Page 34 - EW May 2025

Cover Story

EW INDIA HIGHER EDUCATION RANKINGS 2025-26
TOP 500

ARTS, SCIENCE & COMMERCE

COLLEGES

In the Part II edition of EWIHER 2025-26 we present league
tables rating and ranking India’s 500 most respected Arts, Science
and Commerce colleges carefully categorised into private and
government autonomous and non-autonomous institutions

Dilip Thakore & Summiya Yasmeen

C ONTEMPORARY INDIA’S HIGH global standards

This depressing report is supported by Mercer/Mettl,
graduate unemployability data
a New York-based firm with several offices in India that
— an estimated 45.19 percent
graduates of the country’s 47,000
bills itself as the “world’s fastest, largest online assessment
colleges are unemployable — indi-
and certification company” with 6,000 corporate clients in
cates that academic standards in
India’s higher education institu-
of college graduates have “sufficient learning agility” and
50 percent the necessary soft skills for global employment.
tions (HEIs) — especially under- 80 countries. Mercer/Mettl reports that only 46 percent
grad arts, science and commerce colleges — are alarming. Therefore, choosing the ‘right’ — most academically and
According to the India Skill Report (ISR) 2025 published aptitudinally suitable — undergrad college is a matter of
by Wheebox ETS, a Gurugram-based talent acquisition, critical importance for higher secondary school-leavers.
retention, and upskilling company which administers its Therefore since 2013, your editors have been publishing
Global Employment Test to a sample 6.5 lakh final year the EducationWorld India Higher Education Rankings to
college students and graduates, only 54.81 percent of gradu- identify 500 best undergrad Arts, Science and Commerce
ates in India are globally employable. This is reported as an (ASC) colleges countrywide; 200 private engineering col-
improvement over 51.25 percent last year and 33 percent leges from a total 3,600 and 100 private B-schools out of
a decade ago. While ISR places a positive spin on its latest a total of 3,900. Although media publications and several
report, it also translates as 45 percent of college graduates government agencies notably NAAC (National Assessment
and postgrads being substandard and unemployable by and Accreditation Council), a subsidiary of the University

34 EDUCATIONWORLD MAY 2025