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Article Summary
IIT Bombay secured a global rank of 129 and an India rank of 2 in the QS World University Rankings 2026, with an overall score of 64.8/100.
The institute excels in Employer Reputation (96.7/100, ranked 39th globally) but faces challenges in internationalisation metrics.
After reaching its best-ever rank of 118 in 2025, IIT Bombay slipped 11 positions while IIT Delhi overtook it to become India’s top-ranked institution.
IIT Bombay secured a global rank of 129, and India ranked 2nd in the QS World University Rankings 2026, with an overall score of 64.8 out of 100. The results, released on June 19, 2025, mark a shift in India’s top academic standing, with IIT Delhi climbing to the 123rd position, overtaking IIT Bombay for the first time since 2024. If you are evaluating engineering colleges based on global recognition and industry readiness, understanding these rankings and what drives them becomes essential to making an informed choice.
This article breaks down IIT Bombay’s 2026 performance across all nine QS indicators, traces a decade-long ranking trajectory from 2015 to 2026, examines subject-specific strengths in Engineering, Natural Sciences, and emerging fields, and compares the institute’s position against IIT Delhi, IISc Bangalore, and IIT Madras. You will also find a detailed methodology breakdown and practical advice on how these rankings translate to placement opportunities, research funding, and international collaborations.
If you are preparing for IIT JEE or planning postgraduate studies, Leverage Edu’s free counselling can help you map your academic profile to the right programme and institution.
Latest 2026 QS World University Ranking
IIT Bombay is ranked 129th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2026, holding the second rank in India, behind IIT Delhi. The institute scored 64.8 out of 100, a marginal improvement in absolute terms but a drop in relative standing after achieving its best-ever rank of 118 in 2025. This year’s rankings included over 1,500 universities across more than 100 countries, with India contributing 54 institutions, making it the fourth most-represented country globally after the United States, United Kingdom, and Mainland China.
The slip from 118th to 129th reflects intensified global competition and methodology adjustments introduced by QS in 2024, which added three new indicators: International Research Network, Employment Outcomes, and Sustainability. While IIT Bombay showed improvements in Employer Reputation, Citations per Faculty, and Sustainability, its persistent weaknesses in internationalisation metrics and a declining Faculty-Student Ratio score contributed to the overall drop. IIT Delhi’s aggressive climb from 150th in 2025 to 123rd in 2026 underscores how targeted improvements in specific indicators can shift national hierarchies even among elite institutions.
IIT Bombay’s Year-on-Year QS Rank Trend
2015–2026 Global Ranks
Understanding trend data is critical because rankings are not static snapshots but rather reflections of an institution’s strategic investments, research output cycles, and its ability to adapt to evolving assessment frameworks. Over the past decade, IIT Bombay’s global rank has followed a volatile yet generally upward trajectory, punctuated by sharp improvements and occasional setbacks tied to methodology changes and competitive shifts.
| Year | Global Rank | Change from the Previous Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 222 | — |
| 2016 | 202 | +20 |
| 2017 | 219 | -17 |
| 2018 | 179 | +40 |
| 2019 | 162 | +17 |
| 2020 | 152 | +10 |
| 2021 | 172 | -20 |
| 2022 | 177 | -5 |
| 2023 | 172 | +5 |
| 2024 | 149 | +23 |
| 2025 | 118 | +31 |
| 2026 | 129 | -11 |
The institute’s best year was 2025, at rank 118, following a 31-place jump from 149 in 2024. That surge was driven by improved citations per faculty, expanded international research collaborations, and enhanced employer confidence. The 2026 slip to 129 is significant but not catastrophic; it reflects tightening competition at the top of the global rankings, where incremental score differences translate to large positional swings.
