Rourkela: National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela has climbed to 186th place in the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2026, improving from its 191st rank last year and reinforcing its standing among Asia’s leading academic institutions.
The rankings assessed 929 universities across 36 countries and territories. Among Indian institutions, NIT Rourkela ranked eighth and emerged as the highest-ranked NIT. It is also the only NIT to feature in the top 200 this year. Director K Umamaheshwar Rao said the improvement reflects the institute’s focus on academic excellence, research impact and global engagement.
He credited the accreditation and ranking team for its role in the achievement and said the milestone would drive further efforts to strengthen research collaborations and the academic ecosystem. The THE Asia University Rankings are based on 18 performance indicators spanning teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.