US News & World Report 2025 Global Rankings: Harvard Topped;  IISc Bangalore tops among Indian Universities

In June 2025, the United States(U.S) News & World Report,an American media company, has released its 11th Best Global Universities Rankings. Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore(Karnataka) secured the 633rd position globally with a score of 48.4 and placed 181st in Asia, emerging as the highest-ranked Indian institution, reaffirming its status as India’s premier research university.

• Harvard University (United States of America, USA) retained its 1st position globally with a score of 100, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA at 2nd with a score of 97.2, and Stanford University in the USA) at 3rd with a score of 94.5.
• University of Oxford(United Kingdom, UK) and the University of Cambridge(UK) secured 4th and 5th position, respectively.

About Best Global Universities Rankings 2025-26:

i.The report, developed in collaboration with Clarivate, headquartered in Pennsylvania, USA, assesses 2,250 universities spanning more than 100 countries.

• The 2025–26 edition includes rankings for 56 countries, an increase from 55 in the 2024–25 edition, indicating broader global representation.

ii.The rankings are based on 13 performance indicators that focus heavily on research output and academic reputation. It includes global and regional reputation scores, publication volumes, citation impact, and subject-specific research strength.

iii.The rankings span 51 academic subjects, with eight fields, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Engineering, Gastroenterology, which witness an expanded list of institutions in 2025. Each subject ranking is uniquely weighted based on research performance within the respective fields.

Key Highlights:

Global Performance:

i.USA dominated the top 10 rankings, with the University of California, Berkeley (USA) at 6th, University of Washington, Seattle (USA) at 8th, Yale University (USA) at 9th, and Columbia University (USA) at 10th. The only exception was the 7th rank, held by a UK institution, University College London (UK).

i.Harvard University, continues to dominate globally, securing the top rank across multiple disciplines. It holds first place in fields such as immunology, microbiology, oncology, neuroscience, psychiatry/psychology, molecular biology and genetics, and economics and business.

• Columbia University secures the top rank in meterology and atmospheric sciences and performs strongly in economics and business.

ii.China leads the list with 397 universities, followed by the USA with 280 universities, India (118), Japan (104), and the United Kingdom (UK) (93).

Top 5 Global Universities Ranking:

Top 5 Asian University Rankings:

Performance of Indian Universities:

i.India holds 5.2% (118) of all ranked institutions, reflecting its growing emphasis on research, international collaboration, and academic excellence. Indian Universities, led by the Bengaluru (Karnataka) based Indian Institute of Science (IISc)- Bangalore and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), are increasingly recognized for their scientific output and global relevance.

ii.IIT Madras(Chennai, Tamil Nadu, TN) ranks second among Indian institutions and is placed 641st globally and 185th in Asia.

iii.The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) based in Mumbai(Maharashtra) has ranked third in India, 660th globally and placed 189th in Asia.

• It is highly regarded for its high-impact research, particularly in physics and mathematics. It has a focused Post Graduate(PG) and Doctorate-level structure and contributes significantly to scientific output of India.

Top 5 Indian Universities Ranking: