NIRF Ranking 2025 (Out) LIVE: IIT Madras retains top spot in overall India rankings for 10th consecutive year

NIRF Ranking 2025 Out: The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF 2025) has been announced and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has retained the top spot for the 10th consecutive year. Colleges and universities have been ranked in 17 categories such as engineering, management, medicine, university, law, research, and agriculture among others. A new category has been announced on sustainable development goals. Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has revealed the NIRF ranking 2025 PDF list for subject-wise top colleges in India during a live event.

The NIRF India rankings 2025 were delayed this year due to an interim stay imposed by the Madras High Court over a plea challenging the transparency of the ranking process and discrepancies in the data submitted by colleges.

Meanwhile, the ministry of education introduced stricter rules and added more parameters for evaluating and ranking colleges and universities in India. It has also introduced negative marking for the retraction of research papers.

The National Board of Accreditation (NBA) will rank colleges and universities in 16 categories namely overall university, college, engineering, management, pharmacy, law, medical, architecture, dental, innovation, agriculture and allied sectors, research institutions, open universities, skill universities, and state-funded public universities. The last three categories were added in 2024.

Each NIRF ranking 2025 list will have the higher educational institutions (HEIs) ranked in the top 100 along with rank bands 101-150 and 151-200.

NIRF Ranking 2025: Parameters

The NIRF 2025 ranking methodology is based on five parameters — teaching, learning and resources, research and professional practice, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity, and perception.

In addition, the ministry has introduced new parameters such as sustainable development goals and indicators of the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), including the Indian Knowledge System (IKS), adoption of regional languages, and multiple entry and exit options.

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Top universities, colleges in India

The education ministry received more than 14,000 applications from universities and colleges across the country. Among them, IIT Madras has been rated the best university in India in overall, NIRF engineering ranking, SDG, and innovation.

Category-wise top institutes in India as per NIRF ranking 2025 list is given below.