Top 10 Universities in India (2026)
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru is the best university in India according to the government's National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), and it has held the top spot in the university category every year since the rankings began in 2016.
Number one on this list is Indian Institute of Science (IISc) — Founded in 1909 with support from Jamsetji Tata, IISc is India's leading research university and has ranked first in the NIRF university category every year since 2016. See why, plus 9 more →
Jawaharlal Nehru University is second and Manipal Academy of Higher Education third, with Jamia Millia Islamia and the University of Delhi completing the top five.
This list follows the NIRF 2025 university rankings, published by the Ministry of Education on 4 September 2025. As of September 2026 the NIRF 2026 results have not been released, so the 2025 ranking is the latest official one. We will update this page when the new ranking is published. NIRF scores institutions on teaching and resources, research, graduate outcomes, outreach and inclusivity, and perception. The university category is separate from the engineering, medical, management and law categories, so IITs, which are ranked on their own, do not appear here. For engineering colleges, see our separate list.
The full ranking — 10 picks
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Rank 1
Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Bengaluru, KarnatakaFounded in 1909 with support from Jamsetji Tata, IISc is India's leading research university and has ranked first in the NIRF university category every year since 2016. It is best known for science and engineering research and admits undergraduates to a four-year research-focused BS programme as well as postgraduate and PhD students.
#1NIRF 2025 1909founded Public, deemed universitytype -
Rank 2
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
New DelhiEstablished in 1969, JNU is a central university known for social sciences, international studies, languages and life sciences. It is mainly a postgraduate and research university, admits students through national entrance exams, and has produced many diplomats, civil servants and academics. It ranked second in NIRF 2025.
#2NIRF 2025 1969founded Central universitytype -
Rank 3
Manipal Academy of Higher Education
Manipal, KarnatakaMAHE grew from Kasturba Medical College, founded in 1953, and is the highest-ranked private university in India. It has a large residential campus in Manipal and offers medicine, engineering, management and many other programmes. It ranked third in NIRF 2025.
#3NIRF 2025 1953origin Private, deemed universitytype -
Rank 4
Jamia Millia Islamia
New DelhiFounded in 1920 during the freedom movement and a central university since 1988, Jamia is known for engineering, architecture, law, mass communication and its residential coaching academy for civil services aspirants. It ranked fourth in the NIRF 2025 university category.
#4NIRF 2025 1920founded Central universitytype -
Rank 5
University of Delhi
DelhiFounded in 1922, Delhi University is one of the largest universities in India, with dozens of affiliated colleges including St. Stephen's, Hindu, Miranda House and Shri Ram College of Commerce. Admission to its undergraduate courses is through CUET. It moved up from sixth to fifth in NIRF 2025.
#5NIRF 2025 1922founded Central universitytype -
Rank 6
Banaras Hindu University (BHU)
Varanasi, Uttar PradeshFounded by Madan Mohan Malaviya in 1916, BHU has one of the largest residential campuses in Asia, with faculties from arts and science to medicine and agriculture. The IIT (BHU) sits on the same campus but is ranked separately. BHU ranked sixth in NIRF 2025.
#6NIRF 2025 1916founded Central universitytype -
Rank 7
BITS Pilani
Pilani, RajasthanThe Birla Institute of Technology and Science is a private deemed university with campuses in Pilani, Goa, Hyderabad and Dubai. It admits students through its own entrance test, BITSAT, and is known for engineering, science and a strong startup culture among alumni. It rose to seventh in NIRF 2025.
#7NIRF 2025 1964deemed university Private, deemed universitytype -
Rank 8
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Coimbatore, Tamil NaduAmrita is a private deemed university with campuses in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and elsewhere, run by the Mata Amritanandamayi Math. It offers engineering, medicine, management and sciences, and has a large hospital in Kochi. It ranked eighth in NIRF 2025.
#8NIRF 2025 Private, deemed universitytype -
Rank 9
Jadavpur University
Kolkata, West BengalJadavpur University became a university in 1955 but traces its roots to the National Council of Education set up in 1906 during the Swadeshi movement. It is the highest-ranked state university in the NIRF 2025 university category and is known for engineering, humanities and low fees.
#9NIRF 2025 1955university since State universitytype -
Rank 10
Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)
Aligarh, Uttar PradeshAMU grew out of the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College founded by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in 1875 and became a university in 1920. The central university has a large residential campus and faculties from law and medicine to engineering. It ranked tenth in the NIRF 2025 university category.
#10NIRF 2025 1920university since Central universitytype
About this list
Top 10 Universities in India (2026) runs from 1 to 10. Indian Institute of Science (IISc) takes the top spot, and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) closes it out at number 10. It was first published on 24 September 2026.
Spotted something out of date, or an entry you would rank differently? Tell us — the order on this page is revised as the picks change.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the number 1 university in India?
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, ranked first in the university category of NIRF 2025. It has been first in that category every year since 2016.
Is NIRF 2026 ranking out?
As of September 2026, NIRF 2026 has not been released. The NIRF 2025 rankings, published on 4 September 2025, are the latest official list.
Which is the best central university in India?
Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, ranked second overall in the NIRF 2025 university category, is the highest-ranked central university.
Which is the best private university in India?
Manipal Academy of Higher Education, ranked third in NIRF 2025, is the highest-ranked private university. BITS Pilani and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham are also in the top 10.
Which is the best state university in India?
Jadavpur University in Kolkata, ranked ninth in the NIRF 2025 university category, is the highest-ranked state public university.
What is number 1 on Top 10 Universities in India (2026)?
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is ranked number 1 on Top 10 Universities in India (2026). Founded in 1909 with support from Jamsetji Tata, IISc is India's leading research university and has ranked first in the NIRF university category every year since 2016.
When was this list last updated?
This list was last updated on 24 September 2026.
Which category does this list belong to?
It sits in the Education category. Top colleges, schools, courses and learning resources. Every Education list is at trendingpunjabi.com/top/category/education, and all TrendingPunjabi top lists are at trendingpunjabi.com/top/.
