Record : 91 Indian Institutions Shine in Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings 2024
In a remarkable turn of events, 91 Indian institutions have made their mark in the prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for 2024. This year’s rankings herald a new era of Indian academia, reflecting a substantial increase in the nation’s global educational standing.
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Returns to Global Elite
Notably, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has led the resurgence, re-establishing its position among the world’s top-tier universities. IISc has clinched a coveted spot in the global top 250, securing a place in the 201-250 category. This achievement marks a triumphant return for IISc to this exclusive group, a status it last held in 2017.
India’s Second Highest Universities
Joining the ranks of excellence in India are Anna University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Mahatma Gandhi University, and Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, collectively representing the second-highest echelon of Indian academia. These institutions have secured positions within the 501-600 category, solidifying their commitment to academic excellence.
Indian Universities Ascend the Global Rankings
This year has witnessed remarkable progress in Indian higher education, with five of the nation’s top universities achieving significant advancements. IISc has ascended from the 251-300 category last year to the 201-250 range. Anna University has demonstrated its ascendancy by moving up from the 801-1000 category in the previous year to the 501-600 bracket. Likewise, Aligarh Muslim University and Bharathiar University have risen from the 801-1000 band to the 601-800 range. In a noteworthy debut, the Malaviya National Institute of Technology has secured its place in the rankings within the 601-800 band.
IITs Shine on the Global Stage
Further enhancing India’s academic prestige, two esteemed Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), namely the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati and the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad, have made significant strides. They have climbed two bands to join the league of the world’s top 800 universities, transitioning from the 1001-1200 category to the fiercely competitive 601-800 range.
THE Rankings 2024: A Comprehensive Assessment
The Times Higher Education Rankings for 2024 are renowned for their thoroughness and fairness in evaluating research-intensive universities worldwide. These rankings meticulously assess institutions across 18 performance indicators, encompassing their core missions of teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and internationalization.
India’s Global Standing
Phil Baty, Chief Global Affairs Officer at THE, lauded India’s remarkable achievement, stating, “India has well and truly embraced the international agenda and international competition, with an unprecedented 91 universities making it into the rigorous and demanding Times Higher Education World University Rankings this year.” He highlighted that India has now risen to become the fourth most-represented nation in these influential rankings. Baty emphasized the significance of this recognition, noting that Indian institutions can leverage THE’s comprehensive international benchmarks to further enhance their global standing. Despite certain methodological challenges faced by Indian institutions this year, the overall trajectory remains positive, exemplified by IISc’s triumphant return to the top 250 and the commendable progress achieved by several other institutions. This accomplishment solidifies India’s status as an emerging academic force on the world stage.
Global University Rankings Overview
In the broader context of the THE Rankings 2024, the University of Oxford in the UK has claimed the top spot globally, followed by Stanford University as the highest-ranked institution in the United States. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) occupies the third position.
Among the top 10 universities in the world, seven are from the United States, while the remaining three hail from the United Kingdom.
Asia has emerged as the most well-represented continent in this year’s rankings, with 737 universities participating. Furthermore, Asia has demonstrated remarkable improvements in teaching and research quality. Notably, 165 universities have achieved rankings for the first time, with 89 of them originating from Asia, including a newly ranked university from mainland China. Mainland China boasts the best-ranked universities in Asia overall. This year, a record-breaking 33 Asian universities are within the top 200, a notable increase from 28 in the previous year. This surge can be attributed to the advancements in China (from 11 to 13) and Japan (from 2 to 5).