In a remarkable achievement for Odisha’s higher education sector, five institutions have secured spots in the top 100 of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) India Rankings 2025, as announced by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on September 4, 2025. The prestigious list, released by the Ministry of Education, highlights the state’s growing academic excellence on a national stage.

Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) University leads the pack at 25th rank, followed closely by Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) at 27th, National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela at 34th, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar at 80th, and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar at 100th. Notably, IIT Bhubaneswar and AIIMS Bhubaneswar are new entrants to the top 100 this year, joining SOA, KIIT, and NIT Rourkela, which were featured in the NIRF 2024 rankings. NIT Rourkela maintained its 34th position, while SOA and KIIT either improved or slightly slipped in their rankings compared to last year.

In the university category, Odisha’s government-run institutions did not make the top 100. However, SOA and KIIT secured impressive 15th and 17th ranks, respectively, among universities nationwide. Among state public universities, Utkal University stood out as Odisha’s sole representative, ranking 48th in the top 50 list. Other public universities, including Berhampur University, Fakir Mohan University, OUAT Bhubaneswar, Ravenshaw University, Sambalpur University, and VSSUT Burla, were placed in the 51–100 band. Unfortunately, no colleges from Odisha featured in the top 100 colleges list.

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Odisha also excelled in the engineering category, with five institutions—NIT Rourkela (13th), SOA (22nd), KIIT (36th), IIT Bhubaneswar (39th), and C.V. Raman Global University (95th)—securing spots in the top 100. In management, IIM Sambalpur climbed 16 positions to 34th, followed by XIM University Bhubaneswar (45th), SOA (66th), KIIT (68th), and IMI Bhubaneswar (94th).

IIM Sambalpur’s director, Mahadeo Jaiswal, celebrated the institute’s rise, attributing it to initiatives like AI integration in learning and the pursuit of AACSB accreditation, aiming for the prestigious ‘Triple Crown’ status, a hallmark of global business education excellence.

Odisha’s strong showing in the NIRF 2025 rankings underscores its rising prominence in India’s higher education landscape, with its institutions setting new benchmarks for academic and research excellence.

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