Delhi University’s Hindu College has topped the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 list, followed by Miranda House, Hans Raj, Kirori Mal and St Stephen’s, emerging as the top five colleges in the country.
Delhi University (DU) also recorded its best-ever performance in the Universities category, rising to fifth position from last year’s sixth. It advanced to 12th place in the Research Institutions list and retained the 15th spot overall.
Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh called the achievement “a landmark moment”, crediting the collective efforts of faculty, students, alumni and staff.
Hindu College Principal Anju Srivastava said the recognition reflected the college’s focus on holistic education.
“We have created an ecosystem where students get opportunities for research, innovation and practical exposure. Under NEP reforms, they are pursuing interests beyond the classroom with flexibility and industry linkages,” she told PTI.
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) secured the second spot among universities. Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit said the ranking was a matter of great pride, highlighting JNU’s model of “excellence with equity and innovation with inclusion”.
Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), which was ranked third last year, has slipped one spot to bag the fourth position.
JMI retained its 13th position in the overall category and fourth place among universities. The university also excelled in the newly introduced Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) rankings, securing third place.
Vice Chancellor Mazhar Asif said JMI’s performance in emerging parameters reflected the “strength and dedication” of its faculty and students.
The 10th edition of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 was released on Thursday by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The participation of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the NIRF rankings has grown from 3,565 in 2016 to 14,163 in 2025. Concurrently, the number of categories and subject domains has expanded from four in 2016 to 17 in 2025.
The 10th edition of the rankings has ranked institutions of higher education in nine categories — overall, universities, colleges, research Institutions, innovation, open universities, state public universities, skill universities and sustainable development goals (SDGs).
HEIs have also been ranked in eight subject domains — engineering, management, pharmacy, law, medical, architecture and planning, dental, and agriculture and allied sectors.
While IIT Madras topped the overall rankings for the seventh year and IISc Bengaluru led the Universities category, the 2025 rankings reaffirmed the strong position of Delhi-based institutions in India’s higher education landscape.
