IIT Madras Leads 'Overall' Category for 7th Year; IISc B'luru Best University for 10th Straight Year

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has once again secured the top position in the 'overall' category for the seventh consecutive year, while the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru has emerged as the best university for the tenth year running, according to the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 released on Thursday.

- MPOST BUREAU

The rankings, unveiled by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, mark the tenth edition of the exercise since its launch in 2016. "A cornerstone of the India Rankings has been its success in cultivating a culture of data governance within higher education institutions," Pradhan said at the announcement. He added that the data collected for the rankings now supports not just institutional planning but also national policy development.

IISc Bengaluru retained its second spot in the overall category, with IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi following at third and fourth place, respectively. The top ten list continues to be dominated by IITs and central universities. In the universities category, IISc Bengaluru was named the best, followed by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in second place. Manipal Academy of Higher Education broke new ground by taking the third position, becoming the first private university to reach the top three. Jamia Millia Islamia, which held third place last year, slipped to fourth.

Among colleges, Delhi University's Hindu College and Miranda House maintained their first and second positions. Hansraj College climbed to third, while Kirori Mal College followed closely in fourth. St Stephen's College, which was ranked third last year, moved down to fifth.