How to Get Ranked in THE and QS: An Eligibility Checklist for Indian Universities
· By Edhitch Research Team
To be ranked by THE, an institution must teach undergraduates, publish at least 1,000 relevant papers over five years (minimum 100 a year), and not have 80% or more of its research in one subject area. To be ranked by QS, it must offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in at least two faculty areas, have three graduated classes per subject, publish at least 100 Scopus-indexed papers in five years, and — for Indian institutions — first appear in the QS Asia University Rankings. Neither ranking charges a fee to be ranked; both require you to submit and sign off your own data.
THE eligibility checklist
For the THE World University Rankings (2027 methodology):
- You teach undergraduates. Postgraduate-only and research-only institutions are excluded.
- 1,000+ relevant publications between 2021 and 2025.
- At least 100 publications in every one of those five years — a single good year doesn’t qualify you.
- Less than 80% of research in any one subject area (THE uses 11 subject areas). Single-discipline institutions — many medical, pharmacy or engineering-only colleges — can fail this test even with high output.
- You provide and sign off your institutional data.
Not there yet? Submit anyway. Institutions that provide data but don’t meet the criteria are listed as reporters, without a rank. You build a data history and are ready the year you cross the threshold.
QS eligibility checklist
For the QS World University Rankings, the institution must first be eligible:
- Full-degree programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate level
- Programmes in at least two faculty areas, with at least two subjects in each
- At least three graduated classes in each subject
- All or part of each programme delivered on campus
…and then meet the inclusion thresholds to be ranked:
- 100+ Scopus-indexed papers over five years
- A place in the relevant regional ranking — for India, the QS Asia University Rankings
- An academic reputation standing above QS’s threshold
- For institutions with fewer than 5,000 students, additional placement thresholds across academic reputation, employer reputation and citations per faculty
QS updates its criteria from time to time; confirm the current rules on QS’s support site before you plan.
Which can you enter now?
| Your institution | THE | QS |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-faculty university, 200+ papers a year | Eligible to be ranked | Eligible; start with QS Asia |
| Multi-faculty university, 50–100 papers a year | Reporter for now | Possible via QS Asia; check inclusion thresholds |
| Single-discipline institution (e.g. engineering-only, medical-only) | Often fails the 80% subject rule | Fails the two-faculty-area rule |
| Undergraduate-only college | Needs the publication threshold | Not eligible (needs UG and PG) |
| Postgraduate- or research-only institute | Not eligible | Not eligible |
Indicative only, based on the published criteria. Your actual eligibility depends on your subject mix and publication record.
Single-discipline institutions shouldn’t write off global rankings: both THE and QS publish subject rankings, and NIRF’s discipline categories remain the main national benchmark.
Step-by-step: from decision to first submission
- Audit your publication record. Count papers per year for the last five years and the share in your largest subject. This alone tells you where you stand with THE.
- Consolidate your research identity. Merge duplicate Scopus affiliation profiles, fix variant spellings of your institution’s name and get author IDs for every faculty member. Citations you can’t attribute don’t count.
- Register with each ranking body. QS institutions request QS Hub access through the QS help desk. THE institutions engage with THE’s data team to join the annual data collection.
- Assign one owner. One person accountable for THE, QS and NIRF data — usually in the IQAC or a rankings cell — so definitions don’t drift between submissions.
- Build one institutional record. Faculty, students, PhDs, income, international mix and placements, held once, with each ranking’s definition recorded against the figure it produces.
- Prepare survey nominations. QS lets you nominate up to 400 academic and 400 employer contacts. Use real collaborators and real recruiters.
- Reconcile before you sign off. Check your THE and QS figures against your NIRF DCS and AISHE submissions, and document every difference.
Starting your first THE or QS submission? Master Data Map keeps your THE and QS data on the same institutional record as NAAC, NBA and NIRF — so every faculty count, student count and research figure is entered once and reported consistently everywhere it is asked for. See THE & QS data preparation with Master Data Map or book a demo.
Common mistakes Indian institutions make
- Different faculty numbers for every audience. NIRF, AISHE, NAAC, THE and QS each get a number compiled from a different spreadsheet — and none of them reconcile.
- Lost citations. Papers spread across three or four Scopus affiliation profiles, so the institution’s real output is undercounted.
- Generic survey lists. Nominating contacts who don’t know the institution adds nothing to reputation.
- Treating it as a one-year project. Reputation takes several cycles. Institutions that start as reporters and build steadily outperform those that wait until they are “ready”.
Frequently asked questions
How can an Indian university get ranked in QS?
It must offer full-degree undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in at least two faculty areas, have at least three graduated classes per subject and deliver programmes on campus. It must then meet QS’s inclusion thresholds, including 100+ Scopus-indexed papers over five years and a place in the QS Asia University Rankings. Data is submitted through QS Hub.
How can an Indian university participate in the THE World University Rankings?
It must teach undergraduates and have at least 1,000 relevant publications over the previous five years, with at least 100 in each year, and no more than 80% of its research in one subject area. Institutions that don’t yet meet these rules can still submit data and be listed as reporter institutions.
Is there a fee to participate in THE or QS rankings?
Being assessed and ranked is free in both. Both organisations sell separate data, benchmarking and consulting products, which institutions can choose to buy; they are not required for ranking.
Can a single-discipline college be ranked by THE or QS?
Usually not in the overall world rankings. QS requires at least two faculty areas, and THE excludes institutions with 80% or more of their research in one subject. Single-discipline institutions can target subject rankings and the relevant NIRF discipline category.
What is a reporter institution in THE rankings?
An institution that submits its data to THE but does not meet the eligibility criteria. It is listed without a rank. Reporting builds a data history, so the institution is ready to be ranked once it crosses the threshold.
Official sources
- THE World University Rankings 2027: methodology
- QS World University Rankings: methodology (TopUniversities)
- QS — guide to the World University Rankings methodology
Eligibility rules from the published THE 2027 and QS methodologies. The “which can you enter” table is Edhitch’s indicative reading of those rules. Last verified: 22 October 2026.