Indian universities registered a modest showing in the THE World University Rankings by Subject 2026, released on Wednesday. Institutions from the United States and the United Kingdom continued to dominate the global tables, while the results highlighted China’s expanding influence across major science and technology fields.
For India, the performance was mixed. The Indian Institute of Science, IISc Bangalore, stood out as the only Indian institution to secure a place within the global top 100 in any subject this year, featuring in the Computer Science category and ensuring India’s lone presence at the top tier.
Outside IISc, Indian representation thinned considerably. Amity University was ranked in the 251–300 band for Computer Science, followed by Jamia Millia Islamia in the 301–400 range, alongside Symbiosis International University and Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology. No other Indian university featured in the global top 100 across the 11 subject areas evaluated in this edition.
India’s performance at the subject level continues to be limited.
The subject rankings reflect an ongoing challenge for Indian higher education. While research output and international collaboration from Indian institutions have steadily increased, these improvements have yet to translate into consistent top-tier positions at the subject level.
Across fields such as engineering, physical sciences, life sciences and social sciences, Indian universities continue to lag behind several Asian counterparts, including China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.
The Times Higher Education (THE) rankings evaluate universities using 18 performance indicators across four broad areas – teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. For subject-wise rankings, these indicators are adjusted to align with discipline-specific priorities. Institutions must also meet minimum benchmarks for research volume and academic staffing to be considered.
Global leaders continue to strengthen their dominance.
At the top of the rankings, Western universities continued to maintain their dominance. The United States claimed the top spot in eight of the 11 subject categories, while the United Kingdom led in the remaining three.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) stood out as the most dominant institution overall, securing first place in Arts and Humanities, Business and Economics, and Social Sciences. In Psychology, the University of Cambridge regained the top position for the first time since 2022