationalisation, sustainability and employment outcomes.

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Beyond the IITs: QS World University Rankings 2027

This year, universities in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Delhi have achieved record-high positions, signalling progress in university rankings.

The University of Mumbai has risen 70 places to 25th globally in the employment outcomes category, which is one of the standout results in this year’s rankings.

Additionally, the number of ranked non-IIT institutions has risen from 7 in 2017 to 43 today, and 13 of the 18 universities that reached all-time highs are non-IITs. Since the introduction of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, 29 Indian universities have achieved their highest ranking, underlining excellence across a far wider base of institutions and regions.

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is the world’s leading provider of services, analytics and insight to the global higher education sector. The QS World University Rankings were inaugurated in 2004 and are the world’s most consulted comparative ranking of university performance.