IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi secure top rankings in QS World University Ranking; MIT maintains global lead

The renowned Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) Bombay and Delhi have achieved recognition among the top 150 universities worldwide, with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) retaining its topmost position for the 13th consecutive year, as per the latest QS World University Ranking for 2025 unveiled on Wednesday.

IIT Bombay has significantly ascended in the rankings, climbing from 149th place to 118th, marking a notable leap of 31 spots, while IIT Delhi has improved its standing by 47 positions to secure the 150th spot globally.

The QS ranking, an esteemed publication by the London-based higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), highlighted Delhi University's distinction in producing employable graduates, ranking it 44th globally in the category of "employment outcomes."

With a robust representation of 46 universities in this year's rankings, India possesses the seventh-highest number of institutions globally and ranks third in Asia, trailing behind Japan with 49 universities and Mainland China with 71 universities.

India boasts an additional university within the top 150 rankings, IIT Delhi (150th), along with two more entries in the top 400 globally, featuring the University of Delhi (ranked 328th) and Anna University (ranked 383rd), making their inaugural appearance in this echelon.

Commenting on India's performance, a senior QS official remarked, "India's Employment Outcomes score of 10 is below the global average of 23.8, indicating the necessity to align job requirements with graduates' skills and enhance opportunities for new graduates."

Despite these achievements, the QS report outlined certain challenges faced by India regarding globalisation efforts.

According to QS, India exhibits deficiencies in the International Faculty Ratio and International Student Ratio metrics, highlighting the imperative of bolstering international collaborations. India's 2.9 score for the proportion of international students significantly lags behind the global average of 26.5.

"Similarly, the average score for the proportion of international faculty is 9.3, indicating a need to increase the diversity and representation of international faculty members in Indian universities. Additionally, India's faculty and student ratio score is considerably lower than the global average, suggesting a need for a strategic focus on faculty recruitment and retention," the official added.

(with inputs from PTI)