The Indian Institute of Science has emerged as India’s highest-ranked university in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027, placing 254th globally in results released on September 30.
The IISc THE ranking 2027 places the Bengaluru research institution ahead of every other Indian entry. Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences followed in the 326–350 band, while Shoolini University was placed in the 451–500 band.
IISc THE ranking 2027: India’s leading entries
Times Higher Education’s institution page lists IISc at joint 254th in the new world ranking. The Indian Express reported an overall score of 57.0 for IISc, with its strongest performance in research environment at 98.0. Its reported scores included 62.1 for teaching and 58.6 for research quality.
Jamia Millia Islamia and KIIT University were both placed in the 501–550 band. The Indian Express said 143 Indian universities featured in the ranking, making India the most represented Asian country for a second consecutive year.
The rankings assess research-intensive universities across teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook and industry links. Because institutions below some positions are grouped into bands, their placement should not be read as an exact rank within that range.
Asia gains ground in the global table
The 2027 edition covers 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories, according to Times Higher Education. The publisher said Asian institutions resumed their rise in the table and, collectively, moved ahead of universities in continental Europe at the upper end of the ranking.
China’s Tsinghua University rose to 11th place, becoming the highest-ranked institution in Asia and moving ahead of ETH Zurich. Peking University held 13th place, while the National University of Singapore moved to 15th. Times Higher Education said this was the first edition with three Asian universities in the global top 15.
Oxford retains first place
The University of Oxford remained first globally for an 11th consecutive year. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was second, while Princeton University and Stanford University shared third place. The University of Cambridge completed the top five.
For Indian students and institutions, IISc’s position provides a clear benchmark but also shows the distance separating India’s leading university from the global top 200. The broader list nevertheless records a substantial Indian presence across the ranking.
