Choosing a college is not just about the course or campus anymore. Nowadays, students also look up how their desired institution compares with others. This is where the NIRF rankings become a useful reference. With the next edition coming soon, the focus is now on the NIRF ranking 2026 and what it could bring for students who are looking to compare Indian universities as well as colleges.
The process for data submission has been completed, but the final rankings are still awaited. Hence, if you have heard any rumors or seen any NIRF 2026 release date, make sure that you understand the difference between official information and just speculation. Here is everything you need to know before the new rankings are announced.
What Is NIRF Ranking?
The National Institutional Ranking Framework, popularly known as NIRF, was launched by the Ministry of Education on 29th September, 2015. India Rankings came out for the first time in 2016, and now it is one of the most popular ranking systems in India to compare higher education institutions.
You need to note that the NIRF does not publish just one list. The rankings cover various categories, like Overall, Universities, Colleges, Engineering, Management, Medical, Law, Pharmacy, Architecture and Planning, Dental, and so on.
NIRF 2026 Release Date: What We Actually Know
For this year, the institutes have already submitted their data. The official portal of NIRF also confirms that the Data Capturing System for NIRF ranking 2026 has been closed. The cycle is now in its verification and feedback stage.
It becomes quite tricky to predict a particular date, as NIRF does not follow a fixed sequence for the release every year. In recent editions, the rankings have been announced at different points in the calendar.
Edition | Official Release Date | Notes |
NIRF 2016 | 4th April 2016 | First India Rankings edition |
NIRF 2023 | 5th June 2023 | Eighth Edition |
NIRF 2024 | 12th August 2024 | Ninth Edition |
NIRF 2025 | 4th September 2025 | Tenth Edition |
NIRF 2026 | Not announced | Rankings awaited |
Considering all these dates together, we can conclude that the release will be around mid-year or early autumn. The last two editions were published later, so we can expect the NIRF 2026 release date to be between August and September. This means that the upcoming announcement could happen within the coming weeks, although the official confirmation from the Ministry usually comes shortly before the publication.
Moreover, you also need to keep in mind that the release time can be affected by more than just the paperwork. The 2025 edition of the ranking was briefly suspended by the Madras High Court in March 2025 due to concerns about data integrity before the stay was lifted and the rankings were published on 4 September. So far, there have been no such reports about the 2026 edition. However, it is a reminder that the Ministry gives a definite date of publication only when it is genuinely ready for it.
How Does NIRF Calculate Rankings?
NIRF ranking is done on the basis of various parameters that cover various aspects of institutional performance. Every institution is scored out of 100.
These key parameters consist of Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR): 30%, Research and Professional Practice (RPC): 30%, Graduation Outcomes (GO): 20%, Outreach and Inclusivity (OI): 10%, and Perception: 10%. Each of these parameters has many sub-indicators.
TLR looks at student strength, the ratio between faculty and students, qualifications of the faculty members, and budget allocated by the institute for its infrastructure.
RPC includes publications and their impact in terms of citations and references, patents held, and earnings through sponsored projects.
GO includes the percentage of students who actually complete and pass the course, their placement rate, and success in national-level examinations.
OI appreciates diversity in terms of students from other states, female students, and students belonging to weaker economies or differently abled backgrounds.
Perception refers to the way in which employers and other academic people rate the institution.
Here is an image that explains these parameters in more detail.
NIRF 2026 Top Universities (Based On 2025 Rankings)
Right now, the best resource that you can refer to for knowing about the top universities is the University category of the India Rankings 2025. We have mentioned the top 50 universities from the past year in the table below. You can use it as a benchmark while the NIRF 2026 top universities list is being prepared.
