Four IITs, JNU, BITS Pilani among world's top 50: QS World University rankings by subject

New Delhi: Four Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Birla Institute of Technology (BITS), Pilani are among the world's top 50 institutions for different subjects, according to the latest QS World University rankings announced on Wednesday.

London-based QS Quacquarelli Symonds, known for the university rankings, has published the 16th annual edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject.

The rankings benchmark more than 21,000 academic programmes across 1,900 universities in over 100 countries, spanning 55 disciplines and five broad faculty areas.

According to the rankings, India records 27 top 50 positions across subjects and broad faculty areas — more than double the 12 recorded in 2024 — earned by 12 institutions.

Leading the individual charge is the Indian School of Mines University, Dhanbad, ranked 21st globally in Mineral and Mining Engineering, and IIM Ahmedabad, which ranks 21st in both Business and Management Studies and Marketing. The latter is a subject debut -- India has never before appeared in Marketing's global rankings.

Among the top 50 are IIT Bombay, Kharagpur and Madras; JNU and BITS Pilani.

"India's rise this year is not just about scale: it's about momentum in quality and global competitiveness. The breadth of improvement across engineering, technology and business signals a system that is accelerating with intent. The next phase will be defined by how effectively institutions deepen research strength, build global partnerships, and sharpen their distinctiveness on the world stage," said Jessica Turner, CEO, QS Quacquarelli Symonds.

IIT Delhi has delivered the edition's most complete single-institution performance. It records six top-50 entries, leads India in four subjects — Chemical Engineering (48th, its first top-50 appearance), Electrical and Electronic Engineering (36th), Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering (44th, best in over a decade), and the Engineering and Technology broad area (36th) — and ranks second in Computer Science at 45th.