Top Colleges in Chennai: Fees, Admission 2026, Courses, Eligibility

Loyola College emerged to be as the top ranked college in Chennai. This college offer various courses in various streams. Candidates can see the table below for the top ranked colleges in Chennai with NIRF ranking 2025 -

Top Colleges in Chennai	NIRF 2023	NIRF 2024	NIRF 2025
Presidency College Ranking	7	8	14
Presidency College Ranking	3	13	15
Madras Christian College Ranking	16	14	16

Source: Official site and may vary.

According to the College Prospectus, 100% placement was recorded in the Department of LIAC (Loyola - International Academic Collaboration) during the placement drive 2025. The highest package offered in 2025 was 9 LPA. In 2024, the highest package was 22.5 LPA. 

There are about 800+ top colleges are there in Chennai in top streams like BMS, IT & Software, Engineering, Science, Medicine & Health Sciences, Accounting & Commerce, Himanitites, and many others. IIT Madras, SRM IST Kattankulathur, Loyola College, Madras Christian College, Presidency College, Anna University, etc. are the top colleges in Chennai.

GATE, JEE Main, JEE Advanced, NEET, NEET PG, TANCET, etc. are some of the top entrance exam accepted in various stream in top colleges in Chennai.

SRM University conducts SRM JEE exam for admission to Engineering courses. The university does not accept scores for any other entrance exams. Also, direct admission is not valid either. Candidates are shortlisted for BTech and M.Tech based on their past academic records and scores obtained in the entrance exam. 

To sit for the respective exams, candidates must apply for the exams priorly and make a preparation strategy to ace the exam. 

Yes, IIT Madras is known as a tier 1 college. IIT Madras is known as an 'Institute of Eminence'. The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (Chennai IIT Madras or IITM) was established in 1959 as a public technical & research university. It is the third IIT to be set up by the Government of India & is autonomous in nature. Chennai IIT Campus, through its various departments, offers various full-time/ part-time/ online courses at postgrduate, undergrdauate, & doctoral levels across the Engineering, Science,  Humanities,  Management,  and various other streams. The available flagship programmes are BTech and MBA.

The admission process of top colleges in Chennai are mentioned below -

• Must have passed Class 12.
• Candidates applying for BA, BCom, and BSc must have passed Class 12 with the minimum marks required for each course.
• There is no age limit for UG courses

 

Listed below are the top stream-wise colleges in Chennai with top colleges and courses -

Top Streams	Top Courses	Top Colleges
Business & Management Studies	MBS/PGDM: 204 colleges BBA: 162 colleges	IIT Madras, SRM IST Kattankulathur, SIMTS Chennai, etc.
IT & Software	BCA: 119 colleges MCA: 79 colleges BTech/MTech: 76 colleges	Loyola College, MCC, Women's Christian College, etc.
Engineering	BTech: 146 colleges MTech: 105 colleges	IIT Madras, SRM IST Kattankulathur, SSN College of Engineering, etc.
Medicine & Health Science	MBBS: 21 colleges MD: 26 colleges BPharma: 19 colleges MPharma: 17 colleges	SRM Dental College, Ramapuram Campus, Chennai, SRIHER Chennai, Madras Medical College, Chennai, etc.
Humanities & Social Science	BA: 104 colleges MA: 69 colleges BSc: 38 colleges MSc: 20 colleges	Loyola College, MCC, Presidency College, Stella Maris College, etc.

Source: Official site and may vary.

The admission process of Loyola College is merit and entrance-based. Candidates are shortlisted based on their merit in the last qualifying examination or college-level entrance test for PG courses. Aspirants must also meet eligibility for admission.

According to the College Prospectus, 100% placement was recorded in the Department of LIAC (Loyola - International Academic Collaboration) during the placement drive 2025. The highest package offered in 2025 was 9 LPA. In 2024, the highest package was 22.5 LPA. 

Loyola College Chennai is ranked 8 among the top 10 colleges in India by NIFR 2024 ranking and is accredited with an A+ grade by NAAC. The college is also awarded the status of 'College of Excellence' by UGC. The college offers more than 50 UG, PG, and PhD courses in the fields of Science, Computers & IT, Management, Arts & Humanities, Accounting & Commerce, etc. Loyola College admission to UG courses is merit-based, except for Media courses, where students need to qualify for the Loyola Visual Aptitude Test (LoVAT). Similarly, admission to PG courses is done through a college-based PG entrance test. Loyola College offers various facilities to its students. The college has a central and digital library, boys and girls hostel, prayer room, health centre, food court, wifi, recreational centre, sports, pavilion and gymnasium. The college also offers good placement opportunities. As per the latest placement statistics, 517 UG (3-year) and 154 PG (2-year) students were placed during Loyola College placements 2022. The median package offered to UG (3-year) and PG (2-year) students stood at INR 4.09 LPA and INR 5.86 LPA, respectively.

Candidates can check the table below for the key features of the top colleges in Chennai -

Particulars	Statistics
Total no. of colleges in Chennai	800+ colleges
Top institutes in Chennai	IIT Madras, SRM IST Kattankulathur, Loyola College, Madras Christian College, etc.
Top Streams offered by Chennai colleges	BMS: 330+ IT & Software: 300+ Engineering: 200+ Science: 180+ Medical & Health Sciences: 160+
Accepted entrance exams	GATE, JEE Main, SRMJEE, CAT, MAT, etc.

Source: Official site and may vary.

