QS rankings 2024: IIT Bombay among top 150 universities globally, best in country

The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) emerged as the best higher educational institution in India, ranking 149th globally, the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings (WUR) released late on Tuesday night said.

The institution was ranked 172 last year.

The other university making it to the top 200 list was IIT-Delhi which is ranked 197 this year.

According to a statement issued by the QS analysts, the latest edition of the rankings implemented its largest-ever methodological enhancement, by introducing three new metrics namely sustainability, employment outcomes and international research network in addition to weighting of certain existing indicators, academic reputation, employer Rreputation, and faculty student ratio.

“IIT-B emerges as the new torchbearer for Indian higher education. IIT Bombay’s impressive trajectory of consistent improvements in research quality and reputation has facilitated its rise to prominence. Over the past five years, it has propelled its employer reputation ranking from 102nd to 69th and improved its Citations per Faculty rank from 226th to 133rd. However, the institution’s internationalization metrics still require enhancement to fully realise its potential as a globally diverse institution,” the statement said.

It said that from 2018 to 2022, IIT Bombay generated 1,43,800 citations from 15,905 academic papers, registering a research growth of approximately 17%.

“Its research endeavours are largely concentrated in the fields of Engineering & Technology and Natural Sciences, with particularly impactful collaborative work in Astrophysics,” it added.

The QS featured 45 Indian universities, including four new universities University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Chitkara University, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, and the Indian Statistical Institute, this year.

This year, 13 Indian universities rank lower than the previous edition, while an equal number remain unchanged.

Meanwhile, 15 institutions rank higher this year, with academic reputation as the indicator where most institutions (28 out of 41, excluding the new entries) have improved.

“The Citations per Faculty category also reflects well on India, with 22 universities faring better in this edition,” it said.

Among the institutes whose ranking have dropped this year, are Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc) Bangalore down to 225 from 155, IIT-Madras from 250 to 285, and IIT-Delhi 174 to 192.

With IISc’s low ranking this time, India had one less university within the top 200 rankings compared to the previous edition.

“The Indian Institute of Science (225th) experienced a lower rank in the reset methodology, partly due to the revised weightage assigned to its faculty-to-student ratio, which is one of its strengths. This edition assigns 50% less weight to this indicator. Additionally, the introduction of three new indicators serves as areas of development for this prestigious institution. India can now take pride in having two more entries in the world’s top 500 universities with the University of Delhi (ranked 407th) and Anna University (ranked 427th) making their debut in this tier,” the QS said in the statement.

The institutes whose ranking improved significantly included University of Delhi (DU) that has jumped from 521 to 407.

“The University of Delhi stands out in Employment Outcomes, boasting a global rank of 34 and a robust score of 91.4, reflecting a significant YoY ascent of 23 ranks. This achievement, towering over the global average of 24, underlines the notable employability of its graduates,” the statement said.

Jessica Turner, QS Chief Executive, said that the bold introduction of India’s National Education Policy (NEP) highlights India’s determination to adapt and modernise its education system.

“It’s an important step towards fostering a learning environment that prepares future-ready students. Focusing on sustainability, global engagement, and employability is vital for India’s higher education landscape. These elements will not only shape future institutions but also underpin their relevance and success.

The QS lauded India for its notable strength in the field of research influence, particularly evident in its performance in the citations per faculty indicator.

“With a remarkable score of 38.6, India surpasses the global average of 17 and secures the second-highest position in Asia among higher education systems with more than 10 ranked universities, only trailing behind China (Mainland). This achievement underscores India’s significant contribution to scholarly literature and its growing impact on the academic community. Notably, thirteen Indian universities feature among the world’s top 200, including two among the world’s top 15: the Institute of Science and Anna University,” it said.

However, it raised concern over India’s performance in the proportion of international students’ indicators.

“This lags significantly behind the global average of 21.4, highlighting the need to attract and accommodate a more diverse international student body,” it added.