NIRF Ranking 2026 expected in first week of October: Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Education, Government of India, is expected to release the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Ranking 2026 in the first week of October 2026. As of September 29, 2026, an exact release date has not been officially confirmed by the ministry.

This year’s rankings are anticipated later than usual, as students, parents, and teachers typically await the release every September. The National Board of Accreditation (NBA) processes the submissions, and the time taken for analysis can influence the release schedule. The NIRF rankings are crucial for prospective students, providing insights into academic quality, faculty experience, and placement outcomes across various higher education institutions.

NIRF Ranking 2026 Release Timeline and Process

The NIRF Ranking 2026 is now projected for the first week of October 2026, based on the Ministry of Education’s data-collection timeline and historical release patterns. Data submission for India Rankings 2026 commenced on January 6, 2026, and concluded on March 16, 2026. Submissions for the Sustainable Institution category closed shortly after, on March 23, 2026.

The National Board of Accreditation (NBA) is responsible for processing the extensive data submitted by institutions. The NIRF framework, launched by the Ministry of Education in 2015, evaluates over 1,000 institutions annually across 13 categories, including Law. Institutions participate voluntarily by submitting data, which NIRF then samples for verification before publication. The first edition of the NIRF rankings was published in 2016.

Evaluation Parameters and Categories

NIRF scores institutions on five defined parameters: Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR), Research and Professional Practice (RPC), Graduation Outcomes (GO), Outreach and Inclusivity (OI), and Perception. These parameters aim to provide a transparent and data-driven assessment of higher education institutions across the country. The rankings are recalculated fresh each cycle based on that year’s submitted data.

The 2025 edition of NIRF rankings covered institutions across 17 categories, including new additions such as Research Institutions, Skill Universities, State Public Universities, and a dedicated Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) category. The NIRF rankings are released across various categories such as Overall, University, Management, Engineering, Medical, Law, Pharmacy, and Dental.

Highlights from NIRF Ranking 2025

In the 2025 edition of the NIRF rankings, released on September 4, 2025, by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, several institutions maintained their top positions. IIT Madras notably topped the Overall category for the seventh consecutive year and the Engineering category for the tenth consecutive year. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, was ranked the best university for the tenth year in a row and held the No. 2 Overall spot.

IIM Ahmedabad retained its top position in the Management category. Hindu College, Delhi University, led the Colleges category, with Miranda House close behind. AIIMS Delhi continued its dominance in the Medical category, though its Overall rank slipped slightly to 8th in 2025. The NIRF Law Rankings 2026 have already been officially released by the Ministry of Education, Government of India.

Further reading

• KMAT result 2026 for session 1 expected by second week of October
• MHT CET 2027 first attempt from December 15; registration expected in October
• MAT September 2026: Download scorecard by first week of October
• AP LAWCET 2027 exam date expected in first week of May
• Seva First Innovation Challenge registration opens; apply by October 24

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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