QS World University Rankings 2026: MIT tops for 15th year, IIT Delhi makes big leap, check full list here

The QS World University Rankings 2026 have been released, and for the 15th year in a row, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has been named the best university in the world. The rankings, published by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), evaluate universities based on various factors, including academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, international outlook, and research impact. This year, Imperial College London secured the second position globally, holding steady from last year. Stanford University climbed up to third place, followed by Oxford University in fourth and Harvard University in fifth place. Other universities in the top 10 include Cambridge University, ETH Zurich (Switzerland), the National University of Singapore (NUS), University College London (UCL), and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Asian universities have also made a strong appearance this year. Both NUS and Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) rank among the top 15. The University of Hong Kong and Peking University also performed well, showing Asia's growing strength in higher education.

Several universities have seen impressive jumps in rankings. For example, the University of Chicago rose from 21st to 13th, and King's College London moved up from 40th to 31st.

Indian Universities on the Rise
India has shown notable progress in the 2026 rankings. The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) made a big leap, moving up from rank 150 in 2025 to 123 in 2026. Meanwhile, IIT Bombay is placed at 129, IIT Madras at 180, and IIT Kanpur climbed to 222 from 263. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore is ranked 219.

Other Indian institutions such as IIT Kharagpur, IIT Guwahati, IIT Roorkee, and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) are also included in the list. Delhi University (DU) and Anna University managed to keep their spots. At the same time, newer private institutions like Shoolini University, Chandigarh University, and OP Jindal Global University continue to improve their global visibility.

What the Rankings Mean
The QS rankings are considered one of the most trusted lists in global education. They help students, parents, and academics understand which universities are performing well worldwide. The 2026 edition ranks over 1,500 universities globally and includes universities from a wide range of countries.

These rankings highlight academic excellence and reflect how institutions adapt to global challenges, strengthen research, and improve the student experience.