New Delhi, September 4, 2025 — The Ministry of Education today released the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 results on nirfindia.org, unveiling the list of India’s top higher-education institutions.
Overview
For the seventh consecutive year, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras has been ranked first in the overall category. The annual NIRF list—now in its tenth edition—continues to be a key reference for students, employers and policymakers, reflecting performance across teaching, research, outreach and perception.
IIT Madras Leads Again
IIT Madras topped the overall rankings with a strong score, standing out in teaching, research, innovation and public perception. The institute also performed notably in the newly introduced Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) category, highlighting campus-level sustainability initiatives and community outreach.
Officials at IIT Madras attributed the result to sustained focus on academic quality, industry engagement and research that addresses social needs.
Top Performers — Overall Category
Close on IIT Madras’s heels were the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru and IIT Bombay, finishing second and third respectively. Completing the top five were IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur, underscoring the continuing strength of India’s premier technical and research institutions.
Category Highlights
- Universities: IISc Bengaluru retained the top university slot, with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) ranked highly among comprehensive universities.
- Colleges: Hindu College (University of Delhi) emerged as the top college, followed by Miranda House and Hansraj College.
- Engineering: IIT Madras, IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay continued to dominate the engineering list.
- Management: IIM Ahmedabad remained at the forefront in management education, followed by IIM Bangalore and IIM Kozhikode.
- Medical & Research: AIIMS Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh and CMC Vellore were among the top medical institutes; IISc and leading IITs featured prominently in research rankings.
Methodology and Integrity Measures
NIRF evaluates institutions across five broad parameters: Teaching, Learning & Resources; Research & Professional Practice; Graduation Outcomes; Outreach & Inclusivity; and Perception. This year’s process included stricter verification: institutions found to have submitted inaccurate or inflated data faced negative markings, and practices such as self-citation were excluded to protect the integrity of results.
Voices from the Education Ministry
Union Education Ministry officials said the rankings are part of a larger push to strengthen quality and competitiveness in higher education, and highlighted schemes such as One Nation–One Subscription, the Smart India Hackathon and GIAN for promoting innovation and collaboration across campuses.
Why These Rankings Matter
NIRF has become a trusted guide for students, parents and recruiters. Beyond admissions, these rankings influence policy decisions, funding priorities and institutional strategy. For institutions, a good NIRF rank signals strengths in academics, research impact and social outreach—factors that attract talent and partnerships.
As IIT Madras celebrates another year at the top, the NIRF 2025 rankings reflect a maturing and more transparent higher-education landscape—one that increasingly values sustainability, inclusivity and credible assessment. The list gives students and stakeholders a practical roadmap to identify institutions that combine academic excellence with societal impact.
