QS Sustainability Rankings 2026: India recorded a mixed performance in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026, as no Indian institution managed to break into the global top 200 this year. IIT Delhi emerged as the highest-ranked Indian institution but slipped from last year’s rank of 171 to 205 in the latest edition.
IITs Continue to Dominate India’s Sustainability Standings
IIT Delhi retained its national lead, followed closely by IIT Bombay at rank 235 and IIT Kharagpur at 236, reaffirming the dominance of IITs in sustainability-driven performance metrics. QS revealed that out of the 15 IITs featured this year, six improved their standing compared to the 2025 rankings, with IIT Delhi noted as one of the institutions showing consistent long-term progress since the rankings were first introduced in 2023.
Indian Universities See Record Improvements and New Entries
Several Indian institutions achieved their highest positions to date, including Vellore Institute of Technology and IIT Roorkee, both placed at 352, along with Shoolini University, LPU, Panjab University, BHU, NIT Rourkela, IIT BHU Varanasi and UPES, all ranking within the top 700. India also secured 26 new entries this year, becoming one of only four higher education systems worldwide to feature over 100 universities in the list. Among the 103 Indian institutions ranked, 32 improved their positions, 15 maintained the same rank, and 30 slipped.
Lund University Takes the Global Lead for the First Time
Globally, Sweden’s Lund University claimed the top spot for the first time since the sustainability ranking was launched, displacing the University of Toronto, which dropped to second place after two consecutive years at number one. University College London climbed to third, as global participation expanded with the United States leading with 240 universities, followed by China with 163 and the United Kingdom with 109. India secured the fourth-highest representation with 103 institutions overall, while China, India, France and Türkiye recorded the highest number of new entrants this year.
