Among higher education institutions from West Bengal, only three—Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, Jadavpur University, and the University of Calcutta—have secured places in the QS World University Rankings 2027, which features 52 institutions from India.

IIT Kharagpur recorded a notable improvement in its global position, advancing from 215th place last year to 205th this year. The institute also emerged as the fourth-highest-ranked IIT in the country. In contrast, both Jadavpur University and the University of Calcutta experienced a drop in their standings. Jadavpur University moved from the 676th position last year to the 721–730 band, while Calcutta University shifted from the 771–780 range to the 901–950 bracket.

Commenting on the latest results, IIT Kharagpur highlighted its ongoing efforts to strengthen international collaborations, promote advanced research, encourage deep-technology innovation, and expand its societal contributions. The institute emphasized that its broader objective extends beyond improving ranking metrics and focuses on establishing itself as a globally influential university originating from the Global South.

The QS World University Rankings are released annually by Quacquarelli Symonds, a higher education analytics organization headquartered in London. Universities are evaluated across several indicators, including academic reputation, faculty-to-student ratio, employer perception, graduate employability, sustainability performance, research citations, international faculty representation, international student presence, and research collaboration networks.

Jadavpur University's decline is believed to be linked to lower scores in areas such as internationalization, research impact, academic reputation, and employability. University officials noted that financial constraints and prolonged delays in faculty recruitment had affected institutional development. The administration stated that efforts are underway to address priority areas and strengthen future performance.

For Calcutta University, weaker scores were reported in indicators such as research citations, academic and employer reputation, international research partnerships, and international student enrolment. University authorities indicated that a detailed assessment would be conducted to identify areas requiring improvement before the next ranking cycle.