Universities in the world top 500
Counts how many of a country's universities sit in the top 500 of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, which scores institutions on teaching, research environment, research quality, industry links and international outlook. It is a rough gauge of how many Indian institutions compete at a global research level, which matters for attracting talent, funding and students. In the 2027 edition (published September 2026) India had 3 universities in the top 500, against 36 for China and 96 for the United States.
Latest
3
Published by
Times Higher Education (THE)
Published 30 Sep 2026; new banding this edition: precise ranks for the top 300, then 25-wide and 50-wide bands down to 500
Universities in the world top 500 over time
View as table
| Period | Universities in the world top 500 |
|---|---|
| 2027 | 3 |
| 2026 | 4 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2016-2017 | 5 |
| 2015-2016 | 5 |
Compared with
Source
Times Higher Education (THE) — https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings