QS Sustainability 2027: IIT Delhi back in top 200 at 194 as India improves most
By TUF News Desk · Published 13 November 2026 · 3 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
IIT Delhi is back inside the world’s top 200 sustainable universities. The institute took 194th place in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2027, released on November 13, and leads India in a table where the country’s universities improved more than any other big system.
IIT Kharagpur came next among Indian institutions at 224th, with the University of Delhi at 237th. India has 99 universities in the ranking, down from 103 last year, but eight of them are new entries. Of the universities that ranked last year, 38 moved up, 19 held their place and 34 fell, giving India a net improvement of 4 percent. QS calls India the most improved of the five most represented systems, and the one with the lowest share of falling entries.
India’s presence in the top 500 has grown fast. Thirteen Indian institutions now sit in the global top 500, up from five when the ranking began in 2023 and from 12 last year. India also has 42 universities in the top 1,000, joint third with mainland China. Only the United States, with 128, and the United Kingdom, with 84, have more.
The average score of Indian universities has climbed from 26.9 in 2023 to 55 in 2027. More than 70 percent of Indian entries improved their scores in equality and in employability and outcomes, two of the five indicators inside the social impact category. The ranking weighs social impact at 45 percent, environmental impact at 45 percent and governance at 10 percent.
Where India still lags
Governance is the weak point. No Indian university features in the global top 200 for governance, and 61 percent of Indian institutions saw their governance rank fall, even though more than 70 improved their scores. The University of Delhi is India’s best in this measure at 255th, down 68 places. India is also among the 18 lowest-scoring systems in impact of education, despite 56 Indian institutions improving there. Delhi University is the highest-ranked Indian university in that indicator, at 674th.
Where India scored well
On the environment, IIT Delhi is the only Indian institution in the global top 100, at 89th. In environmental sustainability, IIT Kharagpur ranks 41st in the world, VIT Vellore 43rd and IIT Delhi 74th. In knowledge exchange, the University of Delhi ranks 66th globally and IIT Kharagpur 96th. In employability and outcomes, IIT Delhi is 66th and IIT Kharagpur 93rd, with 71 Indian institutions improving in that indicator.
For students, the ranking measures something different from the usual league tables. It scores what a university does on climate, equality, health and how it is run. This table does not score research output or graduate salaries, the usual league-table measures. A university that climbs here is usually one that publishes more of its sustainability data and runs bigger community and outreach programmes. Our guide to how NIRF rankings work explains what goes into India’s domestic tables and where their limits lie. The full 2027 table is on the official QS sustainability rankings page.
Frequently asked questions
Which Indian university ranks highest in QS Sustainability 2027?
IIT Delhi, at 194th in the world. It is back in the global top 200, followed by IIT Kharagpur at 224th and the University of Delhi at 237th.
How many Indian universities are in the QS Sustainability Rankings 2027?
99, down from 103 in 2026, with eight new entries. Thirteen Indian institutions are in the global top 500.
How does the QS sustainability ranking work?
It scores universities on social impact (45%), environmental impact (45%) and governance (10%), covering equality, knowledge exchange, employability, health and the environment.
Where does India lag in the ranking?
Governance and impact of education. No Indian university is in the global top 200 for governance, and India is among the 18 lowest-scoring systems in impact of education.
Frequently asked questions
Which Indian university ranks highest in QS Sustainability 2027?
IIT Delhi, at 194th in the world. It is back in the global top 200, followed by IIT Kharagpur at 224th and the University of Delhi at 237th.
How many Indian universities are in the QS Sustainability Rankings 2027?
99, down from 103 in 2026, with eight new entries. Thirteen Indian institutions are in the global top 500.
How does the QS sustainability ranking work?
It scores universities on social impact (45%), environmental impact (45%) and governance (10%), covering equality, knowledge exchange, employability, health and the environment.
Where does India lag in the ranking?
Governance and impact of education. No Indian university is in the global top 200 for governance, and India is among the 18 lowest-scoring systems in impact of education.
Sources: The Indian Express, QS