Indian universities have made significant strides in the latest QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025, with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru securing a spot among the world’s top 50 institutions for Environmental Education. Released by QS Quacquarelli Symonds, global higher education experts, the rankings evaluate universities based on sustainability efforts across environmental and social impact metrics.
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi leads the Indian list, achieving a remarkable improvement of 255 places to secure 171st rank globally. It is followed by IIT Kharagpur (202nd) and IIT Bombay (234th), both of which have also climbed significantly in the rankings.
| Rank in India | 2025 Ranking | 2024 Ranking | Change | Institution |
| 1 | 171 | 426 | 255 | Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) |
| 2 | 202 | 349 | 147 | Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP) |
| 3 | 234 | 303 | 69 | Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) |
| 4 | 245 | 522 | 277 | Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) |
| 5 | 277 | 344 | 67 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) |
| 6 | 299 | 220 | -79 | University of Delhi |
| 7 | 376 | 505 | 129 | Indian Institute of Science |
| 8 | 396 | 449 | 53 | Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) |
| 9 | 401 | 576 | 175 | Manipal Academy of Higher Education – Manipal University (MAHE) |
| 10 | 412 | 496 | 84 | Anna University |
IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras occupy the fourth and fifth positions among Indian institutions, with global ranks of 245 and 277, respectively. The University of Delhi (DU), ranked sixth in India, slipped from its previous global position of 220 to 299.
In the Environmental Impact category, IIT Delhi ranks 55th globally, while IIT Kanpur is 87th. IIT Bombay and IIT Kharagpur also performed strongly, ranking 101st and 113th, respectively. IISc Bengaluru stands out globally, achieving 32nd place in the Environmental Education category.
| Institution | Environmental Impact Rank |
| Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) | 55 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) | 87 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) | 101 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP) | 113 |
| Indian Institute of Science | 179 |
| Jadavpur University | 189 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) | 204 |
| University of Delhi | 244 |
| Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) | 268 |
| Jawaharlal Nehru University | 323 |
Indian institutions showcased strengths in various sustainability categories such as IIT Bombay was ranked 38th globally in Environmental Sustainability, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) led India in Governance and Equality categories, ranking 390th globally in Equality. DU emerged as the leader in Knowledge Exchange among Indian institutions, ranking 121st globally. IIT Kharagpur topped in the Impact of Education and Health and Wellbeing lenses, with respective global ranks of 676 and 391.
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University of Toronto Topped Global QS Ranking
The University of Toronto topped the global rankings, followed by ETH Zurich and Lund University, which tied with the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) for third place. In Asia, the University of Tokyo was the highest-ranked at 44th, while Fudan University led China at 133rd.
The rankings also revealed strong performances by universities from Europe, Australasia, and Africa. The University of Cape Town, ranked 45th globally, led the African region.
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