The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) University Rankings for Asia 2025 show a significant shift among India's top institutions. This year, the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) has overtaken IIT Bombay, securing the highest national rank among Indian universities in Asia, reported TOI.
IIT Delhi climbed to 44th in Asia, up from 46th last year, while IIT Bombay slipped from 40th to 48th. This reshuffling highlights IIT Delhi’s growth in key academic and institutional performance metrics, allowing it to extend its lead over IIT Bombay.
IIT Delhi’s rise to the top was attributed to significant improvements in several key areas, especially those where IIT Bombay had historically been strong. According to the TOI report, here’s a closer look at the metrics that contributed to IIT Delhi's higher ranking:
Citations per Paper: IIT Delhi’s research impact soars
A major factor in IIT Delhi’s ascent was its improvement in the "Citations per Paper" metric, which measures the research impact of an institution. IIT Delhi saw a remarkable jump from 14.2 in 2024 to 26.9 in 2025, while IIT Bombay, despite improving from 9.3 to 16.9, still lagged behind.
Staff with PhD: IIT Delhi narrows the gap
The "Staff with PhD" metric evaluates the percentage of faculty holding doctoral degrees, which signifies expertise and academic rigor. Historically, IIT Bombay excelled in this area, scoring 96.3, but IIT Delhi made substantial strides, increasing its score from 75.4 to 94.7, closing the gap considerably, noted the TOI report.
Employer Reputation: A tight race
Employer reputation, which gauges the perception of graduates in the job market, remains a strong point for both IITs. IIT Bombay led with a score of 99.5, followed closely by IIT Delhi at 99, reflecting their comparable standing among employers.
Faculty-student ratio: IIT Delhi takes the lead
According to TOI, IIT Delhi showed a notable improvement in the faculty-student ratio, an indicator of educational quality. IIT Delhi’s ratio increased from 24.1 to 27.2, while IIT Bombay’s ratio improved only slightly, from 14.8 to 17.9, giving IIT Delhi an edge in this area.
Papers per faculty: Consistency in research output
Meanwhile, both IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay scored highly in the "Papers per Faculty" metric, which measures research productivity. The difference between their scores was minimal—95.2 for IIT Delhi and 96.2 for IIT Bombay—indicating that both institutions are equally committed to producing research.
IIT Delhi vs IIT Bombay: NIRF 2024 comparison
The TOI report also noted that earlier this year, the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024 ranked IIT Bombay third overall in India with a score of 81.37, while IIT Delhi followed closely in fourth place with a score of 80.31. This close ranking in the NIRF reflects the similar strengths of both institutions across various academic and research parameters.
However, in terms of academic reputation, an indicator of an institution's recognition among scholars, both IITs saw notable improvements. IIT Delhi’s score rose significantly from 79.4 to 95; while IIT Bombay maintained a slight edge with a score of 96.6.
Though IIT Delhi’s rise to the top of the QS Asia rankings marks a significant milestone, both IITs continue to lead India’s higher education sector and compete fiercely on the global stage. Their performance in the QS rankings, along with their consistent showing in NIRF, underscores their status as top-tier research and academic institutions.
In addition, other prestigious institutions also featured in the QS Asia 2025 rankings, though some saw slight declines. IIT Madras dropped from 53rd to 56th, IISc Bangalore from 58th to 62nd, and IIT Kanpur from 63rd to 67th.
IIT Delhi climbed to 44th in Asia, up from 46th last year, while IIT Bombay slipped from 40th to 48th. This reshuffling highlights IIT Delhi’s growth in key academic and institutional performance metrics, allowing it to extend its lead over IIT Bombay.
IIT Delhi’s rise to the top was attributed to significant improvements in several key areas, especially those where IIT Bombay had historically been strong. According to the TOI report, here’s a closer look at the metrics that contributed to IIT Delhi's higher ranking:
Citations per Paper: IIT Delhi’s research impact soars
A major factor in IIT Delhi’s ascent was its improvement in the "Citations per Paper" metric, which measures the research impact of an institution. IIT Delhi saw a remarkable jump from 14.2 in 2024 to 26.9 in 2025, while IIT Bombay, despite improving from 9.3 to 16.9, still lagged behind.
Staff with PhD: IIT Delhi narrows the gap
The "Staff with PhD" metric evaluates the percentage of faculty holding doctoral degrees, which signifies expertise and academic rigor. Historically, IIT Bombay excelled in this area, scoring 96.3, but IIT Delhi made substantial strides, increasing its score from 75.4 to 94.7, closing the gap considerably, noted the TOI report.
Employer Reputation: A tight race
Employer reputation, which gauges the perception of graduates in the job market, remains a strong point for both IITs. IIT Bombay led with a score of 99.5, followed closely by IIT Delhi at 99, reflecting their comparable standing among employers.
Faculty-student ratio: IIT Delhi takes the lead
According to TOI, IIT Delhi showed a notable improvement in the faculty-student ratio, an indicator of educational quality. IIT Delhi’s ratio increased from 24.1 to 27.2, while IIT Bombay’s ratio improved only slightly, from 14.8 to 17.9, giving IIT Delhi an edge in this area.
Papers per faculty: Consistency in research output
Meanwhile, both IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay scored highly in the "Papers per Faculty" metric, which measures research productivity. The difference between their scores was minimal—95.2 for IIT Delhi and 96.2 for IIT Bombay—indicating that both institutions are equally committed to producing research.
IIT Delhi vs IIT Bombay: NIRF 2024 comparison
The TOI report also noted that earlier this year, the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024 ranked IIT Bombay third overall in India with a score of 81.37, while IIT Delhi followed closely in fourth place with a score of 80.31. This close ranking in the NIRF reflects the similar strengths of both institutions across various academic and research parameters.
However, in terms of academic reputation, an indicator of an institution's recognition among scholars, both IITs saw notable improvements. IIT Delhi’s score rose significantly from 79.4 to 95; while IIT Bombay maintained a slight edge with a score of 96.6.
Though IIT Delhi’s rise to the top of the QS Asia rankings marks a significant milestone, both IITs continue to lead India’s higher education sector and compete fiercely on the global stage. Their performance in the QS rankings, along with their consistent showing in NIRF, underscores their status as top-tier research and academic institutions.
In addition, other prestigious institutions also featured in the QS Asia 2025 rankings, though some saw slight declines. IIT Madras dropped from 53rd to 56th, IISc Bangalore from 58th to 62nd, and IIT Kanpur from 63rd to 67th.
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