For the seventh consecutive year, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has maintained its status as the nation’s top university, taking first place in the Ministry of Education’s National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). The rankings were revealed on Thursday by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru became the nation’s top university, surpassing IIT Madras in the overall category.
Among universities, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) came in second, followed by Manipal Academy of Higher Education in third place and Jamia Millia Islamia in fourth. In the colleges category, Delhi University’s Hindu College got first place, pushing Miranda House to second. The third, fourth, and fifth spots were occupied by Hans Raj College, Kirori Mal College, and St. Stephen’s College. IIT Madras and IISc Bengaluru remained the top two research institutions.
Karnataka State Open University in Mysuru came in second place, but Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) continued to dominate the field of open universities. Introduced in 2015, the NIRF rankings assess universities based on criteria like outreach, graduation results, research, teaching, and learning. The outcomes this year demonstrate once more how IIT Madras and IISc Bengaluru have consistently shaped India’s higher education system.
