The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024 results were released by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, reaffirming the dominance of premier Indian institutions. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras once again emerged as the top educational institution in the country, clinching the number one spot for the sixth consecutive year since 2019.
In the highly anticipated rankings, IIT Madras also retained its top position in the engineering category for the ninth straight year since 2016, showcasing its continued excellence in technical education. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, upheld its status as the leading institution under both the universities and research categories, a title it has held since 2016 and 2021, respectively.
This year, The NIRF rankings included 16 categories, expanding from last year’s 13, with new categories for open universities, skill universities, and State public universities. This expansion reflects the growing diversity and specialisation in Indian higher education.
Union Minister Pradhan, during the announcement, hinted at a new criterion for future rankings: sustainability. This potential inclusion underscores the increasing importance of environmental and social governance in the academic sector.
Among management institutes, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad remained unchallenged at the top, marking its fifth consecutive year as the best management school since 2020. In medical sciences, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, continued its reign as the top institution for the seventh consecutive year.
Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, emerged as the premier institution for pharmacy, while Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, was recognised as the best college for dental science. IIT Bombay was named the best ‘innovational institution,’ followed by IIT Madras and IIT Delhi, further solidifying IIT’s reputation for cutting-edge research and development.
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In the engineering category, IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay followed IIT Madras, securing the second and third spots, respectively. For management, IIM Bangalore and IIM Kozhikode were ranked just behind IIM Ahmedabad.
Colleges from New Delhi dominated the rankings in the colleges category, with Hindu College and Miranda House leading the pack. IIT Roorkee maintained its first position in architecture and planning for the fourth year in a row, while the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, was once again named the best law school, marking its seventh consecutive year at the top.
The NIRF rankings continue to be a key benchmark for assessing the performance and prestige of Indian educational institutions, guiding students and stakeholders in making informed decisions about higher education. This year’s rankings highlight the consistent performance of India’s top institutions and the government’s commitment to broadening the scope of academic evaluation with the potential inclusion of sustainability as a ranking criterion in the future.
