BITS Pilani Exits THE Rankings After IITs; Raises Questions Over Global University Rankings

Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani has decided to withdraw from the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. With this step, BITS Pilani has joined several Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) that have also chosen not to take part in global ranking systems.

BITS Pilani stated that its decision was based on concerns about the ranking process. The institute believes that global rankings rely heavily on reputation surveys and unclear criteria, which may not fairly measure the real academic strength, teaching quality and research work of universities in India. According to the institute, rankings should be based on transparent, objective and verifiable data.

Why Did BITS Pilani Exit THE Rankings?

• Concerns over the lack of transparency in ranking methods
• Heavy dependence on reputation-based surveys
• Belief that rankings do not fully reflect actual academic quality
• Indian education systems are often compared using Western benchmarks

Also Read:- BITS Pilani Leads NIRF 2025 Ranking of Private Engineering Colleges in India

IITs That Opted Out of THE Rankings

Several leading Indian institutions have already opted out of the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings over similar concerns. India’s older Indian Institutes of Technology, including IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras, IIT Guwahati and IIT Roorkee, have stayed away from THE rankings since 2020.

These institutes have consistently raised issues regarding the lack of transparency in the ranking methodology, questioned certain indicators - especially those related to research citations - and expressed discomfort with the use of opaque, “black box” reputation-based scores that do not clearly explain how final rankings are calculated.

Also Read:- India Today MBA ranking 2025 Released; IIM Ahmedabad Tops the List; Check Details Here

What BITS Pilani Said on Exiting THE Rankings?

BITS Pilani said its decision is based on the belief that any measurement or ranking system should meet strong standards of academic governance. The institute announced that it will stop sharing institutional and subject-level data required for THE rankings from the current cycle onwards. As a result, BITS Pilani will no longer appear in future editions of the Times Higher Education rankings, including the World University Rankings, Asia University Rankings and subject-wise rankings.

BITS Pilani clarified that it does not completely oppose global rankings. According to the institute, rankings can be useful as one of several tools to compare universities. However, it stressed that such frameworks must be credible, easy to understand and independently verifiable, given their growing influence on admissions, academic partnerships, funding decisions and public trust.

Candidates are advised to check the official website of BITS Pilani (@bits.pilani.ac.in) and collegedunia.com for the latest updates.

Read More:-

• BITS Pilani MBA Business Analytics Admission 2026 Begins; Apply by February 16 @bits.pilani.ac.in
• 294 Indian Universities Feature in QS Asia Ranking 2026, 7 Among Top 100; Read More

Subscribe to Collegedunia to get the latest news and updates –