Delhi University has emerged as the dominant force in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025, with Hindu College clinching the top spot among colleges, followed closely by Miranda House, Hans Raj, Kirori Mal and St Stephen’s — all rounding off the top five.

For the first time, DU also broke into the top five in the Universities category, moving up from sixth to fifth place. It climbed to 12th in the Research Institutions list and held on to the 15th spot overall — its strongest showing to date.

Calling the achievement “a landmark moment,” Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh credited the success to the collective efforts of faculty, students, alumni and staff. Hindu College Principal Anju Srivastava said the recognition was proof of the institution’s emphasis on “holistic education, research, innovation and industry linkages under NEP reforms.”

Meanwhile, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) secured the second position among universities, with Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit describing the recognition as a validation of JNU’s model of “excellence with equity and innovation with inclusion.”

Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), which stood third among universities last year, slipped one place to fourth but maintained its 13th rank in the overall category. Notably, it bagged third place in the newly introduced Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) rankings. Vice Chancellor Mazhar Asif said the performance highlighted the “strength and dedication” of Jamia’s academic community.

Unveiling the 10th edition of the rankings, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan underlined the growing stature of the NIRF, which has expanded from four categories in 2016 to 17 in 2025, with participation swelling from 3,565 institutions to over 14,000 this year.

While IIT Madras retained its dominance at the top of the overall list for the seventh consecutive year and IISc Bengaluru led the universities category, the rankings underscored the growing influence of Delhi’s higher education institutions on India’s academic map.