- IISc Bangalore is the only Indian institute to rank under 100 in the Computer Science subject category, followed by Amity University at the 251-300 slot, Jamia Millia Islamia at the 301-400 belt.
Indian institutions make a limited mark in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by Subject 2026, released today. While the US and UK continue to dominate the global list, the 2026 data shows China strengthening its presence in computer science, engineering, and physical sciences, as per a statement by THE.
In contrast to China and Singapore, India’s footprint at the top remains modest. IISc Bangalore is the only Indian institute to rank under 100 in the Computer Science subject category, followed by Amity University at the 251-300 slot, Jamia Millia Islamia at the 301-400 belt.
Other than IISc, no other Indian universities appear in the top 100 of the subject rankings across the 11 disciplines assessed this year. India also continues to lag behind several Asian peers — including China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea — in converting research scale into top-tier global subject rankings.
However, India has made gains in research output and international collaboration, but these have yet to translate into consistent top-50 or top-20 subject-level performance.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) emerged as the most dominant institution globally, topping three subject rankings — Arts and Humanities, Business and Economics, and Social Sciences. The US secured first place in eight of the 11 subjects, while the UK led three, including Psychology, where the University of Cambridge reclaimed the top spot for the first time since 2022.
China, however, was the standout Asian performer, as per THE. It claimed seven top-10 positions across subjects, up from four last year. Peking University entered the computer science top 10 for the first time, while Tsinghua University made its debut in the physical sciences top 10. Asian universities also marked a milestone in Business and Economics, with three institutions — Tsinghua University, Peking University, and the National University of Singapore (NUS) — now in the top 10.
Top 10 Engineering subject universities in India in 2026
The rankings assess universities across 11 subject areas using THE’s flagship methodology, which evaluates 18 performance indicators spanning teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook.
Phil Baty, chief global affairs officer at Times Higher Education, said the data offered “further evidence of an emerging new world order”, with Western dominance being “steadily challenged by the rapidly rising powers of East Asia”.
China’s rise, in particular, offers a stark contrast. The country now has 77 universities in the global top 100s across subjects, up from 72 last year, reflecting long-term state investment in research universities and strategic disciplines.
The THE World University Rankings by Subject 2026 use the same 18 indicators as the overall world rankings, recalibrated for each discipline. Institutions must meet discipline-specific thresholds for research output and academic staff to be included.
