The prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has once again secured the number one position in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025, retaining its top spot in both the overall and engineering categories. This marks the seventh consecutive year that IIT Madras has been ranked as the best overall institution in India, and it has topped the engineering rankings for a full decade since the inception of NIRF in 2016.
The Ministry of Education announced the 10th edition of the rankings on Thursday (September 4). Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan released India Rankings 2025.
IISc Bengaluru leads the Best University Category
While IIT Madras dominated the overall and engineering segments, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru was declared the best university in the country for 2025. IISc Bengaluru was followed by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Manipal Academy of Higher Education in the university rankings.
Check the full list of NIRF Rankings-
Overall NIRF India Rankings 2025-
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras
- Indian Institute of Science
- Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
- Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
- Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
- Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
- Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi
- Jawaharlal Nehru University
- Banaras Hindu University
Expanded ranking parameters reflect new education priorities
The 2025 NIRF rankings incorporated new evaluation criteria aligned with sustainable development goals and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, including the adoption of Indian Knowledge Systems and regional languages. Rankings were released across 16 categories, reflecting India’s diverse higher education landscape.
IITs dominate engineering rankings with consistent excellence
The IITs continue to demonstrate dominance in engineering education, with IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi securing the next top spots after IIT Madras. The NIRF’s robust methodology evaluates institutions on teaching quality, research output, graduation outcomes, inclusivity, and perception, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of educational excellence.
Significance of NIRF Rankings
The NIRF rankings have become the benchmark for academic quality and institutional performance in India, helping students, policymakers, and stakeholders make informed decisions. IIT Madras’s continued top performance highlights its commitment to innovation, research, and quality education. The NIRF was first introduced in 2015 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (now Ministry of Education) to provide a transparent and comprehensive framework for evaluating higher education institutions across the country.