IIT Mandi Achieves Remarkable Progress in 2026 Rankings

IIT Mandi's Rise in National Rankings

Munish Sood
mandi
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi has made notable strides in the India Today-MDRA Rankings for 2026, climbing the ranks in various categories and establishing itself as one of the top government engineering institutions in the nation.

In the Technical Universities category, IIT Mandi achieved the 7th position nationally, an improvement from its 8th place in 2025, with a score of 1,616.1 out of 2,000.

The institute also advanced in the Engineering Colleges—Overall category, moving up to 11th from 13th last year. Among government engineering colleges, it now holds the 10th position, up from 12th in 2025.

In the overall engineering category, IIT Mandi scored 1,692.6 out of 2,000, which includes an objective score of 967.4 and a perceptual score of 725.2.

IIT Mandi has also been recognized as one of the emerging and rapidly improving institutions, ranking third among Emerging Government Engineering Colleges nationwide, following IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Patna.

Additionally, it secured the sixth position among the Most Improved Government Engineering Colleges, based on the percentage increase in rankings over the five-year span from 2022 to 2026.

The rankings evaluate institutions based on a mix of objective and perceptual criteria, which encompass academic and research excellence, admission quality, governance, infrastructure, campus experience, leadership development, career progression, placements, and institutional reputation.

IIT Mandi's Director, Prof. Laxmidhar Behera, remarked that the institute's improved standing reflects the collective dedication of its faculty, students, staff, alumni, and institutional partners. He credited the advancement to a sustained emphasis on academic excellence, impactful research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and comprehensive student development.

He expressed that the recognition among the leading emerging and most improved government engineering institutions is particularly motivating, and emphasized that the institute will persist in its efforts to align with global academic standards while contributing positively to society and the nation.

The recent rankings highlight IIT Mandi's consistent upward trend and its commitment to enhancing its academic and research framework, while fostering greater opportunities in innovation, entrepreneurship, and student growth.