The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 results are out! Announced by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, on September 4, 2025, the rankings once again showcase India’s top-performing institutions across multiple categories.
This year, IIT Madras has retained its Number 1 spot in the Overall and Engineering categories, while the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru has secured the top position in the University rankings. The rankings serve as a trusted guide for lakhs of students and parents to make informed decisions about higher education.
In this article, let’s explore the highlights, category-wise rankings, methodology, and the importance of NIRF Rankings 2025.
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
City: Chennai
State: Tamil Nadu
Score: 88.72 | Rank: 1
IIT Madras Opening & Closing Rank
| Institute | Academic Program Name | Quota | Seat Type | Gender | Opening Rank | Closing Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Aerospace Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 662 | 3211 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Aerospace Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Female-only (including Supernumerary) | 4535 | 5512 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Aerospace Engineering (5 Years, Bachelor and Master of Technology (Dual Degree)) | AI | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 2304 | 2808 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Aerospace Engineering (5 Years, Bachelor and Master of Technology (Dual Degree)) | AI | OPEN | Female-only (including Supernumerary) | 16 | 16 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 102 | 306 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Female-only (including Supernumerary) | 778 | 1140 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Biological Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 4097 | 5261 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Biological Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Female-only (including Supernumerary) | 7509 | 8978 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Biological Science (4 Years, Bachelor of Science) | AI | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 3268 | 10290 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Biological Science (4 Years, Bachelor of Science) | AI | OPEN | Female-only (including Supernumerary) | 8718 | 15727 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Chemical Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 2634 | 4116 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Chemical Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Female-only (including Supernumerary) | 3252 | 7546 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Civil Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 4356 | 6112 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Civil Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Female-only (including Supernumerary) | 8877 | 11902 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Computational Engineering and Mechanics (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 597 | 1309 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Computational Engineering and Mechanics (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Female-only (including Supernumerary) | 4035 | 4564 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Computer Science and Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 79 | 171 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Computer Science and Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Female-only (including Supernumerary) | 389 | 866 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Electrical Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 205 | 849 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Electrical Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Female-only (including Supernumerary) | 958 | 2848 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Engineering Design (5 Years, Bachelor and Master of Technology (Dual Degree)) | AI | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 816 | 3380 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Engineering Design (5 Years, Bachelor and Master of Technology (Dual Degree)) | AI | OPEN | Female-only (including Supernumerary) | 4903 | 7751 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Engineering Physics (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 872 | 1441 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Engineering Physics (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Female-only (including Supernumerary) | 2907 | 4367 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Instrumentation and Biomedical Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 2733 | 4366 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Instrumentation and Biomedical Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Female-only (including Supernumerary) | 5888 | 7756 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Mechanical Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 868 | 2468 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Mechanical Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Female-only (including Supernumerary) | 5027 | 6369 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Metallurgical and Materials Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 4369 | 5499 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Metallurgical and Materials Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Female-only (including Supernumerary) | 9357 | 11404 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 4908 | 7433 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering (4 Years, Bachelor of Technology) | AI | OPEN | Female-only (including Supernumerary) | 12655 | 14878 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Physics (4 Years, Bachelor of Science) | AI | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 1642 | 3804 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Physics (4 Years, Bachelor of Science) | AI | OPEN | Female-only (including Supernumerary) | 14665 | 15596 |
What is NIRF?
The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) was launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Education to evaluate higher education institutions in India. The ranking is conducted every year across multiple categories, including:
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Overall
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Universities
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Colleges
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Engineering
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Management
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Pharmacy
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Architecture
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Medical
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Law
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Research Institutions
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Innovation
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And newly added categories like Open Universities, Skill Universities, State-Funded Government Universities, and Sustainability Rankings.
These rankings are based on scientific parameters that assess teaching, learning, research, inclusivity, and perception.
NIRF Ranking 2025 Highlights
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IIT Madras: Retains Rank 1 Overall and in Engineering for the 7th and 10th consecutive years, respectively.
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IISc Bengaluru: Tops the University rankings for its world-class research and academic ecosystem.
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Hindu College, Delhi: Ranked 1st among colleges, followed by Miranda House.
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AIIMS Delhi: Continues to lead in the Medical category.
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Introduction of a new Sustainability Rankings category in 2025, assessing institutions’ contribution to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives.
