What do the QS Asia 2027 rankings show?
The latest QS regional ranking lists 325 Indian institutions, compared with 294 in the previous edition. This makes India the second most represented higher education system in Asia, behind mainland China, which has 448 institutions in the ranking.
Despite the wider representation, no Indian university appears in the top 50 for the second year in a row. Only six Indian institutions, including five IITs and IISc Bengaluru, are placed in the top 100.
Which Indian institutions are highest ranked?
IIT Delhi remains the leading Indian institution, but its position changed from 59 to 66. IISc Bengaluru moved from 64 to 79, while IIT Bombay shifted from 71 to 83.
IIT Madras is ranked 85 after being placed at 70 in the previous edition. IIT Kharagpur stands at 90 after 77, and IIT Kanpur is at 97 after 77. The University of Delhi is now at 106, down from 95, so it is outside the top 100.
The last Indian entries in Asia’s top 50 were IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay in 2025, when they held positions 44 and 48.
Where does India perform well?
Indian institutions show strong results for research output compared with academic staff numbers. Five Indian universities are in Asia’s top 10 for Papers per Faculty, and 27 are in the regional top 50 for this measure.
IISc Bengaluru holds first place for Papers per Faculty. IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Roorkee and IIT Ropar are placed third, seventh, eighth and ninth respectively. India also has 15 universities sharing first place in Asia for the proportion of academic staff with PhD qualifications.
The ranking uses 11 indicators. Academic reputation has a 30% weight and employer reputation has a 20% weight. The report says Indian institutions continue to face weaker results in research impact, academic reputation and internationalisation.
What was reported about SRM University-AP?
The Hindu reported that SRM University-AP described itself as the top government or private university in Andhra Pradesh in the 2027 QS Asia ranking. The university also said it was among the top 51 universities in India, the top 25 private universities nationally and the top 100 institutions in Southern Asia.
The university said this was its first appearance in the international ranking framework, which examines research, teaching, international engagement and graduate employability.
What you should do now
- Check the overall position of each institution you are considering.
- Compare research indicators such as Papers per Faculty and citations per paper.
- Review academic reputation, employer reputation and international engagement before comparing universities.
- Keep the 2027 ranking separate from older editions, because several institutions changed position.
Questions students ask
Which is India’s highest-ranked institution in QS Asia 2027?
IIT Delhi is India’s highest-ranked institution in the 2027 QS Asia ranking, at 66.
Is any Indian university in Asia’s top 50 in 2027?
No. The report says no Indian university is in the top 50 for the second consecutive year.
How many Indian institutions are in the QS Asia 2027 ranking?
India has 325 institutions in the ranking, up from 294 in the previous edition.
Which Indian institution leads the Papers per Faculty indicator?
IISc Bengaluru ranks first in Asia for Papers per Faculty. IIT Madras is third, IIT Delhi seventh, IIT Roorkee eighth and IIT Ropar ninth.
What happened to the University of Delhi’s position?
The University of Delhi moved from 95 to 106 and therefore no longer appears in the top 100.
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