Subject-Wise QS Rankings for IIT Bombay
Engineering & Technology
Natural Sciences
IIT Bombay ranked 78th globally in Natural Sciences in 2026 with an overall score of 77.6. This positions it ahead of IIT Delhi at 91 (76.8 score) and IISc Bangalore at 125 (74.9 score) in this category. IIT Bombay’s research output is fairly evenly split between Engineering & Technology and Natural Sciences, which explains its dual strength in both broad subject areas. The institute produced 15,905 academic papers from 2018 to 2022, generating 143,800 citations, with research growth of approximately 17% over that period.
Other Key Subjects
- Social Sciences & Management: 105th globally with a score of 72
- Arts & Humanities: 345th with a score of 63.1
- Computer Science & IT (2024): 64th globally
- Data Science & AI (2024): 30th globally
- Minerals & Mining (2024): 25th globally
Among Indian institutions, IIT Bombay leads with the highest number of subject entries in QS Subject Rankings 2026, reflecting the breadth of its academic programmes. Its particularly strong showing in Data Science & AI and Minerals & Mining places it among global leaders in these emerging and specialised fields.
How QS Calculates University Scores
QS Indicators Overview
QS rankings evaluate universities using nine indicators, introduced in a 2024 methodology update. Each metric captures a distinct dimension of academic quality, research impact, teaching environment, and global engagement:
- Academic Reputation (30%): Survey of 151,000 academics globally
- Employer Reputation (15%): Survey of 101,038 employers hiring graduates
- Faculty-Student Ratio (10%): Ratio of faculty to enrolled students
- Citations per Faculty (20%): Bibliometric citation data per faculty member
- International Faculty Ratio (5%): Ratio of international to total faculty staff
- International Student Ratio (5%): Ratio of international to total student body
- International Research Network (5%): Research partnerships with institutions in other countries
- Employment Outcomes (5%): Graduates’ success in employment and broader impact
- Sustainability (5%): Research and institutional sustainability performance
Beginning with its 2024 rankings, QS implemented International Research Network, Employment Outcomes, and Sustainability as new indicators, each accounting for 5% of total weightage. These additions shifted the balance slightly away from traditional reputation and citation metrics, rewarding universities that demonstrate measurable social impact, employment success, and cross-border research collaboration.
Data Sources Used
QS gathers bibliometric data from Scopus, used for Citations per Faculty and International Research Network metrics. The 2026 rankings are based on data from over 16 million academic papers and insights from the academic and employer surveys mentioned above. This multi-source approach balances quantitative research metrics with qualitative perceptions from key stakeholders. If you want to explore how these metrics apply to your target universities, Leverage Edu’s counsellors can walk you through programme-specific rankings and subject strengths that matter most for your field.
Breakdown of IIT Bombay’s 2026 QS Scores
The table below breaks down the scores of IIT Bombay across different indicators:
| Indicator | Score (out of 100) |
|---|---|
| Employer Reputation | 96.7 |
| Citations per Faculty | 82.9 |
| Sustainability | 75.2 |
| Academic Reputation | 73.3 |
| Employment Outcomes | 72.6 |
| International Research Network | 46.6 |
| Faculty-Student Ratio | 16.1 |
| International Faculty | 6.5 |
| International Students | 1.6 |
IIT Bombay’s standout indicator is Employer Reputation, with a score of 96.7/100, ranking 39th worldwide on this metric alone. This reflects deep industry confidence in IIT Bombay graduates, driven by strong placement records, high starting salaries, and a vast alumni network that holds leadership positions at global companies. The institute also scored 82.9 in Citations per Faculty, placing it among eight Indian universities in the world’s top 100 for this metric, with an average score of 43.7, which is higher than those of Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
However, internationalisation remains a persistent weakness. IIT Bombay’s International Students score of 1.6/100 reflects that only 3% of its approximately 10,000 students are international. Similarly, the International Faculty score of 6.5/100 indicates limited diversity among faculty from a global recruitment perspective. Additionally, a steady decline in the Faculty-Student Ratio score has been observed since 2022, coinciding with a higher rate of student enrollment than faculty appointments. The optimal ratio for QS is 1:10; IIT Bombay currently operates at approximately 1:18.
