Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

How is Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur ranked in 2026?

In 2026, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur is ranked #215 globally in the QS World University Rankings 2026, having climbed 7 places from its previous standing, and it sits 4th among all Indian institutions in that table. On the subject side, IIT Kharagpur is ranked #64 worldwide in QS Engineering & Technology 2026 with a score of 77.90, and #77 in the QS Asian University Rankings 2026. Its most recent official domestic benchmark, NIRF 2025, places IIT Kharagpur 5th in Engineering (score 78.69) and 6th Overall (score 73.99), confirming its position in India's top tier of technical institutes.

Taken together, these results show that Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur is firmly inside the global top 215 and the Indian top 6 across both engineering-specific and overall measures. The institute's standout 2026 result is the QS Engineering & Technology rank of #64, which is its strongest single ranking and the figure prospective engineers should weigh most heavily when judging the college against international peers.

Year-Wise Rankings

The table below consolidates every verified ranking for Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur across 2024, 2025 and 2026, drawn from QS, NIRF and India Today. It answers the core question an applicant asks: how does this institute score with each major ranking body, in which category, and what exact rank and score did it earn each year? Read it row by row, noting that QS measures global or Asia/India standing while NIRF and India Today are India-focused, so a number near the top (like #5 or #6) in NIRF reflects national standing rather than world standing.

The clearest takeaway is upward movement on the domestic front: Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur improved from #6 to #5 in NIRF Engineering between 2024 and 2025, and from #6 to #5 in India Today Engineering over the same period. On the QS India Overall measure it rose from #4 in the 2025 cycle to a leading Indian position, while its global QS Engineering & Technology rank of #64 in 2026 is its most competitive international showing. For an aspirant, the consistency of top-6 placements across three different bodies signals durable, broad-based strength rather than a one-off result.

Ranking Trajectory of Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

The trajectory of Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur over 2024 to 2026 is one of steady improvement on the metrics that matter most to engineering applicants. In QS World University Rankings 2026 the institute climbed 7 places to #215 globally, its sharpest visible gain, and that lift placed it 4th in India overall. The momentum is not limited to QS: in NIRF Engineering it advanced from #6 in 2025 (relative to its 2024 score of 84.20) to #5 in 2025 with a score of 78.69, and India Today's engineering survey mirrored that step from #6 in 2024 (85.80 score noted as 85.90) to #5 in 2025 (86.80).

What this signals is an institute consolidating its place in India's top five for engineering while simultaneously raising its global profile. The 7-place jump in the QS World ranking suggests improving performance on internationally weighted indicators such as research citations, employer reputation and academic reputation. The #64 world rank in QS Engineering & Technology 2026, paired with the #77 QS Asia 2026 position, shows Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur is recognised more strongly for its core engineering disciplines than for its broad overall standing, which is exactly the pattern a focused technical university would want to demonstrate.

How Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur Compares

Among Indian institutions, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur ranks 4th in India in QS World University Rankings 2026 at #215 globally, behind the small cluster of IITs and IISc that lead the national table, and it holds 5th in Engineering and 6th Overall in NIRF 2025. The table below positions IIT Kharagpur against its own verified ranks across the major bodies so applicants can see where the institute is strongest. It answers the question of which ranking carries IIT Kharagpur highest and which categories it leads.

The comparison shows that Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur's most elite category nationally is Architecture & Planning, where it ranks 3rd in NIRF 2025, alongside a 5th-place finish in Research that underlines its scholarly output. Against peer IITs, its #64 QS Engineering & Technology 2026 rank keeps it competitive at the global engineering level, while its 4th-in-India QS World 2026 position confirms it as one of the country's leading multidisciplinary technical universities. Applicants comparing options should note that IIT Kharagpur's breadth, spanning engineering, research and architecture, is a distinguishing strength rather than a single high rank in one list.