| RANK 2026 | TOP 25 PRIVATE INSTITUTES | ACADEMIC & RESEARCH EXCELLENCE 200 | INDUSTRY INTERFACE & PLACEMENT 250 | INFRASTRUCTURE & FACILITIES 250 | GOVERNANCE & ADMISSIONS 150 | DIVERSITY & OUTREACH 150 | TOTAL SCORE 1000 |
| 1 | PEARL ACADEMY NEW DELHI | 192.3 | 227.56 | 237.62 | 136.75 | 136.45 | 930.7 |
| 2 | PEARL ACADEMY JAIPUR | 192.2 | 227.46 | 236.75 | 136.26 | 136.1 | 928.76 |
| 3 | SCHOOL OF ARTS & DESIGN WOXSEN UNIVERSITY HYDERABAD | 191.71 | 227 | 236.56 | 135.8 | 135.44 | 926.5 |
| 4 | AMITY SCHOOL OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY NOIDA | 191.51 | 226.21 | 236.38 | 135.39 | 135.43 | 924.92 |
| 5 | SYMBIOSIS INSTITUTE OF DESIGN PUNE | 190.89 | 225.98 | 235.85 | 135.07 | 134.61 | 922.4 |
| 6 | MKSSS’S SCHOOL OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY PUNE | 190.26 | 225.1 | 235.71 | 134.9 | 133.99 | 919.98 |
| 7 | PEARL ACADEMY MUMBAI | 189.88 | 224.43 | 234.91 | 133.99 | 133.8 | 917 |
| 8 | JD INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY BANGALORE | 189.35 | 223.58 | 233.96 | 133.61 | 132.96 | 913.46 |
| 9 | AMITY SCHOOL OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY MUMBAI | 188.66 | 222.95 | 233.8 | 133.43 | 132.71 | 911.55 |
| 10 | FACULTY OF ART AND DESIGN M.S. RAMAIAH UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES BENGALURU | 188.18 | 222.6 | 233.38 | 132.6 | 132.66 | 909.42 |
| 11 | PEARL ACADEMY BANGALORE | 187.74 | 222 | 232.7 | 132.2 | 132.27 | 906.99 |
| 12 | AMITY SCHOOL OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY LUCKNOW | 187.14 | 221.27 | 232.21 | 132.07 | 131.95 | 904.64 |
| 13 | CHITKARA DESIGN SCHOOL UNIVERSITY RAJPURA | 186.91 | 220.38 | 231.47 | 131.7 | 131.79 | 902.2 |
| 14 | KIIT SCHOOL OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY BHUBANESWAR ODISHA | 186.68 | 220.28 | 230.76 | 131.02 | 131.76 | 900.5 |
| 15 | AMITY SCHOOL OF FASHION DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY GURUGRAM | 186.63 | 220.2 | 230.6 | 130.75 | 131.1 | 899.2 |
| 16 | JD INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY NEW DELHI | 186.53 | 219.95 | 230.22 | 130.17 | 130.1 | 896.97 |
| 17 | KANYA MAHA VIDYALYA (AUTONOMOUS) JALANDHAR | 185.84 | 219.37 | 229.43 | 129.57 | 129.14 | 893.35 |
| 18 | HINDUSTAN COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE | 185.75 | 218.38 | 228.82 | 129.43 | 128.82 | 891.2 |
| 19 | PSG COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCE COIMBATORE | 185.28 | 218.22 | 228.29 | 128.54 | 128.36 | 888.69 |
| 20 | NEHRU ARTS & SCIENCE COLLEGE COIMBATORE | 185.2 | 218.04 | 227.45 | 127.75 | 127.84 | 886.29 |
| 21 | UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF FASHION & DESIGN CHANDIGARH UNIVERSITY MOHALI | 184.88 | 217.82 | 227.1 | 127.54 | 127.52 | 884.86 |
| 22 | DEPARTMENT OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY SONA COLLEGE | 184.41 | 217.29 | 226.26 | 126.67 | 127.44 | 882.07 |
| 23 | CGC UNIVERSITY MOHALI - SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS & LANGUAGES | 183.77 | 216.44 | 225.37 | 126.28 | 126.82 | 878.68 |
| 24 | INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES NOIDA | 183.2 | 216.04 | 224.71 | 125.58 | 126.12 | 875.65 |
| 25 | FACULTY OF DESIGN VIVEKANANDA GLOBAL UNIVERSITY JAIPUR | 183.14 | 215.7 | 224.1 | 125.38 | 125.7 | 874.06 |
(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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