IIRF India Rankings 2026 places JNU, IISc, IIT Bombay and IIM Ahmedabad at the top of their respective categories across higher education.
New Delhi, June 2: The International Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) has released the India Rankings 2026, announcing the country's leading institutions across universities, engineering colleges and business schools. The rankings assess institutions using parameters including academic reputation, graduate outcomes and employability, research performance, student profile, employer reputation, international outlook, institutional development, impact, alumni feedback and public perception.
According to IIRF, the rankings cover major categories including Central Universities, Private Universities, Deemed Universities, Engineering Colleges and Business Schools.
Top 5 Central Universities in India 2026
1. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi
2. University of Delhi (DU), New Delhi
3. Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), New Delhi
4. University of Hyderabad (UoH), Hyderabad
5. Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi
JNU secured the top position among Central Universities, ahead of Delhi University and Jamia Millia Islamia.
Top 5 Private Universities in India 2026
1. Ashoka University, Sonepat
2. Dhirubhai Ambani University, Gandhinagar
3. Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara University, Dharwad
4. Woxsen University, Hyderabad
5. Nirma University, Ahmedabad
Ashoka University emerged as the highest-ranked institution in the private university category.
Top 5 Deemed Universities (Government) 2026
1. Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru
2. ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi
3. Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai
4. Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai
5. Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru
IISc retained the top position among government deemed universities, reflecting its continued prominence in research and higher education.
Top 5 Deemed Universities (Private) 2026
1. BITS Pilani
2. SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai
3. Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore
4. Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal
5. International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad
BITS Pilani secured the top rank in the private deemed university category.
Top 5 Growth Ranking Universities 2026
1. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore
2. BITS Pilani
3. Manipal Academy of Higher Education
4. SRM Institute of Science and Technology
5. Vellore Institute of Technology
The growth rankings recognise institutions that have shown significant progress across various academic and institutional parameters.
Top 5 Government Engineering Colleges 2026
1. IIT Bombay
2. IIT Madras
3. IIT Delhi
4. IIT Kharagpur
5. IIT Kanpur
IIT Bombay was ranked as the country's leading government engineering institution.
Top 5 Private Autonomous Engineering Colleges 2026
1. BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru
2. RV College of Engineering, Bengaluru
3. KIET Group of Institutions, Ghaziabad
4. PSNA College of Engineering and Technology, Dindigul
5. Ajay Kumar Garg Engineering College, Ghaziabad
Top 5 Engineering Colleges Under Private Universities 2026
1. BITS Pilani
2. SRM Institute of Science and Technology
3. Vellore Institute of Technology
4. Manipal Academy of Higher Education
5. Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala
Top 5 Government B-Schools 2026
1. IIM Ahmedabad
2. IIM Calcutta
3. IIM Bangalore
4. Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), University of Delhi
5. IIM Lucknow
IIM Ahmedabad retained its position as the country's highest-ranked government business school.
Top 5 Private B-Schools 2026
1. SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai
2. XLRI Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur
3. Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurugram
4. Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Pune
5. International Management Institute (IMI), New Delhi
SPJIMR emerged as the leading private business school in the rankings.
IIRF stated that the rankings are based on a comprehensive evaluation framework covering academic quality, employability, research output, institutional development and stakeholder feedback. The organisation said it assesses more than 2,500 institutions across multiple disciplines and categories.
Key Parameters of Evaluation
The IIRF India Rankings 2026 are based on nine newly meticulously defined parameters, each contributing to the overall assessment of an institution’s performance.
1. Academic Reputation
2. Graduate Outcome & Employability
3. Research Outcome: (Volume, Income & Reputation)
4. Demand Ratio & Student Profile
5. Employer Reputation & International Outlook
6. Wellbeing and Institutional Development
7. Peer Perception and Alumni Feedback
8. Public Perception & Data Verification
9. Impact and Value Addition
Access the Full Rankings
Click here to explore the full list and discover how your institution stacks up in the 2026 edition.
