IIT Madras leads ‘overall’ category for 7th year; IISc B’luru best university for 10th straight year
New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has once again secured the top position in the ‘overall’ category for the seventh consecutive year, while the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru has emerged as the best university for the tenth year running, according to the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 released on Thursday.
The rankings, unveiled by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, mark the tenth edition of the exercise since its launch in 2016. “A cornerstone of the India Rankings has been its success in cultivating a culture of data governance within higher education institutions,” Pradhan said at the announcement. He added that the data collected for the rankings now supports not just institutional planning but also national policy development.
IISc Bengaluru retained its second spot in the overall category, with IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi following at third and fourth place, respectively. The top ten list continues to be dominated by IITs and central universities.
In the universities category, IISc Bengaluru was named the best, followed by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in second place. Manipal Academy of Higher Education broke new ground by taking the third position, becoming the first private university to reach the top three. Jamia Millia Islamia, which held third place last year, slipped to fourth.
Among colleges, Delhi University’s Hindu College and Miranda House maintained their first and second positions. Hansraj College climbed to third, while Kirori Mal College followed closely in fourth. St Stephen’s College, which was ranked third last year, moved down to fifth.
IIT Madras extended its dominance in engineering by being ranked first for the tenth consecutive year. IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay followed in second and third positions, respectively. NIT Tiruchirappalli was the only non-IIT institution in the top 10 list of engineering colleges.
In the management category, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad held its top rank, trailed by IIM Bangalore and IIM Kozhikode. Seven IIMs figured in the top 10 business schools, while IIT Delhi was the sole IIT to feature in this category. Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon and Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur, were ranked ninth and tenth.
Jamia Hamdard secured the first place in the pharmacy category. BITS Pilani moved up one spot to claim second, while Panjab University stood third.
In the law domain, the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, continued to lead, with National Law University, Delhi, and NALSAR Hyderabad retaining their second and third positions.
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, topped the list of medical colleges, followed by the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, and Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore. All three institutions held on to their previous year’s rankings.
Among dental colleges, AIIMS Delhi secured first place, while Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, shifted to second position.
IISc Bengaluru was also recognised as the leading research institution, followed by IIT Madras. In the open universities category, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) retained its dominance, with Karnataka State Open University, Mysuru, in second place. Jadavpur University topped the list of state public universities, with Anna University and Panjab University ranking next.
The NIRF has expanded significantly since its inception. Participation from higher education institutions has grown from 3,565 in 2016 to 14,163 applications in 2025, representing 7,692 unique institutions. Over the years, the scope of the rankings has also widened. From just four categories in 2016, the framework now assesses institutions in nine categories—Overall, Universities, Colleges, Research Institutions, Innovation, Open Universities, State Public Universities, Skill Universities, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, eight subject domains are covered: Engineering, Management, Pharmacy, Law, Medical, Architecture and Planning, Dental, and Agriculture and Allied Sectors.
The framework evaluates institutions on five parameters: Teaching, Learning and Resources; Research and Professional Practice; Graduation Outcomes; Outreach and Inclusivity; and Perception. Ranks are awarded based on composite scores across these metrics.
Education Minister Pradhan highlighted the rigorous data validation process behind the rankings. “At a macro level, this data serves as a valuable resource for national policy formulation and sectoral analysis. A multi-layered data validation is undertaken to ensure integrity of the rankings. Data submitted by the HEIs are scrutinised for inconsistencies, anomalies, and potential inflation,” he said.
