| RANK 2026 | TOP 25 INSTITUTES | FACULTY & STUDENTS 150 | STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS 250 | INFRASTRUCTURE & FACILITIES 200 | ALUMNI SUCCESS 250 | INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS & OPPORTUNITIES 150 | TOTAL SCORE 1000 |
| 1 | TAMIL NADU GOVERNMENT MUSIC COLLEGE THIRUVAIYARU | 139.31 | 227.22 | 184.66 | 237.12 | 125.05 | 913.36 |
| 2 | FACULTY OF PERFORMING ARTS BANARAS HINDU UNIVERSITY (BHU) VARANASI | 139.12 | 226.67 | 184.25 | 236.33 | 124.87 | 911.24 |
| 3 | KM MUSIC CONSERVATORY CHENNAI | 138.42 | 225.89 | 183.69 | 235.8 | 123.96 | 907.77 |
| 4 | INDIRA KALA SANGEET VISHWAVIDYALAYA KHAIRAGARH | 137.67 | 225.61 | 182.72 | 235.2 | 123.82 | 905 |
| 5 | FACULTY OF MUSIC AND FINE ARTS UNIVERSITY OF DELHI DELHI | 136.74 | 224.83 | 182.17 | 234.3 | 123.63 | 901.67 |
| 6 | DEPARTMENT OF VOCAL MUSIC AND INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC RABINDRA BHARATI UNIVERSITY KOLKATA | 136.59 | 224.5 | 181.45 | 233.79 | 123.26 | 899.56 |
| 7 | KARNATAKA STATE DR. GANGUBHAI HANGAL MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS UNIVERSITY MYSURU | 135.61 | 223.71 | 180.56 | 232.81 | 123.12 | 895.81 |
| 8 | SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI NEW DELHI | 134.73 | 222.89 | 180.22 | 232.33 | 122.17 | 892.34 |
| 9 | SWATHI THIRUNAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC THIRUVANANTHAPURAM | 134 | 221.9 | 179.77 | 231.38 | 122.2 | 889.24 |
| 10 | SWARNABHOOMI ACADEMY OF MUSIC CHENNAI | 133.86 | 221.22 | 179.19 | 230.5 | 122.06 | 886.83 |
| 11 | SHANKAR MAHADEVAN ACADEMY MUMBAI | 133.25 | 220.59 | 178.64 | 230.41 | 121.26 | 884.15 |
| 12 | TAMIL NADU GOVERNMENT MUSIC COLLEGE CHENNAI | 133.13 | 220.03 | 178.41 | 229.61 | 121.08 | 882.26 |
| 13 | THE TRUE SCHOOL OF MUSIC MUMBAI | 132.34 | 219.06 | 177.71 | 229.42 | 120.28 | 878.81 |
| 14 | SCHOOL OF MUSIC WHISTLING WOODS INTERNATIONAL MUMBAI | 132.1 | 218.92 | 176.95 | 228.51 | 119.45 | 875.93 |
| 15 | CALCUTTA SCHOOL OF MUSIC KOLKATA | 131.66 | 218.01 | 176.42 | 227.9 | 119.35 | 873.29 |
| 16 | RAJA MANSINGH TOMAR MUSIC & ARTS UNIVERSITY GWALIOR | 131.1 | 217.28 | 175.85 | 227.48 | 118.45 | 870.17 |
| 17 | EASTERN FARE MUSIC FOUNDATION BANGALORE | 130.94 | 216.74 | 174.89 | 226.59 | 117.65 | 866.81 |
| 18 | DELHI SCHOOL OF MUSIC NEW DELHI | 130.8 | 216.34 | 174.58 | 225.87 | 116.88 | 864.51 |
| 19 | BANGALORE SCHOOL OF MUSIC BANGALORE | 130.45 | 215.47 | 173.8 | 225.54 | 116.78 | 862.04 |
| 20 | GLOBAL MUSIC INSTITUTE NOIDA | 130.26 | 214.61 | 173.74 | 225 | 116.58 | 859.99 |
| 21 | MUSICIANS INSTITUTE BANGALORE | 129.41 | 213.95 | 172.91 | 223.82 | 116.07 | 856.16 |
| 22 | NATHANIEL SCHOOL OF MUSIC BANGALORE | 129.27 | 213.65 | 172.01 | 223.65 | 115.41 | 853.99 |
| 23 | SURESH WADEKAR’S AJIVASAN MUSIC ACADEMY MUMBAI | 128.54 | 213.23 | 171.9 | 222.85 | 115.02 | 851.54 |
| 24 | TANSEN SANGEET MAHAVIDYALAYA DELHI | 128.24 | 212.99 | 171.53 | 222.02 | 114.24 | 849.02 |
| 25 | FURTADOS SCHOOL OF MUSIC MUMBAI | 128.06 | 212.63 | 171.09 | 221.54 | 113.72 | 847.04 |
(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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