QS World University Rankings Asia 2027: India Leads Asia in Research Output as Competition Intensifies Among Top Universities
India remains Asia’s second most represented higher education system, adding 34 new entrants this year. It also leads the region for universities in the top 10 for research output per faculty member and for doctoral-qualified staff. While most leading Indian institutions have fallen in the rankings amid stronger regional competition, India has opportunities to improve research impact, reputation and international engagement.
London, 3rd November 2026: International higher education experts QS Quacquarelli Symonds has today released the 2027 edition of the QS World University Rankings: Asia*.
India’s research output and doctoral capacity are second to none in Asia and have driven an exceptional growth rate in the QS Asia University Rankings. Since 2016, the number of ranked Indian institutions has risen more than thirteenfold, from just 24 to 325. That is an increase of over 1,250%, or an average of around 27% a year. This far outpaces Asia’s other major higher education systems over the same period: Mainland China grew by around 315%, Indonesia by 164%, Japan by 44% and South Korea by just 30%.
In an expanded edition featuring 195 new entrants across Asia, all six of India’s highest-ranked universities have fallen, including several Indian Institutes of Technology. The University of Delhi also slips out of the top 100, from 95th to 106th. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) remains India’s highest-ranked university at 66th, down from 59th last year. Elsewhere, Chandigarh University, Lovely Professional University and Jamia Millia Islamia are among the Indian institutions climbing the table.
India leads Asia for research output relative to academic staff, as measured by QS’ Papers per Faculty indicator. Five Indian universities rank in the regional top 10, more than any other higher education system, including two in the top five. India also has 15 universities sharing first place in Asia for Staff with PhD, a measure of the proportion of academic staff holding doctoral qualifications.
Regionally, the University of Hong Kong retains the top spot for a second year while Peking University stays second. Tsinghua University climbs from ninth to third in this edition, giving China two universities in the top three for the first time since 2023. Last year’s joint third place entries, National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) drop to sixth and eighth respectively. Two Hong Kong universities break into the top five, with City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) placing fourth and fifth.
| Table 1: Indian universities in regional top 200 | ||
| 2027 Rank | 2026 Rank | Institution |
| 66 | 59 | Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) |
| 79 | 64 | Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore |
| 83 | 71 | Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) |
| 85 | 70 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) |
| 90 | 77 | Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP) |
| 97 | 77 | Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) |
| 104 | 109 | Chandigarh University (Punjab) |
| 106 | 95 | University of Delhi |
| 120 | 115 | Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) |
| 124 | 114 | Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR) |
| 128 | 130 | Jawaharlal Nehru University |
| 154 | 187 | Lovely Professional University (LPU) |
| 156 | 156 | Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, India |
| 161 | 154 | Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani |
| 165 | 163 | O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) |
| 175 | 200 | Symbiosis International (Deemed University) |
| 177 | 159 | Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences |
| 181 | 187 | Amity University |
| 183 | 197 | Jamia Millia Islamia |
| 183 | 163 | UPES |
| 195 | 206 | Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India |
| © QS Quacquarelli Symonds 2004-2026 www.TopUniversities.com | ||
The full list of India’s ranked universities can be found in the Appendix at the end of this release
Executive Summary: India
- India remains Asia’s second most represented higher education system, with 325 ranked universities, including 34 new entrants, second only to Mainland China.
- Most established Asian systems see more universities fall than rise in a larger, more competitive edition. In India, 71% of ranked universities fall and 18% rise, compared with 85% falling in Japan and 70% in Taiwan and Indonesia.
- IIT Delhi remains India’s highest-ranked university, placing 66th in Asia despite a year-on-year decline, while all six of India’s top-ranked institutions drop in the rankings.
- India leads Asia for universities excelling in research output per faculty member, with 27 universities in the regional top 50 for Papers per Faculty and five in the top 10, more than any other higher education system.
- India increases its representation among the top 200, with 21, up from 20 last year and 17 in 2018.
- Exceptional doctoral capacity underpins this performance, with 15 Indian universities sharing first place for Staff with PhD, more than double the total of the next strongest-performing system.
- Research impact is the next frontier: despite strong research output per faculty member, India has only three universities in Asia’s top 50 for Citations per Paper, which measures the citation impact of published research.
