The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has topped the HRD Ministry's national ranking of higher education institutes. The premier engineering institute is closely followed by Bengaluru’s Indian Institute of Science (IISc). In the University category, IISc was ranked first.

This is the fourth edition of national rankings based on the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). 

Of the top ten institutes ranked, seven are IITs while Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Banaras Hindu University (BHU) also figure. JNU and BHU were also ranked second and third in the university category behind IISc. Anna University (7), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University (8) and Manipal Academy of Higher Education (9) also figured in the list of top 10 universities.

Anna University and National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli were adjudged the best engineering institutes in the country after the IITs. 

In the management education category, IIM-Bengaluru pipped IIM-Ahmedabad to the top spot.  “It’s an honour. I would give credit to the institute’s previous leadership and the response of faculty and staff, at least over the past decade, who have often made difficult but the right choices in setting the direction for and contributing to the institution,” said IIM-B director, Prof G Raghuram, speaking to the Times of India.

Meanwhile in the law category, National Law School of India University, Bengaluru was ranked number one. 

The rankings are based on a number of factors including teaching, learning, resources, research, outcomes, outreach, perception and inclusivity.

Top 10 engineering institutes:

1. IIT Madras

2. IIT Delhi

3. IIT Bombay

4. IIT Kharagpur

5. IIT Kanpur

6. IIT Roorkee

7. IIT Guwahati

8. IIT Hyderabad

9. Anna University

10. National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli

Top 10 universities: