QS World University Rankings 2026: India counts 99 universities, IIT ISM Dhanbad and IIM Ahmedabad shine

QS World University Rankings 2026 (released Mar 25, 2026) list 99 Indian universities. IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and IIM Ahmedabad rank 21st; IIT Kharagpur jumps in mining and debuts in petroleum.

Edited by : Sneha Iyer

Updated : March 27, 2026 3:31 AM

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    QS World University Rankings 2026

    QS World University Rankings 2026 were released on Mar 25, 2026 , and the list includes 99 Indian universities. India is the fourth-largest represented higher education system globally by institution count.

    By Siddhi Sharma

    Last updated: Mar 26, 2026 10:35 IST

    QS World University Rankings 2026: Top national performers

    IIT (ISM) Dhanbad leads India at 21st in Mineral & Mining Engineering. IIM Ahmedabad also placed 21st in both Business & Management Studies and Marketing — India’s best-ever result in Marketing.

    IIT Kharagpur rose sharply in Mining and Mineral Engineering, moving from 45th last year to 22nd in 2026. The institute also made a debut in Petroleum Engineering at 28th .

    JNU ranked 26th in Development Studies while OP Jindal Global University placed 35th in Law. AIIMS Delhi appears at 105th in Medicine and Delhi University fell to 231st in Arts and Humanities.

    QS World University Rankings 2026: Computer science and other subject highlights

    India secured places in several core STEM and management subjects. IIT Bombay is at 44th and IIT Delhi at 45th in Computer Science. The only private institute in the top Computer Science listings is Vellore Institute of Technology at 86th .

    The 2026 subject rankings underscore gains in employer reputation and research impact, as reflected in the positions of engineering and management schools.

    Top Indian subject ranks (selected)

    Institution Subject Global rank 2026
    IIT (ISM) Dhanbad Mineral & Mining Engineering 21
    IIM Ahmedabad Business & Management; Marketing 21
    IIT Kharagpur Mineral & Mining Engineering 22
    IIT Kharagpur Petroleum Engineering (Debut) 28
    JNU Development Studies 26
    OP Jindal Global University Law 35
    IIT Bombay Computer Science 44
    IIT Delhi Computer Science 45
    Vellore Institute of Technology Computer Science (private) 86
    AIIMS Delhi Medicine 105
    Delhi University Arts & Humanities 231

    QS ranks are based on the organisation’s subject methodology. Detailed submetric scores and year-on-year score changes are not included here.

    What this means for students

    The expanded presence of Indian universities in QS subject lists indicates more visible global standing in selected fields. Use these ranks as one data point when shortlisting programmes; also check course details, faculty and placement records.

    FAQs

    Q: When were the QS Subject Rankings 2026 released? A: They were released on Mar 25, 2026 .

    Q: How many Indian universities featured in QS Subject Rankings 2026? A: 99 Indian universities were represented.

    Q: Which Indian institution led in Mining and Mineral Engineering? A: IIT (ISM) Dhanbad ranked 21st globally.

    Q: Which Indian school achieved best-ever marketing rank? A: IIM Ahmedabad ranked 21st in Marketing, India’s best result in that subject.

    Q: Did IIT Kharagpur improve in mining rankings? A: Yes, it moved from 45th to 22nd in Mining and Mineral Engineering.

    Q: Where did AIIMS Delhi and Delhi University rank? A: AIIMS Delhi ranked 105th in Medicine; Delhi University ranked 231st in Arts & Humanities.

    Q: Are the QS methodology details covered here? A: No. The QS subject methodology determines the rankings but detailed submetric breakdowns are not included in this summary.

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