New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has been ranked the best institute in the country for the second time in a row in the QS Asia rankings 2024 released on Wednesday, with India emerging as the most represented higher education system surpassing China this year.

The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a UK-based company specialised in the analysis of higher education institutions around the world, ranked institutions on the basis of 10 indicators including academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty student ratio, international relation network, citations per paper, paper per faculty, staff with PhD, international faculty, international students, and outbound exchange students.

According to a statement released by QS analysts, India is now the most represented higher education system in the QS Asia ranking, with 148 featured universities, 37 more than last year. It is followed by China with 133 and Japan with 96. Besides, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Nepal feature for the first time.

“The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) retains its status as the premier institution in the nation. Notably, the top three rankings at the national level remain consistent with the previous edition of the rankings i.e IIT-Delhi and IIT-Madras,” said the statement.

“IIT Bombay leads nationally in both Academic and Employer Reputation indicators, drawing on the expert opinions of 144,000 academics and employers. Impressively, it ranks within the top 20 Asian institutions for Employer Reputation,” it added.

Other Indian institutes which made it to the top 100 in the QS Asia University Rankings 2024 include IIT-Delhi (46), IIT-Madras (53), Indian Institute of Science (58), IIT-Kharagpur (59), IIT-Kanpur (63), and University of Delhi (94).

As per the statement, Indian universities have demonstrated remarkable resilience in the QS Asian University Rankings with just over half of the ranked universities declining in position, 21 improving, 15 unchanged and 37 new entries. “In fact, India take’s the lion’s share of the new entries, while Mainland China sees only seven new additions to its list of ranked institutions,” it stated.

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Ben Sowter, senior vice president at QS, said that increasing visibility of Indian universities in the QS rankings reflects the dynamic expansion of India’s higher education landscape. “While the significant growth in the number of Indian institutions and their research contributions marks a noteworthy development in the region’s educational profile, it also illuminates the path ahead for India to further elevate its standing in the global academic community,” he said.

India achieved its best average score for the Staff with PhD indicator, 42.3 against 22 last year, signalling strong research output and a highly qualified faculty body. “This performance shows the potential for Indian institutions to leverage their academic rigor and research capabilities to further enhance their global standing,” the statement said.

India produces an exceptional amount of research with seven of Asia’s 10 best universities for Papers per Faculty are Indian, including both the region’s most productive research institutions, Anna University and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology, West Bengal.

However, India’s performance in the International Research Network indicator, with a score of 15.4, falls slightly below the regional average of 18.8, and the country also falls below the regional average in Academic Reputation (11.8 vs 19) and Employer Reputation (9.6 vs 18).

“This is indicative of a broader pattern evident across all internationalisation indicators, where India appears to be striving to balance two ambitious goals: catering to the educational needs of its vast domestic student population and enhancing its appeal to international students. Achieving proficiency in both domains simultaneously presents a significant challenge, particularly at a pace that matches global trends,” the statement added.

Seven Indian universities have been featured among the top 10 in the region for the Papers per Faculty indicator, showcasing the strong research output relative to faculty numbers. Besides, 22 Indian universities are ranked within the top 50 in Asia for the Staff with a PhD indicator, highlighting the high qualifications of their academic staff.

“The QS Asian University Rankings for the 2024 edition reflect the rising prominence of India’s higher education system. With steps being taken towards increased internationalization, research output, and academic recognition, Indian universities are well-positioned for continued growth and achievement in the year ahead,” the statement added.

Overall, Peking University in China secured the top position in Asia, followed by the University of Hong Kong, the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, and Tsinghua University.