To win the National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) 2025, securing admission in a Top 500 QS Ranked University is not just helpful — it’s essential. The QS World University Rankings play a crucial role in determining your eligibility and merit position in NOS selections, especially during Round 1.
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What is the QS Ranking?
QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World University Rankings is one of the most influential global university ranking systems. The QS World University Rankings 2025 rank over 1,500 universities worldwide based on nine metrics: academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty, international students, research network, employment outcomes, and sustainability.
Why QS Rankings Matter for NOS 2025
According to the official NOS 2025-26 Guidelines:
Only candidates with an unconditional offer from a Top 500 QS Ranked university (2025 edition) will be considered in the first round of NOS selection.
- This means that even if you meet all other criteria (age, income, marks, etc.), you won’t be shortlisted unless your offer is from a Top 500 QS university.
- In the second round (Sept–Oct), some flexibility is allowed, but Top 500 QS rankers still get top priority. If slots remain after Round 1, it opens to:
- Top 500 QS schools (top priority).
- Other QS-ranked schools (#501–1500+).
- Accredited schools (lowest priority).
- Merit-Based Ranking: If two candidates apply, the one with an offer from a higher-ranked university gets priority.
| The QS ranking must be for the specific campus where you’re applying. Example: If you apply to New York University (NYU) Shanghai, only NYU Shanghai’s QS ranking counts—not NYU’s main campus (ranked #43 in 2025). |
How QS Rank Affects NOS Merit List
During the NOS selection process, your merit rank is determined first by the QS rank of your university.
- Higher the QS rank (closer to #1), higher your chance of selection
- If two candidates have offers from equally ranked universities, the tie is broken by marks in qualifying exams (i.e., For Master’s: Bachelor’s degree and For Ph.D.: Master’s degree)
| Round | QS Rank Requirement | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 (Mar–Apr) | Top 500 only (mandatory) | Highest |
| Round 2 (Sept–Oct) | 1. Top 500 2. Other QS ranked 3. Other accredited universities | In that order |
If your offer is from a university outside the QS Top 500, apply in Round 2 only.
2025 QS Rankings: Top Universities for NOS
Below are key highlights from the 2025 QS World University Rankings:
The following are the top 10 QS-ranked universities for 2025, as per the official rankings:
| Rank | University Name | Country | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | United States | 100 |
| 2 | Imperial College London | United Kingdom | 98.5 |
| 3 | University of Oxford | United Kingdom | 96.9 |
| 4 | Harvard University | United States | 96.8 |
| 5 | University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | 96.7 |
| 6 | Stanford University | United States | 96.1 |
| 7 | ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology | Switzerland | 93.9 |
| 8 | National University of Singapore (NUS) | Singapore | 93.7 |
| 9 | University College London (UCL) | United Kingdom | 91.6 |
| 10 | California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | United States | 90.9 |
Top 51–100 Universities (2025)
| Rank | University | Country | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | EPFL (Switzerland) | Switzerland | 83.5 |
| 32 | The University of Tokyo | Japan | 82.1 |
| 40 | King’s College London | UK | 80.2 |
| 50 | Kyoto University | Japan | 76 |
Top 101–200 Universities (2025)
| Rank | University | Country | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102 | KIT, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology | Germany | 59.4 |
| 117 | University of Helsinki | Finland | 56.8 |
| 155 | University of Geneva | Switzerland | 51.6 |
| 177 | Washington University in St. Louis | USA | 49.9 |
Top 201–500 Universities (2025)
| Rank | University | Country | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 211 | Indian Institute of Science | India | 45 |
| 227 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) | India | 43.5 |
| 316 | RUDN University | Russia | 34.7 |
| 354 | University of Pretoria | South Africa | 32.2 |
(For the full list, visit QS Official Website.)
Important Note: The National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) cannot be used for admission to an Indian university, even if it is ranked in the Top 500 QS World University Rankings. The NOS is specifically designed to support students from marginalized communities in India—such as Scheduled Castes (SC), Denotified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, Landless Agricultural Labourers, and Traditional Artisans—to pursue higher education abroad, not within India.
For example, while IIT Madras (Rank 227) is in the Top 500 QS 2025 rankings, NOS won’t fund you there because it’s in India.
Conditional vs Unconditional Offers for NOS
For NOS, you must have an unconditional offer to be considered.
Unconditional Offer = Admission granted with no pending requirements
However, if the only condition is “proof of funds” or “visa approval”, your application will still be accepted under NOS guidelines.
| National Overseas Scholarship 2025-26 Quick Links | |
| NOS Selection Process | NOS Notification |
| How to Apply for NOS | NOS Eligibility Criteria |
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Can I use NOS for an Indian university like IIT Bombay (#118)?
No, the National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) cannot be used for admission to an Indian university, even if it is ranked in the Top 500 QS World University Rankings. The NOS is specifically designed to support students from marginalized communities in India—such as Scheduled Castes (SC), Denotified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, Landless Agricultural Labourers, and Traditional Artisans—to pursue higher education abroad, not within India. For example, while IIT Bombay is in the Top 500 QS 2025 rankings, NOS won’t fund you there because it’s in India.
-
How often are QS Rankings updated?
QS releases new rankings every June for the upcoming academic year.
For example:
The 2025 QS World University Rankings (which you provided) were likely published in June/July 2024, covering data up to that point.
The 2026 rankings will come out around June/July 2025, updating the list for the next cycle. -
Does NOS accept other rankings (THE, ARWU)?
No. Only the QS World University Ranking is accepted for NOS eligibility.
-
Do branch campuses count? (e.g., NYU Abu Dhabi vs. NYU USA)
Only if the specific campus is ranked in the QS Top 500. Example:
NYU USA (#43 in 2025) → Eligible
NYU Shanghai (Unranked) → Not eligible -
Can I apply if my university was in the Top 500 last year but dropped out in 2025?
No. Only the latest QS 2025 rankings are considered.