NEW DELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru University has secured a place in the QS World University Rankings 2026 for Law and Legal Studies despite not having a dedicated Faculty of Law or offering core LLB and LLM programmes.
Instead, the university’s presence in the rankings rests on its research-driven approach through the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, where legal studies intersect with public policy, governance and interdisciplinary inquiry.
Ranked in the 351–400 band this year, JNU’s performance reflects a mixed trajectory. It scored 59.1 in academic reputation and 49.7 in employer reputation, along with 65.7 in citations per paper and 60 in H-index citations—indicators that underscore its research strength but also point to a dip from 2025, when it was placed in the 251–300 bracket.
The decline is visible across parameters, including employer perception and research impact, even as its unconventional model continues to draw academic recognition.
In contrast, University of Delhi improved its standing, moving to the 151–200 band with an academic reputation score of 62.8. Meanwhile, National Law School of India University was placed in the 201–250 bracket, registering a strong academic reputation score of 71.6. Both institutions had featured in the 201–250 range in 2025, indicating a reshuffle within India’s legal education landscape.
The QS subject rankings group universities into bands such as 151–200 or 251–300, indicating a range rather than exact positions due to closely clustered scores. Evaluations are based on academic and employer reputation, research impact through citations and H-index, as well as international research collaboration.
Indian institutions show improved standing
University of Delhi is placed in the 151–200 band, showing improved standing, while National Law School of India University ranks in the 201–250 band with a strong academic reputation among global law institutions.