<p>The latest edition of the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/education/iit-delhi-highest-ranked-indian-institution-in-qs-world-university-rankings-2026-3592901#:~:text=IIT%20Delhi%20has%20jointly%20bagged,ranking%2039th%20in%20that%20indicator.">QS World University Rankings</a> released last week shows India’s higher education sector in a better light than in the past, with about 50% of the country’s universities registering an improvement on last year’s rankings. Eight new institutions were added to the 2026 ranking – India now has 54 institutions in the list, making it the fourth-most represented country behind the US (192 institutions), the UK (90), and China (72). No other country has seen as many universities added to the ranking this year. Among the eight new entrants, seven are private universities. India’s higher education sector has seen many changes in the last few years. Enrolment in private universities saw a near five-fold increase between 2011-2012 and 2021-2022, but the growth in public universities was in the 20-25% range. This momentum is reflected in the QS rankings.</p>.QS World University 2026 Rankings great news for India's education sector: PM Modi.<p>Some of the individual institutions have improved their rankings. IIT Delhi, which is at the top spot in India, has climbed more than 70 places in two years, making it to the 123rd position – it was at the 197th and 150th <br>position in 2024 and 2025, respectively. IIT Bombay is at the second spot while IIT Madras jumped from 227 to 180, to reach the third spot. IIT Kharagpur and IISc Bengaluru hold the fourth and fifth ranks. While the country’s overall performance has improved, there is a lot more to be achieved. Most of the top positions in the world are held by universities in the US, with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) maintaining its top ranking for the 14th consecutive year. Countries such as Germany and China have made strong strides, with many universities improving their positions. China’s universities have shown strong research-led momentum which is important for countries that want to close the development gap with the western countries.</p>.<p>While the number of institutions and the enrollment figures have increased, the standards of education need a major upgrade. There was a 13% increase in the number of institutions and a rise in Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) from 23.7% to 28.4% between 2014-15 and 2021-22. Girls constitute nearly 50% of the enrolments. While these statistics are impressive, there are serious challenges to be addressed. The GER goal of 50% is distant. Poor infrastructure, faculty shortages and underfunding are continuing problems. There are more students in public universities than in private institutions, and their standards need to improve. Strategies towards this must also factor in measures to improve school education.</p>
<p>The latest edition of the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/education/iit-delhi-highest-ranked-indian-institution-in-qs-world-university-rankings-2026-3592901#:~:text=IIT%20Delhi%20has%20jointly%20bagged,ranking%2039th%20in%20that%20indicator.">QS World University Rankings</a> released last week shows India’s higher education sector in a better light than in the past, with about 50% of the country’s universities registering an improvement on last year’s rankings. Eight new institutions were added to the 2026 ranking – India now has 54 institutions in the list, making it the fourth-most represented country behind the US (192 institutions), the UK (90), and China (72). No other country has seen as many universities added to the ranking this year. Among the eight new entrants, seven are private universities. India’s higher education sector has seen many changes in the last few years. Enrolment in private universities saw a near five-fold increase between 2011-2012 and 2021-2022, but the growth in public universities was in the 20-25% range. This momentum is reflected in the QS rankings.</p>.QS World University 2026 Rankings great news for India's education sector: PM Modi.<p>Some of the individual institutions have improved their rankings. IIT Delhi, which is at the top spot in India, has climbed more than 70 places in two years, making it to the 123rd position – it was at the 197th and 150th <br>position in 2024 and 2025, respectively. IIT Bombay is at the second spot while IIT Madras jumped from 227 to 180, to reach the third spot. IIT Kharagpur and IISc Bengaluru hold the fourth and fifth ranks. While the country’s overall performance has improved, there is a lot more to be achieved. Most of the top positions in the world are held by universities in the US, with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) maintaining its top ranking for the 14th consecutive year. Countries such as Germany and China have made strong strides, with many universities improving their positions. China’s universities have shown strong research-led momentum which is important for countries that want to close the development gap with the western countries.</p>.<p>While the number of institutions and the enrollment figures have increased, the standards of education need a major upgrade. There was a 13% increase in the number of institutions and a rise in Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) from 23.7% to 28.4% between 2014-15 and 2021-22. Girls constitute nearly 50% of the enrolments. While these statistics are impressive, there are serious challenges to be addressed. The GER goal of 50% is distant. Poor infrastructure, faculty shortages and underfunding are continuing problems. There are more students in public universities than in private institutions, and their standards need to improve. Strategies towards this must also factor in measures to improve school education.</p>
