India has lost its top spot as the most represented higher education system in the 2026 QS World University Rankings for Asia to China, after two years, with nine out of its ten highest-ranked institutions slipping in rank from last year. India now stands second in Asia.
How many universities from India and China made the list?
According to this year’s rankings, 137 Indian universities entered the list, bringing the country’s total to 294, while China added 261 institutions, reaching a total of 395. Overall, 1,529 universities featured in the rankings this year.
Institutions from Hong Kong, China, and Singapore dominated the top 10. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi was India’s top-performing university, placed jointly at 59th, a 15-place drop from its 44th position last year. IIT Bombay also fell from 48th to 71st this year.
Which Indian institutions featured in the top rankings?
Seven of India’s top 10 institutions are IITs — Delhi, Madras, Bombay, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Roorkee, and Guwahati — along with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru, Delhi University, and Chandigarh University. Of these, only Chandigarh University improved its ranking, rising from 120th to 109th.
In total, seven Indian universities ranked in the top 100, 20 in the top 200, and 66 in the top 500.
What explains the shift in rankings?
While India fell behind China in overall entries, the country’s representation has increased significantly over the decade — from just 24 institutions in 2016 to 249 in 2026, marking a 1,125 per cent rise compared to China’s 273 per cent increase, according to QS.
Jessica Turner, chief executive officer of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), said that five years after the launch of the National Education Policy (NEP), India has built system-level capacity that is globally relevant and locally empowering.
“The entry of over 130 Indian universities into this year’s Asia Rankings is a strong signal of depth as well as breadth,” she said.
How did Indian universities perform in research indicators?
India dominated the ‘papers per faculty’ indicator — a measure of research productivity — with five universities ranked among Asia’s top 10 and 28 among the top 50. This is more than double China’s tally of two in the top 10 and 14 in the top 50.
India also had 45 institutions in Asia’s top 100 for staff with doctorates, reflecting strong faculty credentials.
Turner added that as India’s research ecosystem matures and international collaborations expand, “the country is positioning itself not only as a study destination but as a global knowledge leader shaping innovation, inclusion, and sustainable growth across Asia.”
What parameters are used in the QS Asia Rankings?
The QS World University Rankings for Asia, released annually by Quacquarelli Symonds, assess universities based on 11 indicators, including research impact, academic reputation, employer reputation, internationalisation, and faculty qualifications. The parameters are tailored to highlight the unique characteristics of Asian higher education systems.
 "India loses top spot to China in QS Asia University Rankings 2026")
