THE Asia University Rankings 2026: Odisha’s KIIT ranked 6th best university in India
By Swagatika Mohapatra
Bhubaneswar, April 25: Odisha’s KIIT-DU has secured the 6th position among all universities in India, across both government and private institutions, in the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings 2026. The university has also emerged as the top-ranked institution not only in Odisha but across the entire eastern region of India. In 2025, the University was ranked 8th best in the country, an official release of the university said on Saturday.
Globally, KIIT has climbed to the 169th position in Asia, marking a steady and impressive rise from 196th in 2024 and 184th in 2025.
The THE Asia University Rankings 2026 assessed 929 universities from 36 countries based on rigorous performance indicators across five key areas: teaching (learning environment), research environment (volume, income and reputation), research quality (citation impact, strength, excellence and influence), international outlook (staff, students and research), and industry income (knowledge transfer and patents).
The ranking is a major achievement for KIIT, as it has outperformed many established and legacy institutes despite being a young university.
The founder of KIIT Dr Achyuta Samanta has hailed the ranking, stating that it demonstrates the sustained efforts and commitment of the faculty, staff and students towards achieving academic excellence. He said that KIIT’s emphasis on internationalisation and innovation has helped it build a world-class academic ecosystem, reinforcing its position as a leading centre of higher education in India and beyond.
