Indian higher education institutions have had a tough year in the QS University Rankings for Asian 2026, with nearly all of the country’s top performers, including seven IITs, slipping down the charts. In contrast, universities from China, Singapore, South Korea, and Malaysia have made notable gains, dominating the top tiers of the list.
In the 2026 edition of the QS World University Rankings: Asia, five of the 10 leading Indian institutions like IIT Delhi, Madras, Bombay, Kanpur, and Kharagpur have recorded their lowest positions in recent years.
IIT Delhi, the nation’s top-ranked institution for the second consecutive year, dropped 15 places to 59, compared to 44 last year. Between 2021 and 2025, the institute consistently ranked between 44 and 47. IIT Bombay faced the sharpest decline among Indian entries, falling 23 positions to 71 in the 2026 rankings, from 48 in 2025. IIT Bombay had held the title of India’s highest-ranked institution between 2021 and 2024, maintaining positions between 37 and 42 during that period.
The only bright spot among India’s top 10 was Chandigarh University, a private institution, which improved its standing to 109 this year, rising from 120 last year.
Across Asia, universities from Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Singapore continued to lead the charts. The University of Hong Kong claimed the top spot, pushing Peking University of China to second place. The National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) were jointly placed third. Institutions from South Korea and Malaysia also figured prominently among the top 20.