(Photo: IIT Delhi)

New Delhi: The latest QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, announced on Wednesday (March 25, 2026), show that several major IIT Delhi engineering and technology subjects have registered remarkable improvement in their world rankings and emerged as global top 50 subjects. Moreover, IIT Delhi continues to be the top Indian institute in the Engineering & Technology category with a global rank of 36.

Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Chemical Engineering, and Civil Engineering, have ranked among the world’s top 50 subjects, according to the QS Subject Rankings 2026. In 2025, Electrical Engineering was the only subject among the top 50.

In the 2026 rankings, Electrical Engineering secured the highest rank, i.e., 36, followed by Mechanical Engineering (44), Computer Science (45), Chemical Engineering (48), and Civil Engineering (50). All five subjects have significantly improved their 2026 rankings since last year.

2025 Rankings: Electrical (47), Mechanical (61), Computer Science (64), Chemical (93), and Civil (51-100).

Speaking about the rankings, Prof. Somnath Baidya Roy, Dean (Planning), and Head, Ranking Cell, IIT Delhi, said “IIT Delhi provides world-class, affordable education to students who go on to become leaders in academia, industry, business, and government. Even though rankings do not capture the entire gamut of our activities, they are definitely an acknowledgement of the hard work we put in.”

Speaking about the subject ranking secured by Electrical Engineering, the Head of the Department, Prof. Shankar Prakriya, said, “The improved QS international ranking of the Electrical Engineering department reflects our strong growth trajectory. We are making rapid progress in certain thrust areas that we have identified. With modernized curricula, upgraded laboratories, new initiatives like a PG Diploma in VLSI design and a student innovation lab supported by one of our alums, we are fostering innovation and excellence. These efforts position us well for sustained growth in the years ahead.”

Dr. P.M.V Subbarao, HoD, Mechanical Engineering, said, “The improved ranking is a reflection of our unwavering commitment to engineering excellence. Fundamentally, we continued what we have been doing and simultaneously pioneered AI-integrated technologies—which gives us the confidence that we are on a progressive track, and ranks follow the good work we do. The department made a remarkable contribution to JATC funded by the DRDO. Our contribution to socially relevant and sustainable technologies has always been strong, through RuTAG and other initiatives.

Prof. Naveen Garg, HoD, Computer Science and Engineering, said, “The Computer Science department continues to attract exceptionally talented young faculty and student researchers, strengthening its academic environment and reinforcing its position among the country's most sought-after CS departments. Recent curriculum reforms have added flexibility in academic programmes without compromising rigor, and ongoing investments in computing infrastructure further enhance our capabilities, positioning us well towards our goal of becoming a top 30 computer science department globally by 2030.”

Prof. Anurag Rathore, HoD, Chemical Engineering, IIT Delhi, said, “With Rs 40+ Cr industrial funding received over the last 5 years, a 75% increase in patents granted, and a 50% increase in peer-reviewed publications, the Chemical Engineering department has consistently ranked as one of the nation's most distinguished departments. Our CoEs, startups, and global initiatives further underscore our impact. We aim to create affordable and sustainable technology solutions that address healthcare, energy, environmental, and materials needs of the nation and the world.”

Prof. Vasant Matsagar, HoD, Civil and Environmental Engineering, said, “We have completely revamped courses to include the latest technologies, such as, construction automation and robotics, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) / drone technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and geomatics. The faculty colleagues in the department have been executing high-valued sponsored research projects to devise new practices for achieving sustainability in climate-sensitive infrastructure development while ensuring disaster resilience.”

According to the latest QS subject rankings, twelve major IIT Delhi subjects within the broad subject areas of Engineering and Technology, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences & Management have notably secured a place in the top 100 list.

Engineering and Technology: Data Science and AI (Rank: 51-100), Mineral & Mining (51-100) (plus five subjects in top 50)

Natural Sciences: Environmental Sciences (78), Materials Science (64), Mathematics (86),

Social Sciences & Management: Business & Management Studies (71), Statistics & Operational Research (51-100)

IIT Delhi, India’s premier engineering and research institute and one of the top STEM institutions in the world, which is in the top 50 global institutions in the Engineering and Technology category, is also listed among the top 100 world institutions in the Natural Sciences (91st) and Social Sciences and Management (84th) categories.

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