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Top Architecture Colleges in India: Ranking, Fees, Admissions 2026, Placements, Cut Off
About 40+ of the top architecture colleges in India are led by IIT Roorkee, NIT Calicut, CEPT University, Chandigarh University, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, and BMS College of Architecture. These are the tier-1 B.Arch colleges in India, according to NIRF India Rankings 2025: Architecture and Planning category. JEE Main and Advanced (for IITs), JEE Main Paper-2 (for NITs and SPAs), and NATA are the primary entrance exams for B. Arch all over the country. Below, you can find the best colleges, ranks, fees, and placement information.
- Top Architecture Colleges in India: Highlights
- Top Architecture Colleges in India: NIRF 2025
- Eligibility and Admissions for B. Arch at Top Architecture Colleges in India
- Top Architecture Colleges in India: Exam Schedule 2026
- 4.1 NATA Accepting Top Architecture Colleges in India
- 4.2 JEE Main Accepting Top Architecture Colleges in India
- Top 10 Private Architecture Colleges in India with Fees
- ROI of Top Architecture Colleges in India
- Top Government Architecture Colleges in India
- Zone-wise Top Architecture Colleges in India
- 8.1 Top Architecture Colleges in South India
- 8.2 Top Architecture Colleges in North India
- Cost of Studying at Top Architecture Colleges in India
- Top Low-Cost Architecture Colleges in India
- Top Architecture Colleges in India: Comparison 2026
Top Architecture Colleges in India: Highlights
The top architecture colleges in India are located largely in Bangalore and Delhi NCR. See this overview table.
| Parameters |
Details |
|---|---|
| Total No. of Best Architecture Colleges in India |
35+ |
| Tuition Fee Range across Top Architecture Colleges in India |
INR 26,000 to INR 20+ Lakh |
| Best Cities with the most Top Architecture Colleges in India |
Bangalore: 4 Kolkata: 2 |
| Accepted Entrance Exams |
|
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
Top Architecture Colleges in India: NIRF 2025
IIT Roorkee is the No. 1 architecture college in India according to NIRF. NIT Calicut has replaced IIT Kharagpur in 2025 for its architecture degrees. Among the top 10 architecture colleges in India, there are two IITs and 4 NITs. They showcase strong performance in architecture education with excellent institutional quality in terms of teaching, learning infrastructure, and graduation outcomes. Compare ranks over the last 2 years below.
| College Name |
NIRF 2024 |
NIRF 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
1 |
|
| 3 |
2 |
|
| 2 |
3 |
|
| Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur Ranking |
4 |
4 |
| 7 |
5 |
|
| Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology University Ranking |
6 |
6 |
| 9 |
7 |
|
| 5 |
8 |
|
| 8 |
9 |
|
| 10 |
10 |
Note: NIRF is yet to publish rankings for architecture colleges in India in 2026.
Eligibility and Admissions for B. Arch at Top Architecture Colleges in India
The top Architecture colleges in India have these requirements.
- UG: Completed Class 12 with a minimum of 60% aggregate marks with PCM. Clearing an entrance exam like NATA, JEE Main, JEE Main Paper-2, etc.
- PG: Finished a UG degree with a minimum of 60% aggregate
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
Top Architecture Colleges in India: Exam Schedule 2026
Admissions to B. Arch courses in IITs require JEE Main, JEE Advanced, and Architecture Aptitude Test (AAT). The NITs and SPAs require the JEE Main Paper 2 entrance exam only. The top private architecture colleges and some state government institutions recognised by the Council of Architecture (CoA) require NATA for B. Arch admissions.
