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The rankings, released by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, cover 17 categories this year—ranging from engineering and medicine to law, management, open universities, agriculture and skill universities. Each stream has been assessed with weightages tailored to its character, although the broad parameters remain constant: teaching and learning, research and professional practice, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity, peer perception, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 

Delhi University institutions dominated the college rankings, with Hindu College leading the table for the second year in succession. Miranda House was placed second, while Hans Raj College and Kirori Mal College entered the top five for the first time, signalling a shift in Delhi University’s hierarchy. Six of the top seven institutions in the college category belong to the capital.

 

Among engineering institutions, the dominance of the IITs was reaffirmed, with nine campuses-ranging from IIT Roorkee to IIT Hyderabad-securing top spots. IIT Madras retained its place at the summit, while IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur followed in close order. Southern institutions such as NIT Tiruchirappalli also continued to bolster their standing.

 

In the sphere of innovation, IIT Madras again led the way, trailed by IIT Bombay, IISc Bengaluru and IIT Kharagpur. Anna University and IIT Mandi also featured in the top ten, underlining the expanding footprint of cutting-edge research beyond the traditional centres of excellence.

 

Open universities were ranked separately for the first time, with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) securing the premier position. Karnataka State Open University and U.P. Rajarshi Tandon Open University in Prayagraj followed in second and third places respectively.

 

Skill universities were also brought into sharper focus. Symbiosis Skills and Professional University, Pune, topped the category, with Symbiosis University of Applied Sciences, Indore, and Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, Haryana, taking second and third place.

 

State public universities reflected the diversity of regional excellence, with Jadavpur University in West Bengal securing the first place, ahead of Anna University, Chennai, and Panjab University, Chandigarh. Universities in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Jammu and Kashmir also figured prominently in the top tier.

 

The Ministry highlighted that these rankings are not merely a league table but a reflection of India’s attempt to align its institutions with international standards of teaching, research integrity and inclusivity.

 

“The NIRF India Ranking parameters and the weighted averages adopted to derive the rankings differ for all the categories,” the Ministry said in a statement, emphasising the contextual approach followed this year.

 

For students and parents, the 2025 list offers a roadmap of institutions excelling not only in academics but also in innovation, sustainability, employability and community impact.

Also read: IIT Madras secures first place in NIRF rankings again

 

NIRF 2025 rankings

Overall (Top 10)

1. IIT Madras, Chennai

2. IISc Bengaluru

3. IIT Bombay

4. IIT Delhi

5. IIT Kanpur

6. IIT Kharagpur

7. IIT Roorkee

8. AIIMS Delhi

9. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi

10. Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi

Universities (Top 10)

1. IISc Bengaluru

2. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi

3. Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi

4. Jadavpur University, Kolkata

5. Anna University, Chennai

6. Panjab University, Chandigarh

7. University of Delhi, Delhi

8. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore

9. Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal

10. University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad

Colleges (Top 10)

1. Hindu College, Delhi

2. Miranda House, Delhi

3. Hans Raj College, Delhi

4. Kirori Mal College, Delhi

5. St. Stephen’s College, Delhi

6. Rama Krishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College, Kolkata

7. Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College, Delhi

8. St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata

9. PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, Coimbatore

10. PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore

Engineering (Top 10)

1. IIT Madras, Chennai

2. IIT Bombay

3. IIT Delhi

4. IIT Kanpur

5. IIT Kharagpur

6. IIT Roorkee

7. IIT Guwahati

8. IIT Hyderabad

9. NIT Tiruchirappalli

10. Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore

Management / MBA (Top 10)

1. IIM Ahmedabad

2. IIM Bangalore

3. IIM Calcutta

4. IIM Lucknow

5. IIM Kozhikode

6. IIM Indore

7. XLRI – Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur

8. National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai

9. IIT Bombay (Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management)

10. IIT Delhi (Department of Management Studies)