Mumbai, April 26: The latest Asia University Rankings 2026, released by Times Higher Education (THE), reveal a concerning trend for Indian institutions. Despite having the highest number of universities represented in the rankings, with 128 out of a total of 929, no Indian university has made it to the top 40. China continues to dominate, with five universities in the top 10.
Tsinghua University retains its position at the top for the eighth consecutive year, followed by Peking University. Other notable mentions include two universities each from Singapore and Hong Kong, along with one from Japan.
India’s highest-ranked institution, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, has dropped to 43rd place with a score of 65.1, down from 38th last year. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore has also seen a decline, falling to 141st from 131st in 2025.
In the top 150, Pakistan’s Quaid-i-Azam University and National University of Sciences and Technology have made their mark, ranking 148th and 150th respectively.
The rankings indicate a worrying trend for Indian universities, with only 12 making it to the top 200 this year, down from 14 last year. Institutions like Anna University and IIT Guwahati have fallen out of the top 200, while Aligarh Muslim University and Lovely Professional University have entered the list.
These rankings highlight the need for Indian universities to enhance their global standing and competitiveness in the academic arena.