St. Stephen’s College Rankings 2025
St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi ranks 15th in Arts and 14th in Science in the Collegedunia 2026 rankings, making it one of the top liberal arts and science institutions in the country. The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) placed it 5th among all colleges in India in 2025, with a score of 79.41, up from 14th in 2023.
St. Stephen’s College holds a National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) A++ accreditation, the highest grade awarded by the body, valid until February 2028.
- The Week 2025: ranked 1st in Science nationally and 2nd in Arts among all Indian colleges.
- India Today 2024: ranked 2nd in BA and 4th in B.Sc among colleges in India.
- Outlook 2025: ranked 4th in both Arts Institutes and Science Institutes categories.
- NIRF 2024: ranked 3rd in the Colleges category with a score of 72.97, a jump from 14th in 2023.
- Collegedunia 2026: Arts score 856.0, Science score 854.0.
St. Stephen’s College Ranking in India
St. Stephen’s College is consistently ranked among the top five colleges in India across every major national ranking body. The table below combines ranks from all major agencies for the latest available years.
| Ranking Body | Category | Year | Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia | Arts | 2026 | 15 | 856.0 |
| Collegedunia | Science | 2026 | 14 | 854.0 |
| NIRF | Colleges | 2025 | 5 | 79.41 |
| The Week | Arts | 2025 | 2 | 643.0 |
| The Week | Science | 2025 | 1 | 515.0 |
| India Today | BA | 2024 | 2 | 1800.8 |
| India Today | B.Sc | 2024 | 4 | 1745.9 |
| Outlook | Arts Institutes | 2025 | 4 | 906.86 |
| Outlook | Science Institutes | 2025 | 4 | 947.25 |
St. Stephen’s College Collegedunia Ranking
St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi appears in two stream categories in the Collegedunia 2026 rankings: Arts and Science. The table below shows the Collegedunia rank and score for both streams in the 2026 cycle.
| Stream | Year | Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arts | 2026 | 15 | 856.0 |
| Science | 2026 | 14 | 854.0 |
The Arts and Science scores are closely matched at 856.0 and 854.0 respectively, reflecting balanced recognition across both flagship streams offered by the college.
St. Stephen’s College NIRF Ranking
The Ministry of Education’s National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) has ranked St. Stephen’s College in the Colleges category since 2023. The college’s trajectory over three years shows a significant rise from 14th in 2023 to 3rd in 2024, followed by a move to 5th in 2025.
St. Stephen’s College NIRF Colleges Ranking 2025
St. Stephen’s College ranked 5th in the NIRF Colleges 2025 list with a score of 79.41. The college was placed 3rd in 2024 (score 72.97) and 14th in 2023 (score 67.83), a gain of 11 positions in a single cycle between 2023 and 2024.
| Year | NIRF Colleges Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 79.41 |
| 2024 | 3 | 72.97 |
| 2023 | 14 | 67.83 |
The score rose from 67.83 in 2023 to 79.41 in 2025, a gain of 11.58 points across two cycles. The shift from 14th to 3rd between 2023 and 2024 is a factual 11-place improvement. The subsequent adjustment to 5th in 2025 coincides with strong performances from Hans Raj College (rank 3, score 81.75) and Kirori Mal College (rank 4, score 80.33) in the same cycle.
St. Stephen’s College vs Peers
St. Stephen’s College is most directly compared with other top University of Delhi colleges, particularly Miranda House, Hindu College, and Lady Shri Ram College for Women. The table below compares their standing across three major ranking bodies using the latest available data.
| College | NIRF 2025 Colleges Rank (Score) | The Week 2025 Arts Rank | The Week 2025 Science Rank | India Today 2024 BA Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hindu College, Delhi | 1 (84.01) | 3 | - | - |
| Miranda House, Delhi | 2 (83.20) | 4 | - | 3 |
| St. Stephen’s College, Delhi | 5 (79.41) | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi | 17 (69.87) | - | - | - |
St. Stephen’s College ranks above its peers in The Week 2025 Arts and Science lists, placing 2nd in Arts and 1st in Science nationally, despite ranking 5th in NIRF 2025 Colleges. Hindu College leads the NIRF Colleges table with a score of 84.01, while Miranda House follows at 83.20.
Key Takeaways:
- St. Stephen’s College is the only college in this peer group ranked 1st nationally in any stream by a major body (The Week 2025 Science).
- Its NIRF score of 79.41 in 2025 represents an 11.58-point improvement over its 2023 score of 67.83.
- The gap between St. Stephen’s (79.41) and top-ranked Hindu College (84.01) in NIRF 2025 is 4.60 points.
St. Stephen’s College Ranking FAQs
Ques. What is St. Stephen’s College’s NIRF rank in 2025?
Ans. St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi is ranked 5th in the NIRF 2025 Colleges category with a score of 79.41. This follows a rank of 3rd in NIRF 2024 (score 72.97) and 14th in NIRF 2023 (score 67.83), reflecting consistent improvement in NIRF scores over three cycles.
Ques. Why did St. Stephen’s College’s NIRF rank jump from 14th to 3rd between 2023 and 2024?
Ans. St. Stephen’s College moved from 14th (score 67.83) in NIRF 2023 to 3rd (score 72.97) in NIRF 2024, an 11-place improvement in a single cycle. The NIRF Colleges score improved by 5.14 points year on year. The underlying parameter-level breakdown for NIRF 2024 has not been disaggregated publicly, so the specific drivers of this improvement are not confirmed. The score has continued to rise, reaching 79.41 in NIRF 2025.
Ques. Is St. Stephen’s College ranked higher than Miranda House in 2025?
Ans. It depends on the ranking body. In NIRF 2025 Colleges, Miranda House ranks 2nd (score 83.20) and St. Stephen’s College ranks 5th (score 79.41). However, in The Week 2025, St. Stephen’s College ranks 2nd in Arts and 1st in Science, while Miranda House ranks 4th in Arts in the same edition. The two colleges compare differently across frameworks because each body weights distinct parameters.
Ques. Which ranking body has ranked St. Stephen’s College 1st in India?
Ans. The Week has ranked St. Stephen’s College 1st in Science among all Indian colleges in both its 2024 and 2025 editions. In The Week 2025, the college holds the top Science rank nationally with a score of 515.0. No other major national body has placed it at rank 1 in either Arts or Science in the same years.
Ques. What is St. Stephen’s College’s NAAC accreditation status?
Ans. St. Stephen’s College holds a National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) A++ grade, which is the highest accreditation level in India. The accreditation is valid until February 2028. NAAC accreditation directly contributes to the Outreach and Inclusivity (OI) and Perception (PR) components that NIRF uses in its scoring methodology.
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