<p>Somehow I’m always suspicious when I hear about universities that supposed to be world beaters - according to the citizens of the country they can be found. It’s a bit like that, according to an old joke, the French universities tops the US and UK institutions: on French rankings. It’s a telling example that there is not a single ranking (ARWU, QS, etc) that places IIT among the best 200 universities in the world. People can say that it’s underrated, and I tend to believe this, nevertheless there is no way for such kind of underrating: for many Indians, it’s equal to the top notch US and UK institutions, but no data exist to support this theory. An university can be somehow underrated, but not with 300 places on the world rankings.</p>
<p>The astonishing acceptance rates alone don’t indicate that a university or other institution is a world leader; yes, selectivity mostly equals with quality, but not always, and it’s most certainly not true that because the IIT acceptance rates are a way lower than Harvard’s then IIT surpasses Harvard. There are many special institutions around the globe that have terribly low acceptance rates, yet they are not considered amongst the most prestigious on their fields. </p>
<p>Moreover, as others mentioned, not US and EU students go to IIT, but on the contrary, Indian students came to the US and the EU (and they tend not to return to India, but that’s an other topic). If IIT would be really such an outstanding collection of institutions, then, despite all the hardships, people would like to study there, but in reality, I never ever heard about anyone who tried to do so. My understanding is that IIT is a myth in India, and it’s not just fuelled by the extremely low acceptance rates, but all the institutions, training centres that surrounds the IIT, the whole business that aims (for a considerable fee, of course) to help students to get into IIT. And the legend lives, and spreads, but the fact is, that IIT cannot stand an international comparison: and I’m not speaking about a comparison with Cambridge, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and the like, but with highly regarded state flagships, say, UDub, Wisconsin-Madison, Michigan, not to speak about Berkeley. In fact, the world rankings indicate that IIT is in pair with Kansas State or Clemson. Surely, IIT’s boost some excellent programs in sciences, but the institutions as a whole cannot stand the comparison. Indeed, many IIT alumni can be found in top notch departments, but somehow I think that many Indians can also be found there, who did not received a single degree from any IIT.</p>
<p>I understand all the national pride stuff, but it changes nothing in this matter.</p>