QS Asia University Rankings 2027: IIT Delhi Tops India at 66th Rank, Check Top 200 List

QS Asia University Rankings 2027: The QS World University Rankings – Asia 2027 have been released, showing a mixed picture for India. Seven in ten Indian universities have slipped in rank, even as the country's presence has grown to 325 institutions, the second-highest in Asia after mainland China. According to QS, 71 per cent of India's ranked universities fell, 18 per cent rose and 11 per cent held steady. IIT Delhi remains the best Indian institution at 66th rank, down from 59th. QS clarified that this does not mean India's performance fell by 71 per cent, as competition across Asia is rising.

Top Indian Institutions Slip in QS Asia Rankings 2027

The fall has reached India's best-known institutions too. All six of the country's highest-ranked universities lost ground this year. IIT Delhi is still the top Indian institution, but it slipped seven places from 59th to 66th. IISc Bangalore moved down from 64th to 79th, IIT Bombay from 71st to 83rd, and IIT Madras from 70th to 85th. The University of Delhi fell from 95th to 106th and is no longer in the regional top 100.

QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter said the numbers should not be read as a judgment on quality. He explained that the 71 per cent figure is the share of India's 325 ranked universities whose rank went down, and not a 71 per cent decline in performance. He added that a lower rank does not always mean weaker performance: two-thirds of the Indian universities that fell actually improved their overall scores.

IIT Kanpur Drops 20 Spots, Among Other Major Dips

Some universities saw steep falls in this edition. Among institutions with individual ranks, the biggest drop was at Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, which went from 495th to 697th, a fall of 202 places. Osmania University slid 180 places from 470th to 650th, while Madurai Kamaraj University lost 173 places, going from 458th to 631st.

In the top 200, IIT Kanpur and UPES each lost 20 places. IIT Kanpur is now 97th (earlier 77th), and UPES is 183rd (earlier 163rd). Shoolini University also fell, from 159th to 177th.

Private Universities Lead the Gainers' List

Many institutions did move up, and private universities made the biggest leaps.

GLA University climbed close to 300 places to reach 491st. Jain University advanced 221 places to 374th, and Woxsen University gained 195 places to stand at 499th. Chandigarh University improved from 109th to 104th, its best rank so far. Lovely Professional University rose from 187th to 154th, and Symbiosis International from 200th to 175th.

Government institutions also recorded gains. IIT Hyderabad moved from 270th to 251st and IIT (BHU) Varanasi from 237th to 219th. IIT (ISM) Dhanbad improved by 51 places to 373rd. Dr B R Ambedkar NIT Jalandhar jumped 180 places to 486th, and Delhi Technological University gained 116 places to reach 584th. Among central universities, Jamia Millia Islamia rose from 197th to 183rd, Aligarh Muslim University from 278th to 268th, and JNU from 130th to 128th.

Indian Universities in QS Asia's Top 200

Here is how some of the leading Indian institutions fared compared with last year.

Why Did Indian Universities Slip?

QS says the decline is mainly a story of rising competition. Rankings show how a university performs relative to others, and the race across Asia is getting tougher. This year, 195 new universities entered the rankings, and many established institutions also improved their positions. QS also pointed out that near the top of the table, even a gap of fewer than five points can separate universities placed 30 ranks apart, so small changes in score can move a rank a lot. India is not the only country facing this. Several established Asian education systems saw more universities fall than rise, including Japan at 85 per cent, and Taiwan and Indonesia at 70 per cent each.