India 2nd-most represented in Times varsity rankings

India has become the second most-represented country in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026, with its highest 128 institutions in the list, up from 107 last year and just 19 in 2016. It now surpasses Japan, which has 115 universities, and ranks only behind the United States, which leads with 171 institutions.

- Sanjay Maurya

The 22nd edition of the UK-based THE World University Rankings features 2,191 universities from 115 countries and territories ranked on the basis of 18 performance indicators across five areas—teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook, and industry impact—covering aspects such as learning, research strength, global engagement, and innovation. Beyond rank 100, THE assigns universities to rank bands rather than specific positions.