QS Asia Rankings 2026: Asia, universities in China, Malaysia, South Korea, and Singapore overtook all but one of the top 10, indicating a worrying trend for India's best universities. Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) made up seven of the ten. In recent years, a number of top IITs achieved their lowest rankings. For example, IIT Delhi, the nation's top-ranked university for the second year in a row, fell sharply to 59th place, a sharp decline of 15 spots from 44th in the 2025 edition. From 2021 to 2025, its ranking has previously ranged from 44 to 47.
IIT Bomby experienced the most severe loss, losing 23 spots. IIT Bombay, which was ranked best among Indian institutions from at least 2021 to 2024 (with ranks ranging from 37 to 42), fell from 48th in 2025 to 71st in 2026 and is currently ranked fourth among Indian institutions. Madras, Kanpur, and Kharagpur were among the other top IITs that saw significant declines, indicating a broad challenge for these elite Indian engineering schools on the Asian scene.
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List Of Top 10 IITs in QS Asia Rankings 2026
The list of the top ten Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in Asia is based on the QS Asia University Rankings 2026.
| Rank in Asia (2026) | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) |
| 59 | IIT Delhi |
| 70 | IIT Madras |
| 71 | IIT Bombay |
| 77 | IIT Kanpur |
| 77 | IIT Kharagpur |
| 114 | IIT Roorkee |
| 115 | IIT Guwahati |
| 229 | IIT Indore |
| 237 | IIT BHU Varanasi |
| 270 | IIT Hyderabad |
IITs in QS Asia Rankings 2026: Key Highlights
The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) experienced both record-breaking inclusion and a decline in top-tier rankings in the QS Asia University Rankings 2026. Here are six key highlights for the IITs in the QS Asia Rankings 2026:
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Top Ranks Dropped Sharply: As rivalry grew and East Asian rivals' performance accelerated, nine of India's top ten institutions including seven IITs saw their ranks drop.
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IIT Delhi Led Nationally: IIT Delhi declined sharply from 44th to 59th place in the area, but it continued to be India's top-ranked university for the sixth year.
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IIT Bombay's Steepest Fall: Despite improving its absolute performance scores in most criteria, IIT Bombay saw the most severe loss, falling 23 spots from 48th to 71st.
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Internationalization Gap Widened: When compared to Asian competition, the IITs' overall rankings were negatively impacted by their severe deficiencies in International Faculty and Student Ratios.
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Research Output Stayed High: With significant research output and scholarly depth, India led by the IITs became Asia's leader in Papers per Faculty and Staff with PhDs.
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Five IITs in the Top 100 in Asia: Five prestigious IITs Delhi, Madras, Bombay, Kanpur, and Kharagpur secured their places in Asia's top 100 universities for 2026 despite the overall decline.
PM Modi lauds 5 IITs, DU, and IISc for securing spots in QS Asia top 100 rankings
The QS Asia University Rankings 2026 show a record number of Indian universities, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his approval of. He praised this increase in a statement, which included a post on X, as a key symbol of the country's quickening advancement in research, education, and general academic competitiveness on a global scale. According to PM Modi, this accomplishment is a direct result of the government's continuous reforms that are intended to fortify universities and significantly improve their capacity for research.
He also highlighted the government's ongoing dedication to promoting innovation, greatly increasing institutional capacity, and fostering an environment where Indian researchers and students may prosper internationally. "Glad to see a record increase in the number of Indian universities in the QS Asia University Rankings over the last decade," he said, seeing the rising representation as evidence of the effectiveness of well-thought-out educational efforts.
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