NIRF Overall Rankings 2025
| Rank | Institution Name | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras | Chennai |
| 2 | Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru | Bengaluru |
| 3 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay | Mumbai |
| 4 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi | New Delhi |
| 5 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur | Kanpur |
| 6 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur | Kharagpur |
| 7 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee | Roorkee |
| 8 | All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi | New Delhi |
| 9 | Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) | New Delhi |
| 10 | Banaras Hindu University (BHU) | Varanasi |
Key Insight: IITs continue to dominate the Overall rankings, highlighting their stronghold in engineering, research, and innovation.
NIRF University Rankings 2025
| Rank | University Name | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru | Bengaluru |
| 2 | Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) | New Delhi |
| 3 | Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) | Manipal |
| 4 | Jamia Millia Islamia | New Delhi |
| 5 | University of Delhi | New Delhi |
| 6 | Banaras Hindu University (BHU) | Varanasi |
| 7 | Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS) | Pilani |
| 8 | Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | Coimbatore |
| 9 | Jadavpur University | Kolkata |
| 10 | Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) | Aligarh |
Key Insight: Public universities like IISc, JNU, DU, and BHU remain strong, while private players like MAHE and BITS Pilani also feature prominently.
NIRF College Rankings 2025
| Rank | College Name | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hindu College | Delhi |
| 2 | Miranda House | Delhi |
| 3 | Hans Raj College | Delhi |
| 4 | Kirori Mal College | Delhi |
| 5 | St. Stephen’s College | Delhi |
| 6 | Rama Krishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College | Kolkata |
| 7 | Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College | Delhi |
| 8 | St. Xavier’s College | Kolkata |
| 9 | PSGR Krishnammal College for Women | Coimbatore |
| 10 | PSG College of Arts and Science | Coimbatore |
Key Insight: Delhi colleges continue to dominate the top 5 positions, showcasing their academic excellence and competitive student environment.
NIRF Engineering Rankings 2025
| Rank | Institution Name | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras | Chennai |
| 2 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi | New Delhi |
| 3 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay | Mumbai |
| 4 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur | Kanpur |
| 5 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur | Kharagpur |
| 6 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee | Roorkee |
| 7 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad | Hyderabad |
| 8 | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati | Guwahati |
| 9 | National Institute of Technology (NIT) Tiruchirappalli | Trichy |
| 10 | Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi | Varanasi |
Key Insight: IIT Madras maintains a decade-long dominance in Engineering rankings, while NIT Trichy stands tall as the only NIT in the top 10.
New Categories in NIRF Ranking 2025
The NIRF 2025 introduced the Sustainability Rankings, assessing institutions on their commitment to:
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Environmental conservation
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Green campus initiatives
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Social inclusion policies
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Ethical governance
Additionally, the Open Universities, Skill Universities, and State-Funded Government Universities categories (introduced in 2024) continue to feature, ensuring inclusivity across India’s diverse education system.
How Are NIRF Rankings Calculated?
The NIRF framework uses five broad parameters to assess institutions:
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Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR):
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Faculty-student ratio
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Faculty qualifications
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Learning resources
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This year includes Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) courses.
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Research and Professional Practice (RP):
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Publications
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Research quality
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Patents and innovation output
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Graduation Outcomes (GO):
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Placement records
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Higher studies data
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Student performance in exams
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Outreach & Inclusivity (OI):
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Gender diversity
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Representation of disadvantaged groups
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Regional inclusivity
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Perception (PR):
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Employer reputation
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Peer perception
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Alumni feedback
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Why Are NIRF Rankings Important?
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For Students: Helps them choose the right institution based on transparent data.
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For Parents: Provides confidence in making career investments for their children.
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For Institutions: Acts as a benchmark to improve academic and research quality.
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For Recruiters: Highlights institutions with strong academic and research output.
Key Trends in NIRF Ranking 2025
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IIT Madras’s Legacy: Number 1 in Overall and Engineering for 10 consecutive years.
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Rise of Private Universities: MAHE and BITS Pilani show strong competition against public universities.
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Delhi Colleges’ Dominance: Hindu College and Miranda House consistently among the best.
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Sustainability Matters: Institutions are now being evaluated on green initiatives and ESG practices.
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Medical & Research Growth: AIIMS and IISc reinforce India’s global reputation in medicine and research.
Conclusion
The NIRF Ranking 2025 reaffirms India’s academic strengths, with IIT Madras, IISc Bengaluru, and Hindu College leading in their respective categories. These rankings provide a transparent, reliable, and data-driven roadmap for students and parents making crucial educational choices.
As the higher education landscape continues to evolve, the introduction of new categories like Sustainability Rankings showcases the government’s commitment to holistic evaluation. Whether you’re aspiring for Engineering, Medicine, Management, or Research, the NIRF 2025 list serves as your ultimate guide.
