Global Higher Education Analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has released their World University Ranking 2024. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Cambridge and University of Oxford are the top three universities in the rankings.

Indian Institute of Technology- Bombay (IIT-B) has made its entry to the top 150 universities by coming 147th in the World University Rankings. University of Delhi and Anna University have made their debut in the top 500 universities by ranking 407 and 427 respectively.

According to a statement issued by the QS analysts, the latest edition of the rankings implemented its largest-ever methodological enhancement, by introducing three new metrics namely sustainability, employment outcomes and international research network in addition to weighting of certain existing indicators, academic reputation, employer reputation, and faculty student ratio. This new technique of calculating the ranks has adversely affected the Indian universities.

“IIT-B emerges as the new torchbearer for Indian higher education. IIT Bombay’s impressive trajectory of consistent improvements in research quality and reputation has facilitated its rise to prominence. Over the past five years, it has propelled its employer reputation ranking from 102nd to 69th and improved its Citations per Faculty rank from 226th to 133rd. However, the institution’s internationalization metrics still require enhancement to fully realise its potential as a globally diverse institution,” the statement said.

It said that from 2018 to 2022, IIT Bombay has generated 1,43,800 citations from 15,905 academic papers, registering a research growth of approximately 17%.

“Its research endeavours are largely concentrated in the fields of Engineering & Technology and Natural Sciences, with particularly impactful collaborative work in Astrophysics,” it added.

This year, the QS featured 45 Indian universities, including four new universities University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Chitkara University, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, and the Indian Statistical Institute.

13 Indian institutions have dropped their rankings this year of which significant institutions are Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc) Bangalore who dropped down to 225 from 155, IIT-Madras from 250 to 285, and IIT-Delhi 174 to 192.