QS Asia University Rankings 2026
Kartavya Desk Staff
Source: ITV
Context: Prime Minister of India hailed India’s record performance in the QS Asia University Rankings 2026, where 294 Indian universities were listed — the highest ever.
About QS Asia University Rankings 2026:
What it is?
• The QS Asia University Rankings is an annual regional assessment that evaluates Asia’s leading higher education institutions based on academic reputation, employability, research productivity, and international outlook.
Published by: Compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a UK-based higher education analytics firm, known globally for its QS World University Rankings.
• To benchmark Asian universities using globally comparable indicators.
• To highlight academic excellence, innovation, and research impact in the region.
• To promote quality, global competitiveness, and collaboration in Asian higher education.
Criteria Used (11 Indicators):
• Academic Reputation (30%) – Based on global survey of academics.
• Employer Reputation (20%) – Assesses employability of graduates.
• Faculty/Student Ratio (10%) – Reflects quality of academic engagement.
• International Research Network (10%) – Evaluates global research partnerships.
• Citations per Paper (10%) – Measures impact of published research.
• Papers per Faculty (5%) – Indicates research productivity.
• Staff with PhD (5%) – Represents academic qualifications.
• International Faculty Ratio (2.5%)
• International Student Ratio (2.5%)
• Inbound Exchange Students (2.5%)
• Outbound Exchange Students (2.5%) – Reflect internationalisation and student mobility.
Key Features (2026 Edition):
• Covers 900+ universities across Asia.
• India’s representation reached an all-time high of 294 institutions, the second-highest in Asia after China.
Top 5 Indian Institutions (QS Asia University Rankings 2026):
• IIT Delhi – Rank 59 (fell from 44th in 2025)
• IISc Bengaluru – Rank 64
• IIT Madras – Rank 70
• IIT Bombay – Rank 71
• IIT Kanpur – Rank 77
Top 5 Universities in Asia (QS Asia University Rankings 2026):
• The University of Hong Kong – Rank 1
• Peking University (China) – Rank 2
• Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) – Rank 3
• National University of Singapore (NUS) – Rank 3 (joint)
• Fudan University (China) – Rank 5