Shivaji University

How is Shivaji University ranked in 2026?

In 2026, Shivaji University, Kolhapur is ranked #254 in the QS World University Rankings: Southern Asia 2026, and it holds Rank #45 (score 51.80) among State Public Universities in the NIRF 2025, India's most recent national results. These two figures are the headline numbers an aspirant should anchor to: a top-50 standing among India's government-run state universities and a place inside the top 260 of the QS Southern Asia regional table. The Kolhapur-based university, established in 1962 and named after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is accredited by NAAC with an A++ grade and a CGPA of 3.52 out of 4 (Cycle 4, awarded 2021), which underpins its ranking credentials. In the broader NIRF University category, Shivaji University sits in the 151-200 band for 2025. Below, every ranking is laid out year by year so you can judge both where Shivaji University stands today and the direction it is moving.

Year-Wise Rankings

The table below consolidates Shivaji University's verified rankings across the two frameworks that matter most for a government state university: the NIRF (which ranks it nationally as a State Public University and within the all-India University category) and the QS World University Rankings: Southern Asia regional table. Read it by ranking body and year: the NIRF State Public University line is the single most useful number because it compares Shivaji University only against other government-funded state universities, while the QS Southern Asia line shows its regional standing against Indian and South Asian institutions. A specific number (like #45 or #254) is a precise position; a band (like 151-200) means the framework grouped the university within that range rather than assigning a single rank.

The standout takeaway is the NIRF State Public University category, where Shivaji University jumped from the 51-100 band in 2024 to a precise Rank #45 with a score of 51.80 in 2025, a clear, measurable improvement in how government peers are graded against each other. At the same time, the QS Southern Asia line moved the other way, slipping from #189 in 2024 to #254 in 2026. For an applicant, this split signals a university strengthening its national, government-sector standing even as it faces tougher competition in the wider regional QS pool.

Ranking Trajectory of Shivaji University

Shivaji University's ranking trajectory tells two different stories depending on the framework. Nationally, the trend is upward: in the NIRF State Public University category it rose from the 51-100 band in 2024 to Rank #45 (score 51.80) in 2025, a six-position style climb into the top 50 of government state universities. Its broader NIRF University category placement has held steady in the 151-200 band across both 2024 and 2025, having moved out of the 101-150 band recorded in 2023, so the all-India university picture is one of consolidation rather than rapid movement.

The QS Southern Asia trajectory runs in the opposite direction. Shivaji University was placed at #189 in the QS Southern Asia 2024 table and has since fallen to #254 in 2026, a slide of roughly 65 positions as more South Asian institutions entered and climbed the regional ranking. In the QS Asia 2026 ranking it sits in the 801-850 band. For an aspirant, the signal is that Shivaji University is gaining ground where it is measured purely against Indian government universities, but losing relative ground in the more crowded, internationally benchmarked QS regional tables, where research output and global reputation weigh heavily.

How Shivaji University Compares

Among Maharashtra's government universities, Shivaji University sits in the upper-middle tier rather than at the very top. The table below positions it against Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), the state's best-ranked traditional public university, using the same NIRF 2025 and QS Asia 2026 frameworks so the comparison is like-for-like. Read it as a benchmark, not a verdict: it shows the gap to the state leader while confirming that Shivaji University remains a credible top-50 government institution nationally.

The comparison makes the hierarchy clear: SPPU is ranked #10 in the NIRF 2025 University category and #207 in QS Asia 2026, well ahead of Shivaji University's 151-200 NIRF band and 801-850 QS Asia band. Both universities share the top NAAC A++ grade, so on accreditation quality they are peers. For an applicant, the practical reading is that Shivaji University is a strong regional government university with top-tier accreditation, while institutions like SPPU lead the state on research-driven national and international rankings.