Panjab University Achieves Significant Leap in QS World University Rankings 2026
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ June 19,2025
Panjab University has achieved a remarkable improvement in the QS World University Rankings 2026, jumping to the 901-950 band from its previous position of 1001-1200, marking a significant advancement of 100 positions.
The QS World University Rankings 2026, which evaluated 8,467 institutions from 106 countries and published rankings for 1,501 Institutions globally, recognised Panjab University’s consistent progress across multiple performance indicators. This achievement represents the university’s best performance in recent years, reflecting its commitment to academic excellence and research quality.
Key Highlights of Performance
Panjab University demonstrated significant improvement in several critical parameters:
| Parameter | QS 2026 | QS 2025 | QS 2024 | QS 2023 |
| Overall Rankings | 901-950 | 1001-1200 | 1001-1200 | 1201-1400 |
| Rank by Indicator | ||||
| Citations per Faculty | 433 | 507 | 545 | 599 |
| Employment Outcomes | 441 | 398 | 265 | 243 |
| Sustainability | 684 | 701+ | 701 | NA |
| Academic Reputation | 701+ | 601+ | 601+ | 501+ |
| Employer Reputation | 701+ | 601+ | 601+ | 501+ |
| Faculty Student Ratio | 801+ | 701+ | 701+ | 601+ |
| International Research Network | 801+ | 701+ | 701+ | 601+ |
| International Students | 801+ | 701+ | 701+ | 601+ |
| QS 2026 | QS 2025 | QS 2024 | |
| Employment Outcomes | 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Sustainability | 19 | 28 | 26 |
| Citations per Faculty | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| International Students | 28 | 22 | 19 |
| Employer Reputation | 30 | 25 | 24 |
| Academic Reputation | 35 | 29 | 30 |
| International Research Network | 36 | 30 | 27 |
| Faculty Student Ratio | 43 | 38 | 38 |
Panjab University Achieves Significant Leap in QS World University Rankings 2026. Outstanding Performance in Research and Employability
The university’s most notable achievements include:
- Research Impact: With a normalised citation score of 109.7 per faculty member (more than twice the global median of 52.0), Panjab University continues to demonstrate exceptional research productivity.
- Employment Outcomes: Ranking 10th nationally, PU have achieved significant improvement, outperforming the global median.
- Sustainability: With PU embarking on sustainability related curriculum, there is bound to be further improvement in its performance.
Research Excellence
Panjab University’s research output continues to grow impressively:
- 9,467 papers published (2019-2023)
- 100,932 normalisedcitations
Progressive Improvement Over Years
The university’s consistent upward trajectory is evident from its ranking progression:
| Year | Global Rank | No of Institutes Participated | PU Percentage Rank among Institutes participated |
| 2023 | 1201-1400 | 2462 | 48.78 % |
| 2024 | 1001-1200 | 2963 | 33.8 % |
| 2025 | 1001-1200 | 5,663 | 17.7 % |
| 2026 | 901-950 | 8,467 | 10.6 % |
PU Vice Chancellor,Prof. Renu Vig has expressed her delight at continuous improvement in its performance on most of the parameters over last 4 years. This significant improvement in our global ranking is a demonstration to the collective efforts of our faculty, researchers, students, and staff. Breaking into the top 900-950 Bracket globally represents a significant milestone in our journey towards academic excellence. Our strong performance in citations per faculty, and Sustainability largely highlights our focus on impactful research and student success. Our focus areas for the coming years include enhancing international collaborations, research networks, renewed focus on making PU as preferred academic destination for foreign students and strengthening our sustainability initiatives. She motivated the faculty, staff and students to continue in their stride towards global excellence.