| Exam Name | Exam Schedule |
|---|---|
| JEE Main | JEE Main Schedule |
| JEE Advanced | JEE Advanced Schedule |
| NATA | NATA Schedule |
| JEE Main Paper 2 | JEE Main Paper-2 Schedule |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
NATA Accepting Top Architecture Colleges in India
Top Architecture colleges in India accepting NATA scores include top colleges like IIT Roorkee, IIEST Shibpur, CEPT University, Jamia Millia Islamia, etc. Candidates can see the table below for the top Architecture colleges in India accepting NATA scores with tuition fees -
| Top Colleges | Average Course Fees |
|---|---|
| IIT Roorkee | INR 10 Lakh |
| IIEST Shibpur | INR 6.25 Lakh |
| CEPT University | INR 22.75 Lakh |
| Jamia Millia Islamia | INR 80,750 |
| VNIT Nagpur | INR 6.25 Lakh |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
JEE Main Accepting Top Architecture Colleges in India
Top Architecture colleges accepting JEE Main scores in India include IITs like Kharagpur, Roorkee, NITs like Trichy, Calicut, Nagpur, Rourkela, School of Planning & Architecture like SPA Delhi, Bhopal, Vijayawada, IIEST Shibpur, and BIT Mesra, offering BArch courses through JoSAA counselling.
| Top Colleges | Average Course Fees |
|---|---|
| IIT Kharagpur - Indian Institute of Technology | INR 10.00 Lakh |
| NIT Calicut - National Institute of Technology | INR 6.25 Lakh |
| IIEST Shibpur - Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology | INR 6.25 Lakh |
| SPA Delhi - School of Planning and Architecture | INR 4.00 Lakh |
| NIT Trichy - National Institute of Technology | INR 6.25 Lakh |
| NIT Rourkela - National Institute of Technology | INR 6.25 Lakh |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
Top 10 Private Architecture Colleges in India with Fees
The best private architecture college in India is Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology University in Ahmedabad, according to NIRF. In the latest India Today-MDRA rankings in 2026, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra ranks at the top among top private colleges for architecture. Similarly, THE WEEK-Hansa Research survey 2026 ranks Manipal School of Architecture and Planning, Manipal Academy of Higher Education as the best. This table compiles the top 10 private architecture colleges in India with fees from all three ranking surveys.
| Private Colleges |
Total Tuition Fees |
|---|---|
| CEPT University B.Arch | INR 22.75 Lakh |
| Chandigarh University B.Arch | INR 11.10 Lakh |
| INR 13.75 Lakh |
|
| Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra B.Arch | INR 18.43 Lakh |
| Manipal School of Architecture and Planning, MAHE B.Arch | INR 13.6 Lakh |
| Amity University Noida B.Arch | INR 15.3 Lakh |
| School of Art and Architecture, Sushant University B.Arch | INR 18 Lakh |
| LPU B.Arch | INR 12 lakh |
| Nirma University B.Arch | INR 15 Lakh |
| RV College of Architecture B.Arch | INR 14.1 Lakh |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
ROI of Top Architecture Colleges in India
These are the best ROI colleges for architecture in India.
| College Names |
Total Tuition Fees |
Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| INR 10 lakh | INR 10 LPA | |
| INR 10.00 Lakh | INR 12.33 LPA | |
| INR 6.25 Lakh | INR 4.65 LPA | |
| IIEST Shibpur B.Arch Placement | INR 6.25 Lakh | INR 5.75 LPA |
| Jamia Millia Islamia B.Arch Placement | INR 98,000+ | INR 6.00 LPA |
| SPA Bhopal - School of Planning and Architecture B.Arch Placement | INR 2.50 Lakh | INR 6.00 LPA |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
Top Government Architecture Colleges in India
The top government Architecture colleges in India consistently include IIT Roorkee, IIT Kharagpur, and SPA Delhi, often followed by NIT Calicut, NIT Trichy, and other SPAs like Bhopal and Vijayawada.
| Government Colleges |
Total Average Course Fees |
|---|---|
| INR 10 Lakh |
|
| INR 6.25 Lakh |
|
| INR 10 Lakh |
|
| IIEST Shibpur B.Arch | INR 6.25 Lakh |
| Jamia Millia Islamia B.Arch | INR 98,000+ |
| INR 4 Lakh |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
Zone-wise Top Architecture Colleges in India
See which of the regions in India have the top colleges for architecture.
