This year, Indian universities made tremendous progress, with five of the country’s best universities making the elite list. The Indian Institute of Science took the top spot, moving up from the 251-300 band to the 201-250 band; Anna University went up from the 801-1000 band to the 501-600 band; and Aligarh Muslim University moved up from the 801-1000 band to the 601-800 band. Bharathiar University was also in the 601-800 range, up from the 801-1000 range previous year. In addition, Malaviya National Institute of Technology made its debut appearance in the list in the 601-800 band category.

Despite a significant rise in the number of participating universities, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University was ranked second among Indian institutions in the Rankings, with the international ranking agency placing it in the 501-600 band for the second consecutive year. Last year, the university was ranked sixth on the list.

According to the official publication of THE, India has 91 universities in the ranking this year, up from 75 last year and 56 in 2020. India has 20 newly ranked universities, which implies it has grown its participation in the rankings more than any other country. Malaviya National Institute of Technology, which ranks in the 601-800 range, is its most promising newcomer.

There are 18 calibrated performance measures this year (up from 13 last year), divided into five pillars: teaching, research quality, research environment, worldwide outlook, and industry. Four of the five new measures investigate research quality and one checks patents in the industrial pillar.

The institution of Oxford in the United Kingdom is the highest ranked institution in the world, with Stanford University in second place, making it the top ranked university in the United States, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in third place. Harvard University is ranked fourth, with the University of Cambridge and Princeton University ranking fifth and sixth.

Phil Baty, THE’s Chief global affairs officer, said, “India has well and truly embraced the international agenda, and international competition, with an unprecedented 91 universities making it into the rigorous and demanding Times Higher Education World University Rankings this year – making India now the fourth best represented nation in the rankings.” He added further, “Although methodological changes this year have not been kind to some Indian institutions, the overall picture remains positive – with a rise into the top 250 for IISc and several other rising institutions.”  

He emphasized that National Education Policy improvements, such as increased internationalisation and the establishment of a stronger research base across India, bode well for future achievement in Times Higher Education’s gold-standard rankings.