Rank | Name | City & State | Score | More Details |
1 | Indian Institute of Science | Bengaluru (Karnataka) | 85.05 | TLR: 86.47 RPC: 88.16 GO: 83.69 OI: 60.29 Perception: 98.89 |
2 | Jawaharlal Nehru University | New Delhi (Delhi) | 71.00 | TLR: 75.53 RPC: 45.59 GO: 99.93 OI: 78.82 Perception: 67.89 |
3 | Manipal Academy of Higher Education- Manipal | Manipal (Karnataka) | 69.25 | TLR: 79.44 RPC: 61.76 GO: 78.52 OI: 67.71 Perception: 44.19 |
4 | Jamia Millia Islamia | New Delhi (Delhi) | 69.10 | TLR: 73.81 RPC: 50.03 GO: 92.56 OI: 83.83 Perception: 50.63 |
5 | University of Delhi | Delhi (Delhi) | 67.38 | TLR: 60.65 RPC: 58.51 GO: 96.94 OI: 70.15 Perception: 52.38 |
6 | Banaras Hindu University | Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) | 67.28 | TLR: 76.41 RPC: 51.17 GO: 95.42 OI: 65.95 Perception: 33.34 |
7 | Birla Institute of Technology and Science- Pilani | Pilani (Rajasthan) | 67.24 | TLR: 72.16 RPC: 63.27 GO: 77.74 OI: 61.42 Perception: 49.19 |
8 | Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) | 67.05 | TLR: 76.85 RPC: 51.06 GO: 81.91 OI: 71.42 Perception: 51.47 |
9 | Jadavpur University | Kolkata (West Bengal) | 65.42 | TLR: 71.61 RPC: 52.19 GO: 87.82 OI: 52.34 Perception: 54.87 |
10 | Aligarh Muslim University | Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh ) | 65.35 | TLR: 71.50 RPC: 48.04 GO: 93.79 OI: 64.58 Perception: 42.74 |
11 | S.R.M. Institute of Science and Technology | Chennai (Tamil Nadu) | 65.26 | TLR: 70.31 RPC: 54.56 GO: 82.47 OI: 68.94 Perception: 44.19 |
12 | Homi Bhabha National Institute | Mumbai (Maharashtra) | 65.08 | TLR: 76.94 RPC: 54.16 GO: 84.47 OI: 56.40 Perception: 32.17 |
13 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | Chennai (Tamil Nadu) | 65.04 | TLR: 76.12 RPC: 56.28 GO: 73.63 OI: 71.44 Perception: 34.49 |
14 | Vellore Institute of Technology | Vellore (Tamil Nadu) | 64.64 | TLR: 60.55 RPC: 59.53 GO: 83.42 OI: 60.61 Perception: 58.81 |
15 | Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan | Bhubaneswar (Odisha) | 63.14 | TLR: 58.81 RPC: 42.48 GO: 77.23 OI: 73.03 Perception: 50.21 |
16 | Indian Agricultural Research Institute | New Delhi (Delhi) | 62.89 | TLR: 74.07 RPC: 46.15 GO: 80.08 OI: 78.51 Perception: 29.63 |
17 | Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology | Bhubaneswar (Odisha) | 62.87 | TLR: 74.01 RPC: 43.99 GO: 80.53 OI: 77.74 Perception: 35.92 |
18 | University of Hyderabad | Hyderabad (Telangana) | 61.83 | TLR: 73.24 RPC: 44.59 GO: 78.52 OI: 63.01 Perception: 44.77 |
19 | Chandigarh University | Mohali (Punjab) | 61.27 | TLR: 65.11 RPC: 49.13 GO: 78.05 OI: 74.25 Perception: 39.74 |
20 | Anna University | Chennai (Tamil Nadu) | 61.22 | TLR: 62.63 RPC: 54.88 GO: 67.82 OI: 51.30 Perception: 72.83 |
21 | JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research | Mysuru (Karnataka) | 60.00 | TLR: 76.72 RPC: 35.68 GO: 71.51 OI: 79.49 Perception: 40.25 |
22 | Amity University | Gautam Budh Nagar (Uttar Pradesh) | 59.68 | TLR: 62.88 RPC: 55.83 GO: 74.32 OI: 63.12 Perception: 28.98 |
23 | Andhra University, Visakhapatnam | Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) | 59.20 | TLR: 75.27 RPC: 26.41 GO: 86.60 OI: 73.86 Perception: 39.85 |
24 | Symbiosis International | Pune (Maharashtra) | 59.16 | TLR: 73.49 RPC: 38.34 GO: 72.97 OI: 64.00 Perception: 46.23 |
25 | Kerala University | Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) | 59.05 | TLR: 71.19 RPC: 29.64 GO: 94.62 OI: 64.07 Perception: 34.73 |
