| RANK 2026 | TOP 20 PRIVATE INSTITUTES | ACADEMIC & RESEARCH EXCELLENCE 250 | INDUSTRY INTERFACE & PLACEMENT 150 | INFRASTRUCTURE & FACILITIES 250 | GOVERNANCE & ADMISSIONS 200 | DIVERSITY & OUTREACH 150 | TOTAL SCORE 1000 |
| 1 | MANIPAL COLLEGE OF DENTAL SCIENCES MANIPAL | 205.18 | 118.25 | 188.22 | 132.77 | 147.91 | 792.33 |
| 2 | MANIPAL COLLEGE OF DENTAL SCIENCES MANGALURU | 200.72 | 116.87 | 189.62 | 128.98 | 147.21 | 783.4 |
| 3 | J.S.S. DENTAL COLLEGE & HOSPITAL MYSURU | 201.1 | 114.22 | 187.47 | 130.87 | 147.3 | 780.93 |
| 4 | SRI RAMACHANDRA DENTAL COLLEGE AND HOSPITAL CHENNAI | 200.16 | 113.49 | 190 | 129.36 | 144.66 | 777.52 |
| 5 | FACULTY OF DENTAL SCIENCES RAMAIAH UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES BANGALORE | 200.47 | 112.86 | 185.77 | 126.95 | 145.33 | 771.38 |
| 6 | SRM KATTANKULATHUR DENTAL COLLEGE & HOSPITAL - SRM IST KTR CHENNAI | 200.8 | 112.79 | 185.6 | 127.54 | 141.83 | 768.56 |
| 7 | MANAV RACHNA DENTAL COLLEGE FARIDABAD | 197.53 | 112.82 | 186.16 | 125.6 | 142.23 | 764 |
| 8 | GURU NANAK INSTITUTE OF DENTAL SCIENCES & RESEARCH (GNIDSR) KOLKATA | 197.48 | 111.54 | 183.44 | 123.25 | 139.2 | 754.95 |
| 9 | SANTOSH DENTAL COLLEGE AND HOSPITAL SANTOSH UNIVERSITY GHAZIABAD | 196.48 | 111.41 | 183.43 | 121.4 | 138.22 | 750.94 |
| 10 | YENEPOYA DENTAL COLLEGE MANGALURU | 196.17 | 106.47 | 182.21 | 122.37 | 137.56 | 744.78 |
| 11 | THE OXFORD DENTAL COLLEGE & HOSPITAL BANGALORE | 194.6 | 108.02 | 182.4 | 119.61 | 139.21 | 743.85 |
| 12 | INDIRA GANDHI INSTITUTE OF DENTAL SCIENCES PUDUCHERRY | 193.34 | 107.08 | 179 | 118.9 | 138.74 | 737.09 |
| 13 | SARASWATI DENTAL COLLEGE LUCKNOW | 192.84 | 105.38 | 177.14 | 115.49 | 136.71 | 727.56 |
| 14 | BHARATI VIDYAPEETH DENTAL COLLEGE & HOSPITAL PUNE | 191.19 | 105.99 | 179.33 | 115.13 | 135.49 | 727.13 |
| 15 | BGS GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF DENTAL SCIENCES KENGERI BENGALURU | 191.08 | 104.9 | 176.16 | 115.74 | 136.53 | 724.41 |
| 16 | RUNGTA COLLEGE OF DENTAL SCIENCES & RESEARCH BHILAI CHATTISGARH | 189.52 | 101.24 | 178.46 | 116.26 | 134.52 | 720 |
| 17 | SANKALCHAND PATEL UNIVERSITY VISNAGAR | 190.98 | 100.81 | 176.16 | 114.52 | 134.25 | 716.72 |
| 18 | SUBHARTI DENTAL COLLEGE MEERUT | 187.3 | 102.55 | 174.59 | 113.82 | 133.54 | 711.78 |
| 19 | MEENAKSHI AMMAL DENTAL COLLEGE AND HOSPITAL CHENNAI | 187.89 | 101.79 | 170.64 | 113 | 129.38 | 702.67 |
| 20 | CHRISTIAN DENTAL COLLEGE & HOSPITAL LUDHIANA | 184.07 | 96.99 | 169.66 | 108.8 | 130.19 | 689.71 |
(This story appeared in Outlook magazine’s August 3 issue, 'The AI Divide', which focuses on how India's AI education ambitions are colliding with the reality of inadequate digital infrastructure, undertrained teachers and AI tools that are not built around Indian students' cultural context)
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