 

The lowest package offered during SSN College of Engineering BTech and MTech placements 2025 stood at INR 3.30 LPA. Further, the branch-wise lowest salary trends witnessed during SSN College of Engineering BTech and MTech placements over the past three years are presented below:

Particulars	Lowest Package (2023)	Lowest Package (2024)	Lowest Package (2025)
BME	INR 3.50 LPA	INR 3.60 LPA	INR 3.30 LPA
Chemcical	INR 3.50 LPA	INR 3 LPA	INR 4 LPA
Civil	INR 3 LPA	INR 3 LPA	INR 4 LPA
CSE	INR 3.50 LPA	INR 3 LPA	INR 3.30 LPA
ECE	INR 3 LPA	INR 3 LPA	INR 3.30 LPA
EEE	INR 3 LPA	INR 3 LPA	INR 3.30 LPA
IT	INR 3.90 LPA	INR 3 LPA	INR 3.30 LPA
Mech	INR 3 LPA	INR 3 LPA	INR 3.30 LPA

 

Joining the top colleges in Chennai in top streams can be worthwhile for you. Candidates can check the table below for the top colleges with tuition fees and average salary -

College Name	Total Tuition Fee	Average Placement Package
IIT Madras Courses	INR 18,000 - INR 10 lakh	INR 7.2 LPA - INR 46 LPA
SRM IST Kattankulathur Courses	INR 5,500 - INR 1.35 Cr.	INR 5.1 LPA - INR 5.95 LPA
Loyola College Courses	INR 53,040 - INR 5.08 lakh	INR 4.4 LPA - INR 4.6 LPA
Madras Christian College Courses	INR 13,000 - INR 1.27 lakh	INR 3 LPA - INR 4 LPA
Stella Maris College Courses	INR 12,300 - INR 5.16 lakh	INR 2.4 LPA - INR 4 LPA

Source: Official site and may vary.

To get admission in SSN College of Engineering, students need to check the eligibility first. Eligible students can apply online. The college will then shortlist students based on admission criteria. Selected students need to pay admission fees. Final admission is offered after verification.

Anna University through its 4 department campuses offers various UG and PG programmes. Admission to the Anna University courses is offered on the basis of merit or entrance exams. Tabulated below are a few popular courses offered by Anna University along with total tuition fee and eligibility criteria:

Courses	Total Tuition Fees	Eligibility
BE / BTech	INR 17,800 - INR 13 lakh	Class 12: 45-60 % Exams :CBSE 12th, TNEA
MBA/PGDM	INR 12,000 - INR 8 lakh	Class 12: 50-60 % Graduation: 45-60 % Exams: TANCET, MBA, MAT
ME / MTech	INR 40,000 - INR 7.8 lakh	Class 12: 45 % Graduation: 50-60 % Exams: TANCET, GATE
BArch	INR 2.5 lakh - INR 5 lakh	Class 12: 50 % Exams: JEE Main
MArch	INR 50,000 - INR 2 lakh	Graduation: 50 % Exams: TANCET, GATE

Candidates can click here to know more about the courses offered by Anna University.

MBBS-The institute has a well-established reputation for producing successful doctors through its MBBS program. Through its affiliated tertiary care hospital, it offers considerable clinical experience. A curriculum based on credits and problem-based learning is used in the MBBS program.
BDS-Saveetha is regarded as having one of the top dental programs in the nation. Improved practical knowledge in dentistry is the aim of the BDS program. It provides training in cutting-edge dental procedures and has highly skilled faculty.
MDS: The Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) programme at Saveetha Institute is highly esteemed. Modern dentistry equipment and MDS instrumentation labs are available at the institute.
Bachelor of Technology Biotechnology: This school also boasts a well regarded biotechnology engineering department. Industrial process engineering and genetic engineering are the main topics of study.

Madras School of Social Work has been rated 3.4 on Infrastructure parameter. Institute has a well supported campus with facilities such as Auditorium, Boys Hostel, Cafeteria, Girls Hostel, Hostel, Labs, Library, Shuttle Service, Wi-Fi Campus. Madras School of Social Work has also been rated 4.2 for Campuslife.

Queen Marys College has a rating of 4.11 for the Faculty by students. This shows that the institute has qualified, and experienced faculty members.

Ethiraj College for Women (Ethiraj) has been rated 4.1 on Infrastructure parameter. Institute has a well supported campus with facilities such as Auditorium, Boys Hostel, Cafeteria, Girls Hostel, Gym, Hospital / Medical Facilities, Hostel, Labs, Library, Shuttle Service, Sports Complex. Ethiraj College for Women (Ethiraj) has also been rated 4.5 for Campuslife.

Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R and D Institute of Science and Technology provides various programmes and specialisations to students. These courses are available in different streams. For obtaining Vel Tech admission, candidates are selected on the basis of entrance tests. For further details, candidates may visit the official website and learn more regarding the eligibility details for their preferred course choice. Accepted exams include VTUEEE, CLAT, TANCET, etc.

No, students can not get direct admission at Chennai Institute of Technology. The institute accepts admission based on entrance exams. Admission to BTech is offered under the TNEA counselling where a candidate has to furnish Class 12 certificate with an aggregate mark of 45 per cent. In case of MTech, the students should have a UG/PG course relevant and they should qualify in either the GATE or CEETA PG. 

SRM Easwari Engineering College provides various programmes and specialisations to students. These courses are available in different streams. For obtaining SRMEEC Chennai admission, candidates are selected on the basis of entrance tests. For further details, candidates may visit the official website and learn more regarding the eligibility details for their preferred course choice. Accepted exams include TANCET, GATE, CEETA, etc.

Hindustan College of Engineering, established in 1985 is a private college and is located in Kelambakkam, Chennai. The college was conferred the status of a university under the name Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS). It is a deemed-to-be University recognised by the UGC, the AICTE, the AIMA, the SAE International, AIAA,  and is a member of AIU and is accredited by the IAO, NAAC with an 'A' Grade,  and NBA. 

According to Shiksha verified reviews, for the faculty Guru Nanak College have rating of 4.36. It represents that Institute has good, qualified and experienced faculty members.