QS World University Rankings 2027: Asia's top 10; How India fares among the best institutions
Eight of Asia's top 10 universities come from just three places. Singapore leads with the National University of Singapore at the top of the regional list with an overall score of 96.2
- Jul 15, 2026,
- Updated Jul 15, 2026 3:29 PM IST
IIT Delhi has climbed five places in the QS World University Rankings 2027, rising from 123rd to 118th globally with an overall score of 65.7, making it India's highest-ranked institution for the year. But zoom out to Asia, and the picture becomes more complicated. No Indian university features in the continent's top 10, with IIT Delhi sitting at 30th in the regional rankings.
India's top three globally
Only three Indian institutions broke into the world's top 200 this year. IIT Delhi led at 118th, followed by IIT Bombay at 134th and IIT Madras at 170th, a cluster of strong performances, but still some distance from the institutions that dominate Asia's upper tier.
Asia's top 10: Singapore, Hong Kong and China
Eight of Asia's top 10 universities come from just three places. Singapore leads with the National University of Singapore at the top of the regional list with an overall score of 96.2, followed by the University of Hong Kong at 95.9, and Nanyang Technological University at 93.6. China accounts for four spots through Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Seoul National University and the University of Tokyo round out the top 10.
The rankings show that Asia's leading universities consistently score high on academic reputation, employer reputation, and internationalisation — areas where Indian institutions still have ground to cover.
Where Indian universities stand in Asia
IIT Delhi sits 30th in the Asian rankings, with notable strengths in research; its Citations per Faculty score stands at 97.3, and a strong Employer Reputation score of 96.9. It also recorded 64.6 in Academic Reputation, 66.5 in International Research Network, 59.6 in Employment Outcomes, and 81.2 in Sustainability.
IIT Bombay follows at 33rd in Asia. Its standout scores are in employability, with 97.8 in Employer Reputation and 78.2 in Employment Outcomes. It also recorded 79.3 in Citations per Faculty, 72.5 in Academic Reputation, 42.1 in International Research Network, and 79.4 in Sustainability.
IIT Madras ranks 43rd in Asia, with 95.3 in Citations per Faculty, 87.4 in Employer Reputation, 55.1 in Academic Reputation, 53.2 in Employment Outcomes, 52.2 in International Research Network, and 74.8 in Sustainability.
Across all three, research impact and employer reputation are consistent strengths. The gap to Asia's top 10 is most visible in internationalisation; the scores for international student ratios and international faculty at NUS, Hong Kong, and the top Chinese universities significantly outpace what India's institutions currently achieve.
IIT Delhi has climbed five places in the QS World University Rankings 2027, rising from 123rd to 118th globally with an overall score of 65.7, making it India's highest-ranked institution for the year. But zoom out to Asia, and the picture becomes more complicated. No Indian university features in the continent's top 10, with IIT Delhi sitting at 30th in the regional rankings.
India's top three globally
Only three Indian institutions broke into the world's top 200 this year. IIT Delhi led at 118th, followed by IIT Bombay at 134th and IIT Madras at 170th, a cluster of strong performances, but still some distance from the institutions that dominate Asia's upper tier.
Asia's top 10: Singapore, Hong Kong and China
Eight of Asia's top 10 universities come from just three places. Singapore leads with the National University of Singapore at the top of the regional list with an overall score of 96.2, followed by the University of Hong Kong at 95.9, and Nanyang Technological University at 93.6. China accounts for four spots through Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Seoul National University and the University of Tokyo round out the top 10.
The rankings show that Asia's leading universities consistently score high on academic reputation, employer reputation, and internationalisation — areas where Indian institutions still have ground to cover.
Where Indian universities stand in Asia
IIT Delhi sits 30th in the Asian rankings, with notable strengths in research; its Citations per Faculty score stands at 97.3, and a strong Employer Reputation score of 96.9. It also recorded 64.6 in Academic Reputation, 66.5 in International Research Network, 59.6 in Employment Outcomes, and 81.2 in Sustainability.
IIT Bombay follows at 33rd in Asia. Its standout scores are in employability, with 97.8 in Employer Reputation and 78.2 in Employment Outcomes. It also recorded 79.3 in Citations per Faculty, 72.5 in Academic Reputation, 42.1 in International Research Network, and 79.4 in Sustainability.
IIT Madras ranks 43rd in Asia, with 95.3 in Citations per Faculty, 87.4 in Employer Reputation, 55.1 in Academic Reputation, 53.2 in Employment Outcomes, 52.2 in International Research Network, and 74.8 in Sustainability.
Across all three, research impact and employer reputation are consistent strengths. The gap to Asia's top 10 is most visible in internationalisation; the scores for international student ratios and international faculty at NUS, Hong Kong, and the top Chinese universities significantly outpace what India's institutions currently achieve.