Top Architecture Colleges in South India
Find more info by clicking the course links of the top Architecture colleges in Tamil Nadu. Get an idea of the tuition fee.
| College Name | Average Course Fees |
|---|---|
| Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Centre Courses | INR 5 Lakh |
| Thiagarajar College of Engineering Courses | INR 1.54 Lakh |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
Top Architecture Colleges in North India
Delhi NCR has some of the highest ranking colleges, but you can also check courses offered by top Architecture colleges in Punjab.
| College Name | Average Course Fees |
|---|---|
| CU Courses | INR 11.1 Lakh |
| Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Courses | INR 9.40 Lakh |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
Cost of Studying at Top Architecture Colleges in India
The top Architecture colleges in India have fees of more than INR 5 lakh.
| Fee Range |
No. of Colleges |
Popular Colleges |
|---|---|---|
| Less than INR 1 Lakh | 3 | Faculty of Architecture and Ekistics JMI, College of Engineering Trivandrum |
| INR 1-2 Lakh | 2 | Chandigarh College of Architecture |
| INR 2-3 Lakh | 3 | SPA Delhi, SPA Bhopal, SPA Vijaywada |
| INR 3-5 Lakh | 3 | BMS College of Architecture, Ramaiah Institute of Technology |
| More than INR 5 Lakh | 27 | IIT Roorkee, NIT Calicut, IIT Kharagpur, NIT Trichy, etc. |
Top Low-Cost Architecture Colleges in India
Some low-fee institutes that have fees less than INR 1 Lakh are here.
| College Name | Average Course Fees | NIRF Ranking 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Jamia Millia Islamia Fees | INR 96,625 | 5 |
| College of Engineering, Trivandrum Fees | INR 34,730 | 15 |
| Jadavpur University Fees | INR 26,050 | 16 |
IIT Roorkee - Indian Institute of Technology
NIT Calicut - National Institute of Technology
IIT Kharagpur - Indian Institute of Technology
IIEST Shibpur - Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology
Jamia Millia Islamia
Commonly asked questions On Top Architecture Colleges in India: Ranking, Fees, Admissions 2026, Placements, Cut Off
There are approximately 35+ Architecture colleges in India. Students can pursue their education in Architecture at 20 government and 16 private top-ranked Architecture colleges in India. Some popular colleges are IIT Roorkee, NIT Calicut, IIT Kharagpur, NIT Trichy, SPA Delhi, CEPT University, NIT Rourkela, IIEST Shibpur, etc.
IIT Roorkee emerged to be as the top ranked Architecture college in India as per NIRF ranking 2025. Some of the top-ranked Architecture colleges in India, based on the NIRF 2025 rankings, are given in the table below:
College Name | NIRF 2023 | NIRF 2024 | NIRF 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 1 | |
2 | 3 | 2 | |
3 | 2 | 3 | |
Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur Ranking | 10 | 4 | 4 |
6 | 7 | 5 | |
Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology University Ranking | 7 | 6 | 6 |
8 | 9 | 7 | |
5 | 5 | 8 | |
4 | 8 | 9 | |
12 | 10 | 10 |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Watch the video below to get the complete details:
The top Architecture college in India for the year 2025 can be determined based on the ranking released by The Week for the year 2025. The list of the top 10 Architecture colleges is given in the table below:
| College Name | The Week 2025 Ranking |
|---|---|
| IIT Roorkee - Indian Institute of Technology | 2 |
| Faculty of Architecture and Ekistics, Jamia Millia Islamia | 3 |
| SPA Vijayawada - School of Planning and Architecture | 5 |
| SPA Bhopal - School of Planning and Architecture | 6 |
| Manipal School of Architecture and Planning, Manipal Academy of Higher Education | 7 |
| University of Mysore | 8 |
| Faculty of Architecture—Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University | 9 |
| Amity University, Noida | 11 |
| BMS College of Architecture | 12 |
| RV College of Architecture | 14 |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official websites of the ranking bodies.