- Employer Reputation remains a relative strength, with IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi placing seventh and 10th respectively – the first Indian universities in Asia’s top 10 – though employer recognition remains concentrated among a small number of institutions despite the scale of India’s labour market.
- Internationalisation offers the greatest scope for growth, with India below the regional average across International Faculty, International Students and student exchange indicators, although the extent to which this affects individual universities varies.
- Chandigarh University (Punjab) achieves a record rank of 104th, following significant gains in research indicators.
QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter said: “India has built remarkable research capacity. Its universities lead Asia for the number of institutions in the top 10 for Papers per Faculty, and 15 share first place for Staff with PhD. The challenge now is to translate this strength more consistently into research impact and international recognition. Although several leading institutions have fallen in this year’s rankings as competition grows across Asia, India has a strong foundation on which to build. Continued investment in research quality, international partnerships and global visibility will help sustain its progress.”
QS Vice President, Strategic and International Engagement, Ashwin Fernandes said: “India’s higher education system is expanding rapidly, and these results show the strength of its research output, doctoral capacity and the reputation of its leading universities among employers. The National Education Policy 2020 and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation provide a framework for the next stage of development. Deeper international research partnerships, more international faculty and students, and closer links with industry can help ensure that research produced on this scale achieves greater impact. With foreign universities opening campuses in India and Indian institutions expanding overseas, the country has an opportunity to become a major global centre for education and research.”
India Overview
The QS World University Rankings: Asia 2027 features 1,722 universities from 26 higher education systems, with 195 entrants joining the rankings this year. India is the second most represented higher education system, with 325 featured universities, and the second most expanded, adding 34 universities. India now accounts for about one in five (19%) of all ranked institutions in Asia, compared with approximately one in twelve in 2018. Its share of the regional ranking has therefore more than doubled. Only China has more ranked universities or adds more in this edition. India records an overall net drop rate of 54%, with 18% of its entries rising, 71% dropping and 11% staying stable in their ranks or bands.
Among Asian higher education systems with previously ranked universities, six have seen an overall improvement; Macao SAR, Tajikistan, Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, Uzbekistan and Mainland China.
| Table 2: Top systems by total ranked universities | |||||||||||
| HE System | Total | Up | Same | Down | Change | New | Top 50 | Top 100 | Top 500 | Top university | |
| Name | Rank | ||||||||||
| China (Mainland) | 448 | 45% | 15% | 40% | 5% | 53 | 14 | 28 | 121 | Peking University | 2 |
| India | 325 | 18% | 11% | 71% | -54% | 34 | 6 | 67 | Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) | 66 | |
| Japan | 153 | 7% | 8% | 85% | -78% | 8 | 8 | 12 | 43 | The University of Tokyo | 27 |
| Indonesia | 116 | 21% | 9% | 70% | -49% | 22 | 5 | 20 | Gadjah Mada University | 53 | |
| South Korea | 108 | 35% | 9% | 56% | -21% | 5 | 8 | 14 | 46 | Yonsei University | 11 |
| Pakistan | 90 | 24% | 10% | 66% | -42% | 7 | 1 | 28 | NUST Islamabad | 76 | |
| Taiwan | 59 | 21% | 9% | 70% | -49% | 2 | 4 | 7 | 31 | National Taiwan University (NTU) | 23 |
| Malaysia | 55 | 41% | 8% | 51% | -10% | 6 | 8 | 11 | 35 | Universiti Malaya (UM) | 17 |
| Bangladesh | 52 | 26% | 15% | 59% | -33% | 6 | 14 | University of Dhaka | 136 | ||
| Kazakhstan | 51 | 32% | 14% | 55% | -23% | 7 | 1 | 3 | 19 | Farabi University | 46 |
The QS Asia Rankings are determined by an institution’s scores across 11 key indicators which have been tailored to reflect the nuances of the region and differentiate it from the QS World University Rankings.
