QS World University Rankings 2026: Panjab University improves performance but Shoolini, Chandigarh University ahead of it
Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan, climbed from rank 587 in 2025 to 503 in 2026, while Chandigarh University (CU), Gharuan, jumped from the 691-700 bracket to 575.
Panjab University (PU) has improved its ranking in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2026, moving up from the 1,000–1,200 bracket, where it remained for the previous two years, to the 901–950 bracket this time. Compared to regional private universities, however, PU still lags behind, as per the rankings released on Thursday.
Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan, climbed from rank 587 in 2025 to 503 in 2026, while Chandigarh University (CU), Gharuan, jumped from the 691-700 bracket to 575.
Interestingly, the University of the Punjab in Lahore, of which PU was part of before Partition, is also ranked higher at 542.
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi was the highest ranked Indian university at 123.
But this is PU’s best performance since 2018 when it was in the 801-1,000 category. Ever since PU has figured in the QS rankings – in 2016 and 2017 – it has remained in the 701+ category. In 2021, it was in the 1,001+ category while in 2022, it was in the 1001-1200 category, where it returned to in 2024 and 2025 after dropping to 1,201-1,400 in 2023, which was PU’s worst performance over recent years.
PU’s jump in rankings can be attributed to improved scores in all parameters (see box).
Speaking about the result, PU vice-chancellor Renu Vig said the university had been working on improving its data collection as in previous years, data was under-reported. “This time, as teachers came to us for promotions, we made sure that the data was checked by the internal quality assurance cell. We are happy with the improvements in the parameters regarding international students in which we had suffered in the previous years.”
With new recruitments going on, varsity officials said that an even better rank can be expected next year.
