IIT-D in top 50 of QS World University Rankings by Subject

New Delhi: Some of Delhi’s leading institutions, including Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, have featured in the latest edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject, released on Wednesday.The rankings, published by London-based QS Quacquarelli Symonds, mark the 16th annual subject-wise assessment of universities worldwide, offering a detailed snapshot of how institutions perform across specific disciplines.IIT-D is the only institute in the capital to make the top 50 in any subject, with 36th rank in engineering and technology. However, the overall rank in engineering and technology has slipped from 26 the previous year.Despite the drop, it continues to hold a strong position among global engineering institutions, underlining its continued academic and research strength. Stream-wise, in the 2026 rankings, Electrical Engineering secured the highest rank, i.e., 36, followed by Mechanical Engineering (44), Computer Science (45), Chemical Engineering (48) and Civil Engineering (50). All five subjects have significantly improved their 2026 rankings since last year.In Arts and Humanities, both DU and JNU saw significant drops compared to last year. DU fell to 231 in 2026 from 160 in 2025 while JNU moved to 260 from 177. The decline suggests increasing global competition in disciplines traditionally considered strongholds for these institutions, even as they continue to remain within the global ranking framework.Natural Sciences brought a more encouraging trend for IIT-D, which climbed to 91 from 146, marking one of the most notable improvements among Delhi institutions. DU also saw a marginal improvement, moving to 270 from 275.Jamia Millia Islamia entered the 501–550 band while JNU remained unchanged within the same range, reflecting stability but limited upward movement.In Life Sciences and Medicine, AIIMS Delhi showed improvement, rising to 217 from 226, indicating steady progress in medical research and education. DU, however, slipped to 399 from 362, pointing to uneven performance across institutions in this category.In Social Sciences and Management, IIT-D ranked 84, slightly down from 75, while DU dropped to 177 from 137. JNU also saw a decline, from 258 to 317, continuing the broader trend of downward shifts in social science disciplines among Delhi-based universities.The rankings, which evaluate over 21,000 academic programmes across 1,900 universities in more than 100 countries, highlight the scale and competitiveness of global higher education.Notably, India as a whole recorded 27 top-50 positions this year, more than double the 12 achieved in 2024, spread across 12 institutions, signalling a broader national rise even as individual institutions navigate fluctuations.