Chandigarh University: India’s Rising Star in QS Rankings

QS has announced the 2026 World University Rankings.

The United States and China are making progress, while Italy and Saudi Arabia have entered the top 100 for the first time.

LONDON, June 19, 2025 — Global higher education experts QS Quacquarelli Symonds have published the 22nd edition of the QS World University Rankings.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has maintained the top position for 14 consecutive years. Imperial College London remains in second place, while Stanford University has climbed to third.

TOP TEN UNIVERSITIES

• MIT – US
• Imperial College London – UK
• Stanford University – U.S.
• University of Oxford – UK
• Harvard University – U.S.
• University of Cambridge – UK
• ETH Zurich – Switzerland
• National University of Singapore – Singapore
• UCL – UK
• California Institute of Technology – U.S.

This edition of the Rankings includes over 1,500 institutions across 106 locations. The U.S. has the highest number with 192 ranked universities, followed by the UK with 90 and Mainland China with 72. India has 54, and Germany completes the top five with 48.

Ben Sowter, Senior Vice President of QS, stated:

“We are witnessing a rebalancing of global academic influence. The rankings highlight a shift in the center of gravity in higher education towards Asia, which now boasts the highest number of ranked universities globally. While traditional powerhouses maintain strong positions, the data indicates clear momentum in regions that are heavily investing in research capacity, internationalization, and long-term strategies. The QS World University Rankings reveal not only institutional excellence but also the changing landscape of global knowledge production. These shifts indicate an increasingly multipolar academic world that is more competitive, connected, and ambitious than ever.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• Asia now leads with 565 ranked universities, surpassing Europe (487), the Americas (358), Africa (47), and Oceania (44). Additionally, Asia has added the most newcomers this year, with 84 new institutions compared to 10 in the Americas, 9 in Europe, 8 in Africa, and 1 in Oceania.
• In the United States, more institutions have improved their rankings than declined for the first time in seven years. Stanford University has advanced due to its performance in Sustainability and International Faculty metrics, while the University of Chicago has re-entered the top 20.
• The United Kingdom matches the U.S. with four entries in the top 10 and continues to lead in the International Student Ratio.
• In Canada, McGill University has overtaken the University of Toronto as the national leader, now ranked 27th, and Canada is excelling in Sustainability initiatives.
• Australia has two institutions in the top 20, but the University of Sydney has dropped to 25th, with 71% of Australian institutions falling in the rankings.
• In China, 45% of institutions have risen in Rank. Tsinghua University has climbed to 17th place, while Fudan University has jumped nine places to reach 30th.
• In India, IIT Delhi has become the top-ranked institution nationally, now positioned at 123rd, surpassing IIT Bombay.
• Italy and Saudi Arabia have both entered the top 100 for the first time, with Politecnico di Milano ranked 98th and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) at 67th.
• In Africa, South Africa holds the top four spots, with the University of Cape Town climbing 21 places to reach 150th.

INDIA AT THE 2026 QS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS

• India has become the fourth nation with the highest representation of universities among the world’s leading institutions, according to the QS World University Rankings 2026.
• In the past decade, the number of Indian universities ranked among the world’s top universities has increased significantly, rising from 11 to 54.
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has secured the top spot among Indian universities, moving up 27 places from last year’s 150th rank to 123rd. Meanwhile, IIT Bombay has slipped from 118th to 129th this year. IIT Madras made impressive gains, jumping 47 places to achieve the 180th rank, up from 227th last year.
• In the QS World University Rankings 2026, these three Indian universities are among the top 200 globally. Additionally, six Indian universities have ranked among the top 300, while ten have made it into the top 500 higher education institutions worldwide.

Top 32 Universities in India

• Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD), New Delhi, India
• Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), Mumbai, India
• Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), Chennai, India
• Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP), Kharagpur, India
• Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
• Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK), Kanpur, India
• University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
• Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), Guwahati, India
• Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR), Roorkee, India
• Anna University, Chennai, India
• Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan, India
• Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, India
• Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
• Indian Institute of Technology BHU Varanasi (IIT BHU Varanasi), Varanasi, India
• Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
• Chandigarh University, Mohali, India
• Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH), Sangareddy, India
• University of Mumbai, Mumbai, India
• Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Pilani, India
• Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India
• Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, India
• Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, India
• National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, Tiruchirappalli, India
• Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
• Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala, India
• University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
• Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN), Gandhinagar, India
• University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
• Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
• O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), Sonepat, India
• Lovely Professional University (LPU), Chaheru, India
• Panjab University, Chandigarh, India

• Chandigarh University, nestled in the vibrant city of Mohali, Punjab, proudly stands as the youngest institution to earn a distinguished ranking among both public and private universities across India.

• With an impressive “Academic Reputation” score of 22.4, Chandigarh University significantly outperforms its neighboring counterpart, Panjab University, which holds a score of 9.4. This striking contrast not only underscores the exceptional standing of Chandigarh University but also emphasizes its commitment to academic excellence and innovation.

Here are some comparative scores that reflect the “Academic Reputation” of various institutions. These scores provide a clearer understanding of how different schools rank in terms of their perceived excellence and credibility within the academic community.

• Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD), India – 67.9
• Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai. India – 73.3
• University of Delhi, New Delhi, India – 46.9
• Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India – 39.8
• Chandigarh University, Mohali, India – 22.4
• Lovely Professional University (LPU), Chaheru, India – 20
• Shoolini University, Solan, India — 16.2
• Panjab University, Chandigarh, India – 9.4
• Chitkara University, Rajpura, India – 10
• University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan – 22.5
• MIT, Cambridge, United States – 100
• University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom – 100
• Harvard University, Cambridge, United States – 100
• Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States – 93.2
• University of California, Berkeley, United States – 100
• Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom – 99.6
• Stanford University, Stanford, United States – 100

• Panjab University in Chandigarh serves as a striking example of an institution that has overlooked its shortcomings and is yet to embrace the insights offered by the Editor’s Observation above.

• Panjab University basks in accolades from local communities, who have limited perspectives beyond their immediate surroundings. These local communities are under the enchanting illusion that Chandigarh marks the edge of the world and are convinced that there is nothing beyond its borders.

• As a direct result, the QS rankings reveal an apparent reality: Panjab University has been decisively outperformed by its 142-year-old mother and Pakistani counterpart, Punjab University Lahore, and by its young neighbors and regional competitors such as Chandigarh University in Mohali, Shoolini University in Solan, Thapar University in Patiala, Lovely Professional University in Phagwara, and Jindal Global University in Sonepat.

• It is a wake-up call for Panjab University to reassess its position and performance.

Source: QS Quacquarelli Symonds