Aligarh Muslim University

How is Aligarh Muslim University ranked in 2026?

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is ranked #19 in the NIRF 2025 Overall category (score 63.76) and #10 among all universities in India (score 65.35), making it one of the strongest central universities in the country going into the 2026 admission cycle. Its single best discipline rank is NIRF Law #9 (score 65.82), placing AMU's Faculty of Law inside the national top ten. Globally, AMU sits in the QS World University Rankings 2026 band of #1001-1200 and in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings band of #601-800. In the India Today 2025 survey it was rated the 3rd best government/general university in India with a score of 1663.1. These figures position AMU as a top-20 multidisciplinary institution nationally, anchored by elite performances in Law and Medicine and consistently high university-category standing.

Year-Wise Rankings

The table below consolidates Aligarh Muslim University's verified rankings across the major national and global frameworks for 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. It answers the most common applicant question: where does AMU stand by category, and is the figure a precise rank or a band? Read the Rank column as a specific national position for NIRF (with the framework score alongside where published) and as a global band for QS and THE. Each row names the ranking body, the category and the relevant year so you can compare like with like.

The takeaways are clear. AMU's Law faculty is the headline strength, climbing from #14 (2023) to #12 (2024) to #9 (2025), the only AMU discipline now inside the national top ten. Its University-category rank has hovered in single-to-low-double digits (#9 in 2023, #8 in 2024, #10 in 2025), confirming durable elite standing. Engineering and Medical sit just outside the top 25-35 nationally, while Management at #69 is the weakest of AMU's ranked disciplines and the area most in need of improvement.

Ranking Trajectory of Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh Muslim University's trajectory is one of stability at the top end with a modest recent dip in the broadest categories. In the NIRF Overall list, AMU moved from #16 in 2024 to #19 in 2025, and in the University category from #8 in 2024 to #10 in 2025. These small slips reflect intensifying competition from newer IITs, IISERs and well-funded private universities rather than any decline in AMU's own output, since the university's NIRF scores remain high (Overall 63.76, University 65.35 in 2025).

The standout positive trend is Law. AMU's Faculty of Law rose three years running, from #14 (2023) to #12 (2024) to #9 (2025), a clear upward arc that pushed it into the national top ten with a 65.82 score. Engineering, by contrast, has drifted gently the other way, from #32 (2023) to #33 (2024) to #34 (2025), a narrow band that signals steady but not improving performance at the Zakir Husain College of Engineering and Technology. Medical eased from #27 (2024) to #29 (2025). On the global stage, AMU has held the QS #1001-1200 band consistently across 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026, and the THE #601-800 band across 2024, 2025 and 2026, indicating a stable rather than rising international profile. For an applicant, the signal is that AMU is a settled top-20 national institution whose Law programme is on a clear rise.

How Aligarh Muslim University Compares

Among India's central and government universities, Aligarh Muslim University ranks just behind the very top tier. In the India Today 2025 survey it placed 3rd among government/general universities with a score of 1663.1, trailing only the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). On the NIRF 2025 University list, AMU's #10 sits below peers such as JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia and Banaras Hindu University (BHU), but its overall #19 keeps it comfortably inside the national top 20 across all institution types, ahead of many standalone colleges and private universities.

The table below contrasts AMU's 2025 NIRF positions with its own performance across categories to show where it leads and where it lags relative to the national field. It answers the question an aspirant actually asks: which AMU faculty competes nationally, and which is mid-pack? Read each row as AMU's national rank in that discipline, with the published NIRF score showing the gap to the leaders.

The comparison shows AMU is a multidisciplinary heavyweight rather than a single-subject specialist: it fields seven NIRF-ranked categories in 2025, with Law and University standing strongest and Management the clear outlier. For an aspirant, this means AMU is an excellent choice for Law, medical sciences (the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College) and humanities-led university programmes, while applicants targeting top-tier management or engineering should weigh AMU's #69 and #34 ranks against dedicated IIMs and IITs.