The latest QS Asia University Rankings for 2025 have brought a significant change, with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) surpassing IIT Bombay. IIT Delhi now holds the highest rank among Indian institutions, securing the 44th spot, up from 46th in 2024. Meanwhile, IIT Bombay slipped to 48th place, down from 40th last year.
Factors Behind IIT Delhi’s Rise
IIT Delhi’s jump in the rankings can be attributed to substantial improvements in critical academic and institutional areas. The institution made significant strides, particularly in areas where IIT Bombay had traditionally excelled. One of the major improvements was in the "Citations per Paper" metric, a measure of research impact. IIT Delhi saw a remarkable increase from 14.2 in 2024 to 26.9 in 2025, while IIT Bombay’s improvement was more modest, rising from 9.3 to 16.9.
Improvement in Faculty Metrics
Another contributing factor to IIT Delhi’s rise was its improvement in the "Staff with PhD" metric, which measures the percentage of faculty with doctoral degrees. IIT Delhi made substantial progress, raising its score from 75.4 to 94.7, while IIT Bombay maintained a strong score of 96.3. This improvement shows IIT Delhi’s growing academic rigor.
Employer Reputation and Faculty-Student Ratio
The "Employer Reputation" metric, which reflects how graduates are perceived in the job market, remained a strong suit for both institutions. IIT Bombay slightly outperformed IIT Delhi in this category, with a score of 99.5 compared to 99 for IIT Delhi. Additionally, IIT Delhi improved its faculty-student ratio, increasing from 24.1 to 27.2. In contrast, IIT Bombay’s ratio grew from 14.8 to 17.9, giving IIT Delhi an edge in educational quality.
Research Productivity and Academic Reputation
Both institutions performed similarly in the "Papers per Faculty" metric, which measures research productivity, with scores of 95.2 for IIT Delhi and 96.2 for IIT Bombay. In terms of academic reputation, IIT Delhi saw significant improvement, with its score rising from 79.4 to 95. While IIT Bombay retained a slight lead in this area with a score of 96.6, IIT Delhi’s increasing recognition in global academic circles is noteworthy.
National Rankings and Global Standing
Earlier this year, the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024 placed IIT Bombay in third place overall in India, with a score of 81.37, while IIT Delhi followed closely in fourth place with a score of 80.31. Despite their close rankings in NIRF, IIT Delhi’s recent performance in the QS Asia rankings demonstrates its growing stature on the global stage.
Other Indian Institutions in QS Asia Rankings
While IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay continue to lead India’s higher education landscape, other prestigious institutions have also made their mark in the QS Asia Rankings 2025. However, some saw slight declines. IIT Madras dropped from 53rd to 56th, IISc Bangalore from 58th to 62nd, and IIT Kanpur from 63rd to 67th.
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