26 | Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology (Deemed-to-be University) | Patiala (Punjab) | 58.87 | TLR: 68.42 RPC: 45.12 GO: 72.16 OI: 65.69 Perception: 37.95 |
26 | Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation University (KL College of Engineering) | Vaddeswaram (Andhra Pradesh) | 58.87 | TLR: 69.03 RPC: 45.33 GO: 73.12 OI: 66.74 Perception: 32.72 |
28 | Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education | Krishnan Koil (Tamil Nadu) | 58.37 | TLR: 70.43 RPC: 36.39 GO: 74.68 OI: 76.54 Perception: 37.29 |
29 | Shanmugha Arts Science Technology and Research Academy | Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu) | 58.06 | TLR: 71.76 RPC: 36.50 GO: 74.04 OI: 71.78 Perception: 35.92 |
30 | Osmania University | Hyderabad (Telangana) | 57.94 | TLR: 75.88 RPC: 27.86 GO: 86.93 OI: 57.17 Perception: 37.07 |
31 | Lovely Professional University | Phagwara (Punjab) | 57.77 | TLR: 58.10 RPC: 49.40 GO: 69.31 OI: 69.89 Perception: 46.72 |
32 | Cochin University of Science and Technology | Cochin (Kerala) | 57.55 | TLR: 72.74 RPC: 39.25 GO: 75.69 OI: 58.95 Perception: 29.22 |
33 | Gauhati University | Guwahati (Assam) | 57.37 | TLR: 73.43 RPC: 26.49 GO: 89.46 OI: 64.21 Perception: 30.84 |
34 | University of Kashmir | Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) | 57.13 | TLR: 74.05 RPC: 34.74 GO: 79.88 OI: 50.90 Perception: 34.25 |
35 | Panjab University | Chandigarh | 56.88 | TLR: 56.77 RPC: 41.58 GO: 80.37 OI: 65.25 Perception: 47.82 |
36 | Bharathidasan University | Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu) | 55.85 | TLR: 61.36 RPC: 40.81 GO: 83.97 OI: 51.54 Perception: 32.60 |
37 | Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University | Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) | 55.55 | TLR: 69.26 RPC: 23.93 GO: 80.92 OI: 80.25 Perception: 33.75 |
38 | University of Madras | Chennai (Tamil Nadu) | 55.23 | TLR: 69.12 RPC: 35.08 GO: 70.84 OI: 52.79 Perception: 45.23 |
39 | Calcutta University | Kolkata (West Bengal) | 55.17 | TLR: 64.81 RPC: 37.24 GO: 88.18 OI: 51.81 Perception: 17.35 |
40 | Institute of Chemical Technology | Mumbai (Maharashtra) | 55.13 | TLR: 59.08 RPC: 47.20 GO: 71.48 OI: 54.16 Perception: 35.24 |
41 | Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth | Pune (Maharashtra) | 54.90 | TLR: 74.43 RPC: 27.91 GO: 65.77 OI: 62.66 Perception: 47.82 |
42 | Delhi Technological University | New Delhi (Delhi) | 54.88 | TLR: 64.13 RPC: 41.43 GO: 71.27 OI: 56.21 Perception: 33.40 |
43 | Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam | Kottayam (Kerala) | 54.61 | TLR: 71.20 RPC: 34.03 GO: 71.68 OI: 54.33 Perception: 32.72 |
44 | Alagappa University | Karaikudi (Tamil Nadu) | 54.45 | TLR: 64.62 RPC: 33.07 GO: 73.27 OI: 55.96 Perception: 49.04 |
45 | UPES | Dehradun (Uttarakhand) | 54.44 | TLR: 62.97 RPC: 45.60 GO: 60.78 OI: 65.41 Perception: 31.66 |
46 | Bharathiar University | Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) | 54.42 | TLR: 57.60 RPC: 40.69 GO: 76.94 OI: 52.76 Perception: 42.57 |
47 | Jamia Hamdard | New Delhi (Delhi) | 54.10 | TLR: 64.66 RPC: 34.02 GO: 71.31 OI: 66.74 Perception: 35.63 |
48 | Graphic Era University | Dehradun (Uttarakhand) | 53.92 | TLR: 60.52 RPC: 41.01 GO: 62.97 OI: 63.43 Perception: 45.33 |
49 | Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research | Wardha (Maharashtra) | 53.91 | TLR: 68.47 RPC: 38.55 GO: 61.69 OI: 64.26 Perception: 30.28 |
50 | King George’s Medical University | Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) | 53.13 | TLR: 75.27 RPC: 30.37 GO: 62.46 OI: 60.52 Perception: 28.98 |