The table below shows how Indian universities have moved year on year across QS’ 11 indicators. It significantly outperforms the regional average in Papers per Faculty and Staff with a PhD while reputation, internationalisation and student exchange remain areas for improvement. Most Indian institutions with comparable ranks fell in the Academic Reputation and Employer Reputation indicators.
| Table 3: India – Indicator breakdown | |||||||||
| Indicator | Weight | Year-on-year movement | Avg indicator score | Top University | |||||
| Up | Down | Same | Regional | Domestic | Name | Indicator rank | Overall rank | ||
| Academic Reputation | 30% | 24% | 76% | 0% | 22.4 | 15.7 | Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) | 32 | 83 |
| Employer Reputation | 20% | 17% | 83% | 0% | 24.9 | 16.1 | Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) | 7 | 83 |
| Faculty Student Ratio | 10% | 18% | 81% | 0% | 34.6 | 32.0 | North Eastern Hill University | 2 | 901-950 |
| Citations per Paper | 10% | 23% | 77% | 0% | 35.2 | 26.3 | Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences | 8 | 177 |
| Papers per Faculty | 5% | 60% | 39% | 1% | 29.7 | 43.1 | Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore | 1 | 79 |
| Staff with PhD | 5% | 31% | 69% | 0% | 56.1 | 75.0 | Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore | 1 | 79 |
| International Research Network | 10% | 33% | 66% | 1% | 44.4 | 42.2 | Saveetha Institute of Medical And Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Tamil Nadu,India | 6 | 240 |
| International Faculty | 2.50% | 24% | 76% | 0% | 33.3 | 17.7 | Saveetha Institute of Medical And Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Tamil Nadu,India | 80 | 240 |
| International Students | 2.50% | 15% | 85% | 0% | 29.3 | 16.9 | Marwadi University | 58 | 303 |
| Inbound Exchange Students | 2.50% | 8% | 91% | 0% | 20.4 | 12.1 | Shobhit University | 54 | 761-770 |
| Outbound Exchange Students | 2.50% | 11% | 89% | 0% | 22.6 | 14.1 | Amity University | 5 | 181 |
Top climbers
India has increased its representation in Asia’s top 200 from 20 universities to 21. Seven have climbed: Chandigarh University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Lovely Professional University, Symbiosis International, Amity University, Jamia Millia Islamia and Manipal Academy of Higher Education.
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education climbs into the top 200, placing 195th driven by gains in Academic and Employer Reputation, Papers per Faculty and International Research Network, in which it climbs eight places to 47th.
- Chandigarh University (Punjab) achieves a record rank of 104th, following significant gains in International Research, Citations per Paper and Papers per Faculty.
- Woxsen University (India) advances 195 places, climbing into the top 500 to 499th thanks to gains in nine of QS’ indicators, most prominently in both reputational metrics and International Research.
- Dr B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar (India) climbs 180 places to 486th due to a major rise in Employer Reputation.
- Jain University climbs 221 places to 374th, following gains in five of QS’ indicators, most notably Academic Reputation, Staff with a PhD, Employer Reputation and Papers per Faculty.
- GLA University is India’s most improved university among those with an individual rank, climbing nearly 300 places from the 781–790 band to rank 491st. It has improved in nine indicators with its largest gains coming in international students and both inbound and outbound student exchange.
India in focus
Research volume surges, with impact the next frontier
India leads Asia for universities in the top ranks of Papers per Faculty, which measures research publications relative to academic staff. Twenty-seven Indian universities place in the top 50 for this indicator, including five in the top 10, more than any other system and up from 10 in the top 50 in 2018. Mainland China follows with three universities in the top 10. Papers per Faculty is also the only indicator in which more Indian universities rise than fall year on year. Strong publication output, however, does not automatically mean equally strong citation impact.
| Table 4: Indian universities in top 10 in Papers per Faculty | ||||
| Overall Rank | Institution | Indicator | ||
| Score | Rank | Change | ||
| 79 | Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore | 100 | 1 | +2 |
| 85 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) | 100 | 3 | +4 |
| 66 | Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) | 100 | 7 | +10 |
| 124 | Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR) | 100 | 8 | +10 |
| 678 | Indian Institute of Technology Ropar | 100 | 9 | +18 |
This performance reflects India’s efforts to expand research capacity across its universities. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 placed research at the centre of higher education reform, while the establishment of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) in 2024 supports initiatives to broaden research capacity, connect established and emerging institutions and encourage private-sector participation, including a ₹1 lakh crore research and development fund in 2025. Against this backdrop, India has rapidly expanded its research output over the past decade, achieved with national R&D investment of around 0.64% of GDP, illustrating the scale of research activity relative to its investment.
