IIT Delhi emerges as India's top university at QS World University Rankings 2027

Only 3 Indian institutes make the top 200 in QS World University Rankings 2027

The QS World University Rankings 2027 place IIT Delhi as India's top-ranked university at 118th globally, up five places from last year. Only three Indian institutions, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, and IIT Madras, secured spots among the world's top 200 universities.

by · India Today

In Short

  • IIT Delhi tops India in QS World University Rankings 2027 at 118th globally
  • Only three Indian institutes make top 200: IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras
  • MIT retains global No.1 spot for 15th consecutive year

The QS World University Rankings 2027 have been released, and as every year, students, parents, and educators are closely watching how Indian institutions compare with their global counterparts.

This year, the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) has emerged as India's highest-ranked university. The institute climbed five places from its position in the previous edition, moving from 123rd place in 2026 to 118th globally in 2027, with an overall score of 65.7.

Only three Indian institutions managed to secure a place among the world's top 200 universities this year. IIT Delhi ranked 118th globally, followed by IIT Bombay at 134th and IIT Madras at 170th.

HOW INDIA'S TOP THREE UNIVERSITIES PERFORMED

IIT Delhi performed exceptionally well in several key indicators. It scored 97.3 in Citations per Faculty, reflecting the research impact of its academic output. The institute received 64.6 in Academic Reputation, 96.9 in Employer Reputation, and 59.6 in Employment Outcomes. It scored 66.5 in International Research Network and 81.2 in Sustainability.

IIT Bombay, India's second-highest ranked institution, recorded a score of 79.3 in Citations per Faculty, 72.5 in Academic Reputation, 97.8 in Employer Reputation, 78.2 in Employment Outcomes, 42.1 in International Research Network, and 79.4 in Sustainability.

Meanwhile, IIT Madras scored 95.3 in Citations per Faculty, 55.1 in Academic Reputation, 87.4 in Employer Reputation, 53.2 in Employment Outcomes, 52.2 in International Research Network, and 74.8 in Sustainability.

TOP 20 INDIAN UNIVERSITIES IN QS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2027

InstituteIndia RankGlobal Rank
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi)1118
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay)2134
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras)3170
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur)4205
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru5221
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur)6221
University of Delhi7332
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee)8335
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati)9349
Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences10452
Anna University11470
Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi12510
Chandigarh University13526
Indian Institute of Technology Indore14546
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)15555
Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani16575
Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH)17588
Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT)18597
Symbiosis International (Deemed University)19655
Jamia Millia Islamia20686

Global Rankings: MIT Retains the Crown

At the global level, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) continues its remarkable dominance, securing the No. 1 position for the 15th consecutive year.

InstitutionGlobal RankOverall Score
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)1100
Imperial College London299.2
Stanford University299.2
University of Oxford498.6
Harvard University597.4
University of Cambridge697.1
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)796.6
ETH Zurich896.3
University College London (UCL)896.3
National University of Singapore (NUS)1096.2

The latest rankings highlight India's growing presence in global higher education, with IIT Delhi leading the way. While only three Indian institutions feature among the top 200 universities worldwide, several universities have improved their standing, reflecting the country's increasing focus on research, employability, and international academic collaboration.

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