51 best universities in India in 2026
Ranking based on the average of the three main global rankings: Shanghai (ARWU), Times Higher Education and QS.
Indian Institute of Science
Average rank: #325
No. 25University of Hyderabad
Central research university in Hyderabad, highly ranked in humanities and sciences.
No. 26Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad
Legendary institute in Dhanbad, a world reference in mining, geology and energy since 1926.
No. 27Indian Institute of Technology Ropar
Dynamic IIT in Punjab founded in 2008, recognized for research in data science.
No. 28Savitribai Phule Pune University
Major public university in Pune, one of India's oldest and largest (1949).
No. 29University of Calcutta
Asia's first modern university (1857), the cradle of the Bengal Renaissance in Kolkata.
No. 30Aligarh Muslim University
Venerable central university founded in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, a pillar of Indian Muslim education.
No. 31Indian Institute of Technology Indore
Dynamic IIT founded in 2009, recognized for computing and interdisciplinary research.
No. 32Punjab University Chandigarh
One of India's oldest universities (1882), located in Chandigarh and highly ranked.
No. 33Delhi Technological University
Top public engineering university in New Delhi, heir to Delhi College (1941).
No. 34Indian Institute of Technology Mandi
IIT in Himachal Pradesh nestled in the Himalayas, a pioneer of technologies for mountain regions.
No. 35Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur
Rajasthan's IIT in Jodhpur, founded in 2008, focused on smart technologies.
No. 36University of Madras
Historic public university in Chennai (1857), one of India's first three universities.
No. 37Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar
IIT of Odisha founded in 2008, mentored by IIT Kharagpur, strong in ocean and climate sciences.
No. 38Anna University
Major public technical university in Chennai, the backbone of engineering in Tamil Nadu since 1978.
No. 39Osmania University
Historic public university in Hyderabad (1918), the world's first to teach in an Indian language.
No. 40Indian Institute of Technology Patna
IIT of Bihar, mentored by IIT Guwahati, thriving at Bihta near Patna.
No. 41Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar
Gujarat's IIT founded in 2008, renowned for pedagogical innovation and campus life.
No. 42Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad
Recent IIT in Kerala, mentored by IIT Madras, focused on data and materials.
No. 43Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati
Recent IIT in Andhra Pradesh, mentored by IIT Madras, in rapid academic expansion.
No. 44Guru Nanak Dev University
Public university in Amritsar founded in 1969, an educational and cultural pillar of Punjab.
No. 45Indian Institute of Technology Bhilai
IIT of Chhattisgarh founded in 2016, located in the industrial region of Bhilai.
No. 46Indian Institute of Technology Goa
Small dynamic IIT in Goa, mentored by IIT Bombay, growing rapidly since 2016.
No. 47Indian Institute of Technology Jammu
Recent IIT in Jammu and Kashmir, growing rapidly in a Himalayan setting.
No. 48Indian Institute of Technology Dharwad
Recent IIT in Karnataka, mentored by IIT Bombay, focused on emerging technologies.