Exceptional doctoral capacity driving research output
India’s strong research output is supported by exceptional doctoral capacity. Fifteen Indian universities share first place in Staff with PhD – more than double the number recorded by the next strongest-performing system, Iran. Indian universities also account for 47 of Asia’s top 100 for this indicator, up from 16 in 2018.
India’s doctoral strength is the product of a sustained expansion of research and postgraduate education over the past decade. By 2022, India ranked third in the world for the number of science and engineering PhDs, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology, and doctoral enrolment nearly tripled between 2014-15 and 2023-24. That growth has been supported by expanded doctoral provision at institutions such as the IITs and IISc, alongside NEP 2020 reforms that have created more direct pathways into doctoral study.
This provides a substantial base of academic expertise for further research growth. Yet the scale of India’s doctoral capacity is not matched by its citation impact: only three universities are in Asia’s top 50 for Citations per Paper, and just one is in the top 10. Longer-term trends are more encouraging. Among the 35 Indian universities ranked in both 2018 and 2027, the average International Research Network score has almost doubled, from 40.2 to 79.7, while the average Academic Reputation score has risen from 29.5 to 52.7, outperforming the rest of Asia over the same period. Recent ANRF initiatives increasingly emphasise research quality, collaboration and real-world impact alongside publication volume.
Employer Reputation remains a relative strength for India. Two universities place in Asia’s top 10 in this indicator: Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) ranks seventh and Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) 10th, the first Indian universities to reach the top 10. Six Indian universities are now in Asia’s top 50 for Employer Reputation, up from five last year.
India’s strong Employer Reputation is particularly significant given the scale of both its higher education system and its labour market. Around 45 million students were enrolled in higher education in 2023-24, as demand for graduate talent continued to evolve rapidly. Graduate employability has improved in recent years, particularly in technology, according to the India Skills Report, although employers continue to highlight skills mismatches and graduate readiness as concerns.
Within this context, the strong performance of India’s leading institutions demonstrates their ability to command significant employer confidence in one of the world’s largest graduate labour markets. However, this recognition remains concentrated among a relatively small group of universities. As India’s economy evolves and demand for highly skilled talent continues to grow, there is an opportunity for a broader range of institutions to strengthen their employer standing and build on the sector’s improving graduate outcomes.
Regional summary
Hong Kong SAR is the most represented higher education system in the top 10, with five universities. While there are no new entries in the top 10, KAIST returns to the rankings in 15th place, and two universities break into the top 20: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), which climbs to 20th, its highest-ever position, and the University of Science and Technology of China, which rises to 20th from 21st.
Hong Kong is the most improved higher education system among those with five or more ranked universities, with eight climbing and two dropping, giving it a 55% net improvement rate. Maldives ranks for the first time, adding two entries: The Maldives National University and Villa College.
| Table 5: Asia – Top 20 | ||||
| 2027 Rank | 2026 Rank | WUR Rank | Institution | Location |
| 1 | 1 | 11 | The University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong SAR, China |
| 2 | 2 | 13 | Peking University | China (Mainland) |
| 3 | 9 | 14 | Tsinghua University | China (Mainland) |
| 4 | 7 | 52 | City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) | Hong Kong SAR, China |
| 5 | 7 | 18 | The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) | Hong Kong SAR, China |
| 6 | 5 | 26 | Fudan University | China (Mainland) |
| 6 | 3 | 10 | National University of Singapore (NUS) | Singapore |
| 8 | 3 | 12 | Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) | Singapore |
| 9 | 10 | 50 | The Hong Kong Polytechnic University | Hong Kong SAR, China |
| 9 | 6 | 33 | The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology | Hong Kong SAR, China |
| 11 | 11 | 42 | Yonsei University | Republic of Korea |
| 12 | 12 | 52 | Korea University | Republic of Korea |
| 13 | 13 | 36 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University | China (Mainland) |
| 14 | 14 | 47 | Zhejiang University | China (Mainland) |
| 15 | Re-entry | 65 | KAIST | Republic of Korea |
| 15 | 16 | 108 | Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) | Republic of Korea |
| 16 | 17 | 38 | Seoul National University | Republic of Korea |
| 17 | 19 | 90 | Nanjing University | China (Mainland) |
| 17 | 15 | 56 | Universiti Malaya (UM) | Malaysia |
| 19 | 20 | 155 | Hanyang University | Republic of Korea |
| 20 | 24 | 130 | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) | Malaysia |
| 20 | 21 | 134 | University of Science and Technology of China | China (Mainland) |
| © QS Quacquarelli Symonds 2004-2026 www.TopUniversities.com | ||||
- China leads Asia for both top-20 universities and new entrants. Strong reputation, research and teaching resources underpin its performance, with Tsinghua returning to the top three and multiple universities achieving record ranks.
