QS Asia Rankings 2026: IITs Slip as China, Singapore Soar

The QS Asia University Rankings 2026 reveal a sobering trend for India’s premier institutions: even as scores improve, rankings have declined—a signal of intensifying regional competition. Among the top 10 Indian universities, nine dropped in rank, with several IITs hitting their lowest positions in years. The setback comes as institutions in China, Singapore, South Korea, and Malaysia accelerate ahead, driven by globalisation, better research performance, and superior faculty-student ratios.

India’s Performance in QS Asia Rankings 2026

Despite improving in absolute scores, nine of India’s top ten institutions saw a drop in rank. This includes seven IITs, which have been long regarded as India’s strongest representatives in global higher education.

Key Highlights

• IIT Delhi remains India’s top-ranked institute but fell 15 places to 59th position.
• IIT Bombay witnessed the sharpest fall, dropping 23 ranks from 48 to 71.
• IISc Bangalore maintained a relatively stable position, ranking 64th this year.
• Chandigarh University was the only Indian institution in the top 10 Indian list to show an improvement, moving up from 120 to 109.

QS Asia Rankings 2026: Top 10 in Asia

These institutions dominate due to high research visibility, international student intake, and strong academic reputations.

Top 10 Indian Institutions and Their Previous Ranks

Reasons Behind India’s Decline

1. Weak Research Impact

Citations per paper remain low for IITs compared to top Asian universities.

• IIT Delhi: 31.5
• IIT Bombay: 20.0
• IIT Madras: 20.3

Top global performers scored in the high 90s, showing a major gap in research visibility and collaborations.

2. Poor Faculty-Student Ratios

IITs struggle with large class sizes and limited resources.

• IIT Delhi: 40.9
• IIT Kharagpur: 16.5

Leading Asian universities have scores between 80–90 in this metric.

3. Limited Internationalisation

• International Student Ratio (ISR): Very low among IITs.
• Ranges from 2.5 (IIT Kharagpur) to 12.3 (IIT Roorkee).
• Universities in Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea score close to 100 in this area.

Rising Competition from East and Southeast Asia

Countries like China, Singapore, South Korea, and Malaysia are gaining ground through,

• Increased government investment in higher education and R&D.
• Enhanced international faculty recruitment.
• Stronger research collaborations and publication output.
• Strategic focus on global visibility through partnerships and rankings.