What is NIRF?
Drawing its inspiration from the QS World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education World University Ranking, India developed its ranking systems for Higher Educational Institutions following the lines of the Shanghai Rankings. The ranking system, i.e. NIRF, received approval from the Ministry of Education in September 2015. It is an attempt by the Government of India to rank Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in India. In 2018, it was made mandatory for all government-run educational institutions to participate in the rankings. The initiative has become an invaluable resource for students and parents in India seeking quality education. Annually released by the Ministry of Education, NIRF rankings evaluate educational institutions across various parameters, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions. The assessment of the institutions is done on five parameters which help in finalizing the ranking. These include Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR), Research and Professional Practice (RP), Graduation Outcomes (GO), Outreach and Inclusivity (OI) and Peer Perception. The rankings include four categories: Overall, Colleges, Universities, and Research Institutions. The subject domains covered are Engineering, Management, Pharmacy, Law, Medical, Architecture and Planning, and Dental, with a new addition of Agriculture and Allied Sectors.NIRF 2023 Highlights
| Universities | 2023 Rank | |
| Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru | 1 | |
| Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi | 2 | |
| Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi | 3 | |
| Jadavpur University Kolkata | 4 | |
| Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi | 5 | |
| Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal | 6 | |
| Amrita Vishwa Vidhyapeetham, Coimbatore | 7 | |
| Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore | 8 | |
| Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh | 9 | |
| University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad | 10 |
| Engineering | 2023 Rank |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | 1 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Delhi | 2 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Bombay | 3 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur | 4 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee | 5 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur | 6 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati | 7 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad | 8 |
| National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli | 9 |
| Jadavpur University, Kolkata | 10 |
| Management | 2023 Rank |
| Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad | 1 |
| Indian Institute of Management Bangalore | 2 |
| Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode | 3 |
| Indian Institute of Management Calcutta | 4 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Delhi | 5 |
| Indian Institute of Management Lucknow | 6 |
| National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai | 7 |
| Indian Institute of Management Indore | 8 |
| XLRI – Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur | 9 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Bombay | 10 |
| Colleges | 2023 Rank |
| Miranda House, House, New Delhi | 1 |
| Hindu College, New Delhi | 2 |
| Presidency College, Chennai | 3 |
| PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, Coimbatore | 4 |
| St. Xavier’s College for Women, Kolkata | 5 |
| Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College, New Delhi | 6 |
| Loyola College, Chennai | 7 |
| Rama Krishna Mission Vivekananda Cenetenary College,Kolakta | 8 |
| Kirori Mal College, New Delhi | 9 |
| Lady Shri Ram College For Women, New Delhi | 10 |