- Japan records one of Asia’s highest drop rates. Despite this, the University of Tokyo remains the region’s leading university among academics and employers, while employer reputation continues to distinguish Japan’s top institutions.
- Despite wider declines, South Korea’s leading universities continue to strengthen. Seoul National University, Sungkyunkwan University and Hanyang University all rise, while the country remains second only to China for top-20 representation.
- Hong Kong SAR is among this year’s standout performers, recording the strongest improvement rate among established systems. It claims more top-10 universities than any other market, with multiple institutions reaching record-high positions.
- Singapore remains one of Asia’s strongest higher education systems, though NUS and NTU fall out of the top five. Elsewhere, progress is broad-based, with two more universities breaking into the top 100.
- Indonesia adds 22 universities, though most established institutions decline. Gadjah Mada University claims the country’s highest rank, while student mobility remains a notable strength despite weaker research performance.
- Malaysia combines broad progress with strong internationalisation. Sixteen universities achieve record ranks, while Malaysian institutions rank among Asia’s leaders for international students, research collaboration and student exchange.
- Central Asia continues to expand, led by Kazakhstan, which claims all of the region’s top-100 positions. Uzbekistan is among the fastest-growing systems, while Kyrgyzstan records one of Asia’s steepest declines.
The below table shows the top-performing university in each of QS’ indicators.
| Table 6: Regional leaders by indicator | ||||
| Indicator | Weight | Regional Leader | HE System | Overall Rank |
| Academic Reputation | 30% | The University of Tokyo | Japan | 27 |
| Employer Reputation | 20% | The University of Tokyo | Japan | 27 |
| Faculty Student Ratio | 10% | Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Shahed University (tied) | Mainland China; Iran | 561; 1101-1200 |
| Citations per Paper | 10% | Asian University for Women | Bangladesh | 851-900 |
| Papers per Faculty | 5% | Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore | India | 79 |
| Staff with PhD | 5% | 29 universities are tied in first place | // | // |
| International Research Network | 10% | Islamic Azad University | Iran | 711-720 |
| International Faculty | 2.50% | City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) | Hong Kong SAR | 4 |
| International Students | 2.50% | Al-Madinah International University | Malaysia | 851-900 |
| Inbound Exchange Students | 2.50% | MILA University | Malaysia | 390 |
| Outbound Exchange Students | 2.50% | City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) | Hong Kong SAR | 4 |
QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter said: “This year’s rankings, spanning more than 1,700 universities across 26 higher education systems, provide an important benchmark for a region that continues to shape the future of global higher education. They show institutions combining research excellence, international engagement and academic reputation continuing to strengthen their positions, even as competition intensifies across Asia’s increasingly diverse and rapidly expanding university landscape.
“The University of Hong Kong retains the top spot for a second year, while Mainland China’s rise sees two of its universities place in the top three for the first time since 2023 and seven institutions in the top 20, more than any other system. Hong Kong SAR continues to establish itself as one of the region’s pre-eminent higher education systems, placing five universities in the top 10 and recording the highest net improvement rate among systems with five or more ranked universities. Singapore’s leading universities remain among Asia’s elite, though both NUS and NTU Singapore slip from the top five amid heightened regional competition.”
“Elsewhere, several systems reach new highs. Malaysia records a series of landmark performances, with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia achieving its highest ever rank and Sunway University entering the top 50 for the first time. South Korea reinforces its strength at the top end of the table with six universities in the top 20, while Central Asia continues its expansion as Uzbekistan expands its representation while Kazakhstan’s Farabi University retains its position as the subregion’s leading institution.”
The full QS World University Rankings 2027: Asia will be available at https://www.topuniversities.com/asia-university-rankings
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