Despite these gaps, IIT Bombay showed notable improvements in academic reputation, citations per faculty, employer reputation, employment outcomes, and sustainability this year, which helped maintain its overall competitiveness even as its global rank slipped.
Comparison with Other Top Indian Institutes
| Institute | QS 2026 Global Rank | India Rank | Overall Score | Key Strength |
| IIT Delhi | 123 | 1 | 65.5 | Employer Reputation (50th globally) |
| IIT Bombay | 129 | 2 | 64.8 | Employer Reputation (96.7) |
| IIT Madras | 180 | 3 | 58.4 | Academic Reputation (90.2) |
| IIT Kharagpur | 215 | 4 | 54.5 | Engineering & Technology (64th globally) |
| IISc Bangalore | 219 | 5 | 54.2 | Academic Reputation (99.9) |
Collectively, five Indian institutions feature in the global top 100 for Employer Reputation, reflecting strong industry confidence in Indian graduates across disciplines.
What the Ranking Means for Students & Employers
IIT Bombay’s Employer Reputation score of 96.7/100 translates directly into strong placement outcomes and higher starting salaries. If you are evaluating IIT Bombay for undergraduate or postgraduate engineering, this metric signals that recruiters across sectors view its graduates as job-ready and high-performing from day one. The 39th global rank on this indicator alone places IIT Bombay ahead of many elite international universities in perceived graduate quality.
For students planning research-focused careers or international collaborations, pay close attention to subject-specific rankings rather than overall position. If you are targeting Data Science & AI, IIT Bombay’s 30th global rank in that field (as of 2024) signals access to cutting-edge labs, faculty expertise, and industry partnerships that matter far more than the overall institutional rank. Similarly, if Natural Sciences is your focus, the 78th global rank with a score of 77.6 reflects strong research infrastructure in physics, chemistry, and mathematics.
For recruiters and employers, IIT Bombay’s QS rank reinforces its role as a talent pipeline for high-impact roles in engineering, technology, and management. The combination of Employer Reputation (96.7), Employment Outcomes (72.6), and strong Citation metrics (82.9) signals graduates who are both technically skilled and research-aware. If you are looking for candidates ready for global roles or cross-functional leadership, IIT Bombay’s breadth across subjects and consistent top-tier rankings make it a defensible hiring benchmark.
Conclusion
IIT Bombay’s 129th global rank and India’s rank 2 in QS 2026 reflect both sustained strengths and emerging challenges. The institute excels in Employer Reputation, Citations per Faculty, and Employment Outcomes, driven by industry partnerships, strong research output, and an alumni network that shapes global technology and business. However, persistent weaknesses in internationalisation metrics and a declining Faculty-Student Ratio indicate areas requiring strategic intervention if IIT Bombay is to reclaim its India rank 1 position and push toward the global top 100.
If you are deciding between IIT Bombay and peer institutions, focus on subject-specific rankings aligned with your intended field. If you are targeting high-growth areas such as AI, Data Science, or Engineering & Technology, IIT Bombay remains a globally competitive choice.
Whether you are a prospective student weighing your JEE rank against programme fit or an international applicant exploring postgraduate options, Leverage Edu’s expert counsellors can help you evaluate how these rankings translate to career outcomes, research opportunities, and post-study pathways tailored to your profile.
FAQs
IIT Bombay is ranked 129th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2026, with an overall score of 64.8/100.
IIT Bombay holds the rank of 2 in India, behind IIT Delhi at rank 123. It was India’s top-ranked institution in 2025 at 118th globally before IIT Delhi overtook it in 2026.
Employer Reputation at 96.7/100 is IIT Bombay’s top-scoring indicator, ranking 39th globally. This metric measures how employers worldwide perceive the quality and job-readiness of IIT Bombay graduates.
IIT Bombay’s rank improved steadily from 222 in 2015 to a peak of 118 in 2025, then slipped to 129 in 2026. The best year was 2025; the trend reflects both research growth and increased global competition.
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