CEPT University
NIT Rourkela - National Institute of Technology
SPA Delhi - School of Planning and Architecture
NIT Trichy - National Institute of Technology
VNIT Nagpur - Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology
SPA Bhopal - School of Planning and Architecture
MNIT Jaipur - Malaviya National Institute of Technology
NIT Patna - National Institute of Technology
Commonly asked questions On Top Architecture Colleges in India: Ranking, Fees, Admissions 2026, Placements, Cut Off
Joining the top ranked Architecture colleges in India can be worthwhile for you. Candidates can check the ROI of each college by comparing tuition fees and average salary. Listed below are the top colleges with fees and salary of the top colleges -
College Names | Total Average Course Fees | Average Salary Package |
|---|---|---|
| INR 10 lakh | INR 10 LPA | |
| INR 10.00 Lakh | INR 12.33 LPA | |
| INR 6.25 Lakh | INR 4.65 LPA | |
| IIEST Shibpur Courses | INR 6.25 Lakh | INR 5.75 LPA |
| Jamia Millia Islamia Courses | INR 96,625 | INR 6.00 LPA |
| SPA Bhopal - School of Planning and Architecture Courses | INR 2.50 Lakh | INR 6.00 LPA |
Source: Official site and may vary.
India is home to around 20+ government top colleges for Architecture in India. Some of them are mentioned below with their average course fees and NIRF ranking for 2025:
Government Colleges | Total Average Course Fees | NIRF 2025 Rank |
|---|---|---|
INR 10 Lakh | 1 | |
INR 6.25 Lakh | 2 | |
INR 10 Lakh | 3 | |
| IIEST Shibpur Admission | INR 6.25 Lakh | 4 |
| Jamia Millia Islamia Admission | INR 96,625 | 5 |
INR 4 Lakh | 8 |
Source: Official site and may vary.
The table below shows the top Architecture colleges accepting NATA scores in India along with their tuition fees:
| Top Colleges | Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
| IIT Roorkee | INR 10 lakh |
| IIEST Shibpur | INR 6 lakh |
| CEPT University | INR 17 lakh |
| Jamia Millia Islamia | INR 81,000 |
| VNIT Nagpur | INR 6 lakh |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website.
College of Engineering, Trivandrum
Jadavpur University
MANIT - Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology
SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur
SPA Vijayawada - School of Planning and Architecture
BMS College of Architecture
Manipal University, Jaipur
Commonly asked questions On Top Architecture Colleges in India: Ranking, Fees, Admissions 2026, Placements, Cut Off
Yes, there are about 17 private Architecture colleges in India. Private colleges are expensive than government colleges as they modern infrastructure, great faculty with good placements offered. Some of the colleges are mentioned below with fees and NIRF ranking 2025 -
Private Colleges | Total Average Course Fees | NIRF 2025 Rank |
|---|---|---|
| CEPT University Admission | INR 22.75 Lakh | 6 |
| Chandigarh University Admission | INR 11.10 Lakh | 14 |
INR 13.75 Lakh | 18 | |
| Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra Admission | INR 18.43 Lakh | 22 |
| LPU Admission | INR 12 lakh | 24 |
| Nirma University Admission | INR 1.38 Lakh | 29 |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Gor admission to the top BArch courses in India, Candidates must have passed Class 12 with Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects, along with one optional subject like in Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science, etc., securing at least 50% aggregate marks.
Candidates must have passed NATA or JEE Main entrance exam.
Source: External site and may vary.
Yes, NATA or JEE Main Paper 2 is compulsory for Architecture, and is generally mandatory for admission to most recognised B.Arch) programs in India, as per Council of Architecture (CoA) regulations, to assess aptitude for the course. While NATA covers a broad range of colleges, prestigious institutions like some IITs and NITs might use JEE Main Paper 2.
Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University
LPU - Lovely Professional University
Amity University, Kolkata
Zakir Husain College of Engineering and Technology, Aligarh Muslim University
Manipal School of Architecture and Planning, Manipal Academy of Higher Education
School of Architecture and Planning, Anna University
Nirma University
NIT Hamirpur - National Institute of Technology
Ramaiah Institute of Technology
Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute
Thiagarajar College of Engineering
Christ - Kengeri Campus
NIT Raipur - National Institute of Technology
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University
Chitkara School of Planning and Architecture, Chitkara University, Chandigarh
AKTU - Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University (UPTU)
Anant National University
Other popular Architecture & Planning colleges in India
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