Indian Higher Education Institutes Doubled in QS Rankings in 5 Years, Says Govt

The number of Indian higher education institutions (HEIs) featured in the QS World University Rankings (QS-WUR) has doubled over the past five years, rising from 27 in 2021 to 54 in 2026, the government informed Parliament on Monday.

In a reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, “The number of Indian HEIs featured in the QS World University Rankings has doubled in the past five years, rising from 27 in QS WUR 2021 to 54 in QS WUR 2026.”

He added, “Fifty-four Indian Institutions have been ranked in the QS WUR 2026. This is India’s highest ever representation, marking a growth from 11 institutions in QS WUR 2015 to 54 in QS WUR 2026. Eight Indian institutions have been ranked for the first time, which is the highest number for any country in this edition, both within the G20 and globally.”

The rankings highlight the impact of sustained policy initiatives, strengthened research and innovation capacity, and India’s steadily rising global profile in higher education.

“These initiatives have been complemented by robust accreditation and ranking mechanisms by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) and the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), respectively, which galvanised the Indian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to a more competitive environment. The improved quality of education, in turn, contributed to significant improvements in the performance of Indian HEIs in international rankings, including the QS WUR,” Pradhan said.

The Minister also emphasized the government’s ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of higher education through better infrastructure, promotion of research and innovation, and stronger industry-academia linkages.

“Since 2014, 16 Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT), eight Central Universities (CU), eight Indian Institute of Management (IIM), seven Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), two Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), and one National Institute of Technology (NIT) have been established,” Pradhan informed.

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