Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 out; IISc Bangalore retains top spot
According to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, India has the second-highest number of ranked universities, standing behind only the US.
New Delhi: The much-anticipated THE World University Rankings 2026 has been released. Times Higher Education (THE) has released the World University Rankings 2026 on October 9. According to higher education analysts, a total of 163 Indian universities have been featured in the World University Rankings 2026.
This year, THE has included 2,191 institutions across 115 countries. With no surprise or concern, the United States and the United Kingdom (UK) universities dominate the top 10 universities in the world. Oxford University, UK, remains in the top spot as the best university in the world for the tenth consecutive year. It is followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from the United States at second place. The University of Cambridge in the UK and Princeton University in the US shared third place.
While coming to India's contribution to Times World University Rankings 2026, IISc Bangalore has improved its rankings compared to last year. IISc featured in the 201-250 ranking band. It is followed by Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences at 351-400 rankings band and Jamia Millia Islamia at 401-500 ranking band.
Top Indian Universities in World University Rankings 2026
| Rank | Institute | Overall score |
|---|---|---|
| 201-250 | Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore | 56.4-58.6 |
| 351-400 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | 49.9-51.5 |
| 401-500 | Jamia Millia Islamia | 46-49.8 |
| 401-500 | Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences | 46-49.8 |
| 401-500 | Banaras Hindu University | 43.6-46.1 |
| 501-600 | Indian Institute of Technology Indore | 43.6-46.1 |
| 501-600 | KIIT University | 43.6-46.1 |
| 501-600 | Lovely Professional University | 43.6-46.1 |
| 501-600 | Mahatma Gandhi University | 43.6-46.1 |
| 601-800 | UPES | 43.6-46.1 |
| 601-800 | Aligarh Muslim University | 39.0-43.5 |
According to the Times, India has the second-highest number of ranked universities for the first time, only behind the US. THE World University Rankings 2026 was prepared based on the five parameters: Teaching (29.5), Research Environment (29.0), Research Quality (30.0), Industry (4.0) and International Outlook (7.5).