Institute of Chemical Technology

Rankings Overview: Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai

The Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, a deemed-to-be university established in 1933 and granted Elite Status by the Government of Maharashtra, is one of India's most respected institutions for chemical engineering, chemical technology and pharmaceutical sciences. Its reputation is reflected consistently in national and international ranking frameworks. The single most important number for prospective students to note is ICT's NIRF Pharmacy 2025 rank of #6 with a score of 74.77, which places it among the top six pharmacy institutions in the entire country. The institute also performs strongly in Engineering, University and Research categories, and features in the QS World University Rankings Asia. This section presents ICT Mumbai's exact, verified ranking figures, tracks the year-on-year movement, and benchmarks the institute against peer institutions so that students can make an informed admission decision.

NIRF Rankings 2025 (National Institutional Ranking Framework)

The NIRF, published by the Ministry of Education, is the official Government of India ranking and the most authoritative reference point for Indian students. ICT Mumbai is ranked across five NIRF categories in 2025. The table below lists the institute's exact rank and disclosed score in each.

The standout result is the Pharmacy rank of #6, where ICT's score of 74.77 sits within striking distance of the institutions ranked immediately above it. The Engineering rank of #41 (score 57.96) and the University rank of #40 (score 55.13) confirm that ICT is a strong specialist institution rather than a sprawling multi-disciplinary university, which is consistent with its tight focus on chemical sciences, engineering and pharmacy. The Research Institutions rank of #41 underlines the institute's heavy emphasis on patents, publications and PhD output.

What the NIRF scores tell prospective students

NIRF scores are built from five broad parameters: Teaching, Learning and Resources; Research and Professional Practice; Graduation Outcomes; Outreach and Inclusivity; and Perception. ICT's relatively higher scores in the specialist Pharmacy category reflect its strength in research intensity and faculty quality, both of which are areas where a focused institute can outscore larger general universities. Students aiming for pharmaceutical sciences, drug discovery or chemical engineering research should weigh the #6 Pharmacy position heavily, as it is among the best in India for these disciplines.

NIRF Year-on-Year Movement (2024 vs 2025)

Comparing 2024 and 2025 helps students understand the trajectory of the institute. The table below shows the change across the categories where verified data is available.

ICT slipped slightly across these categories between 2024 and 2025, including a drop of 8 places in the Overall category (from #56 to #64) and a one-position move in Pharmacy (from #5 to #6). It is important to read these shifts in context: NIRF rankings are highly competitive, and small score differences can translate into several rank positions as more institutions participate and improve. A Pharmacy rank that moved only from #5 to #6 indicates that ICT has retained its elite standing in its core strength area. For historical perspective, ICT was ranked #28 in Overall and #18 in Engineering in NIRF 2022, and #24 in Engineering in NIRF 2023, so the institute has long featured in the upper tier of national rankings.

QS World University Rankings: Asia

On the international front, ICT Mumbai features in the QS World University Rankings Asia, one of the most widely cited global ranking systems. The table below shows ICT's verified QS Asia positions.

ICT moved from #336 in QS Asia 2025 to #421 in QS Asia 2026. As with NIRF, the wider QS Asia pool has expanded and become more competitive each year, with a growing number of Asian universities entering the rankings, which pushes band positions lower even when an institution maintains stable performance. QS Asia weighs factors such as academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, international research network, citations per paper and staff with a PhD. For a specialist institute like ICT, the international research network and citations metrics are particularly relevant given its research-heavy profile.

Comparative Analysis: NIRF Pharmacy 2025 Peer Group

Rankings are most useful when read alongside comparable institutions. Because ICT's strongest and most distinctive result is its #6 Pharmacy ranking, the most meaningful comparison is against the other institutions in the NIRF Pharmacy 2025 top six. The table below places ICT alongside its direct peers with their verified scores.

This comparison is revealing. ICT's Pharmacy score of 74.77 is less than one point behind NIPER Hyderabad (75.64) at #5 and within about 1.4 points of both JSS College of Pharmacy (76.14) and Panjab University (76.39). In other words, the gap separating ICT at #6 from the institutions at #3, #4 and #5 is narrow, which means ICT is competitive with the very best pharmacy institutions in the country. The clear leaders are Jamia Hamdard (86.59) and BITS Pilani (82.28), which sit in a higher score band. For a student choosing a pharmacy or pharmaceutical sciences programme, ICT Mumbai therefore offers an education on par with the national elite, with the added advantage of being located in Mumbai, a major pharmaceutical and chemical industry hub.

How ICT compares in Engineering

In the NIRF Engineering 2025 category, ICT's rank of #41 (score 57.96) sits below the IITs, NITs and a handful of leading deemed universities that dominate the top 40. However, ICT's engineering strength is concentrated in chemical engineering and chemical technology, areas where it is widely regarded as one of the best in India and is often considered comparable to the chemical engineering departments of the top IITs. Students should therefore interpret the #41 overall engineering rank in light of ICT's specialist focus rather than treating it as a general-engineering comparison.

Rankings by Other Bodies

Beyond NIRF and QS, ICT Mumbai also appears in rankings published by Indian media houses and global agencies, which add further perspective. In The Week's 2024 college rankings, ICT Mumbai was placed 14th among the institutions surveyed in its category. ICT has also historically featured in Outlook's rankings of leading Indian colleges. On the global stage, in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, ICT has been ranked in the 101-150 band for Chemical Engineering and in the 251-300 band for Pharmacy and Pharmacology in recent editions, reflecting genuine international recognition in its core disciplines. India Today and Outlook publish annual surveys in which ICT is regularly listed among the country's top technical and pharmacy institutions, though students should always cross-check the latest edition figures directly on each publisher's website, as methodology and the set of participating institutions change every year.

Key Takeaways for Aspiring Students

For students researching ICT Mumbai for admission, the ranking picture can be summarised as follows. The institute is a national leader in Pharmacy, holding NIRF rank #6 in 2025 with a score of 74.77, only narrowly behind the institutions ranked third, fourth and fifth. It is a strong performer in the University (#40) and Engineering (#41) categories, where its specialist focus on chemical engineering and technology gives it a reputation that exceeds what a single rank number conveys. It maintains an international footprint through the QS World University Rankings Asia, ranked #421 in 2026. While ICT saw modest downward movement in some categories between 2024 and 2025, it has consistently remained within the elite tier of Indian higher education for decades. For applicants targeting chemical engineering, chemical technology, pharmaceutical sciences or research-oriented careers, ICT Mumbai's rankings confirm that it is one of the most credible and competitive choices in the country, particularly given its deep ties to the chemical and pharmaceutical industries clustered around Mumbai.

Note: Ranking figures are based on the most recently published NIRF (2024 and 2025) and QS Asia (2025 and 2026) results. Rankings are revised annually, so students should verify the latest editions on the official NIRF (nirfindia.org) and QS (topuniversities.com) websites before finalising admission decisions.