ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute

How is ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute ranked in 2026?

ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi is India's No.1 agricultural institution, holding Rank #1 in the NIRF Agriculture and Allied Sectors category in 2025 with a score of 89.23, the same top spot it held in 2024 (score 87.98). In a landmark first for 2026, IARI also entered the QS World University Rankings 2026, placed in the 151-200 global band for the Agriculture and Forestry subject (results released 25 March 2026). Beyond agriculture, IARI's NIRF 2025 scorecard reads #16 among Universities, #24 in the Overall category, #29 among Research institutions and #2 in the new SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) category, behind only IIT Madras. For an aspirant, the headline is simple: at the Pusa campus you are joining the highest-ranked agricultural research and education body in the country, now with global QS recognition as well.

The rest of this guide breaks down IARI's exact ranks year by year, traces how its NIRF Agriculture score has climbed, and positions it against peers such as NDRI Karnal and PAU Ludhiana so you can judge its standing precisely.

Year-Wise Rankings

The table below consolidates ICAR-IARI's verified ranks across the major ranking bodies and categories for 2024, 2025 and 2026. It answers the core question an applicant asks: where does IARI sit, in which category, and with what score? Read it body by body. The NIRF Agriculture row is the one that matters most for prospective M.Sc and Ph.D students, while the QS 2026 entry shows IARI's first appearance on a global league table. Scores are the NIRF composite scores out of 100; QS reports a band rather than a single number for subject rankings.

The takeaway is that IARI is not a one-category performer. Its #1 Agriculture rank is matched by genuine strength across general categories, finishing #16 among all Indian universities and #2 nationally on sustainability metrics in 2025. The 2026 QS debut in the 151-200 band confirms that this domestic dominance now carries international weight, making IARI one of only a handful of Indian institutions ranked globally for Agriculture and Forestry.

Ranking Trajectory of ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute

ICAR-IARI's trajectory is one of unbroken leadership combined with a steadily rising score. The institute has held NIRF Agriculture Rank #1 for three consecutive cycles, and its composite score has climbed each year. The table below tracks that score movement so you can see the improvement, not just the static rank.

What this signals is durability backed by real improvement. Holding Rank #1 from 2023 to 2025 while lifting the score from 83.16 to 89.23 means IARI is not coasting on reputation; it is widening the gap on parameters such as research output, graduation outcomes and perception. For 2025 specifically, IARI also improved by eight places among Research institutions compared with the previous year, and its #2 finish in the brand-new SDG category shows the institute moving early into emerging assessment areas rather than lagging them.

How ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute Compares

Against its closest peers, ICAR-IARI leads by a wide margin. In NIRF Agriculture 2025, IARI's 89.23 sits well clear of the institutions ranked second and third, underlining that the #1 position is decisive rather than narrow. The table below places IARI alongside the next two ranked agricultural institutions so you can see the size of the lead. Use the score gap, not just the rank order, to judge how dominant IARI's standing really is.

The roughly 13-point gap between IARI and both NDRI Karnal and PAU Ludhiana is unusually large in NIRF terms and confirms IARI as the clear benchmark in Indian agricultural education. On the global stage, IARI's QS 2026 entry in the 151-200 Agriculture and Forestry band puts it in the company of Banaras Hindu University, IIT Kharagpur and the University of Delhi among Indian institutions, a peer set that reaches beyond agriculture-only universities and reflects IARI's research breadth.