Best Colleges in Kerala: Fees, Admission 2026, Courses, Placements
Kerala has about 2,200+ colleges including private, government, and semi government colleges. Top specialisations offered are BMS, Accounting and Commerce, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, IT and Software, etc. Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, NIT Calicut, University College, Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram, Sacred Heart College, etc are some of the top Kerala colleges. Colleges are affiliated with the University of Kerala, Calicut University, Mahatma Gandhi University, and APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University.
- Best Colleges in Kerala: Top Highlights 2026
- NIRF Ranking 2025 of Top Colleges in Kerala
- Eligibility Criteria to get Admission to Kerala Colleges in 2026
- Top Private Colleges in Kerala
- Top Government Colleges in Kerala
- Stream-wise Colleges in Kerala
- 6.1 Top Business and Management Colleges in Kerala
Kerala has about 2,200+ colleges including private, government, and semi government colleges. Top specialisations offered are BMS, Accounting and Commerce, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, IT and Software, etc. Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, NIT Calicut, University College, Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram, Sacred Heart College, etc are some of the top Kerala colleges. Colleges are affiliated with the University of Kerala, Calicut University, Mahatma Gandhi University, and APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University.
- Best Colleges in Kerala: Top Highlights 2026
- NIRF Ranking 2025 of Top Colleges in Kerala
- Eligibility Criteria to get Admission to Kerala Colleges in 2026
- Top Private Colleges in Kerala
- Top Government Colleges in Kerala
- Stream-wise Colleges in Kerala
- 6.1 Top Business and Management Colleges in Kerala
- 6.2 Top Accounting and Commerce Colleges in Kerala
- 6.3 Top Humanities and Social Sciences colleges in Kerala
- Courses Offered by Kerala Colleges
Best Colleges in Kerala: Top Highlights 2026
The top colleges in Kerala have very high academic standards. The premier colleges NIT Calicut, IIST Thiruvananthapuram and the top govt engineering colleges CET, TKM etc. provide excellent engineering and technical education. Some of the key highlights of the top colleges in Kerala, with all important details, are discussed below. –
| Particulars |
Statistics |
|---|---|
| Total no. of colleges in Kerala |
2,200+ colleges |
| Top streams offered by Kerala colleges |
BMS: 690 Accounting and Commerce: 680+ Humanities: 650+ Science: 590+ IT and Software: 570+ |
| Top institutes in Kerala |
Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, IT Calicut, University College, Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram, etc |
| Accepted entrance exams |
NIRF Ranking 2025 of Top Colleges in Kerala
Rajagiri College of Social Sciences is the top ranked college in Kerala followed by other top colleges like University College, Thiruvananthapuram and Sacred Heart College. Listed below are the top colleges with NIRF rankings 2025 -
| Top Colleges in Kerala |
NIRF 2025 |
|---|---|
| 12 |
|
| 23 |
|
| 44 |
|
| 53 |
|
| 54 |
|
| St Berchmans College (Autonomous), Changanacherry, Kerala Ranking |
56 |
NOTE: The above NIRF rankings have been taken from NIRF official site and may vary.
Eligibility Criteria to get Admission to Kerala Colleges in 2026
Given below is the eligibility criteria for Kerala colleges -
- Candidates must complete their Class 12 with an aggregate of 45% for general and 40% for reserved categories.
- Clear an entrance exam for selected stream like
- Medical: NEET-UG, NEET-PG
Management: CAT, XAT, MAT, etc.
Science: JAM, NET, etc.
Arts & Commerce: Merit lists or university entrance tests.
Source: The above info. been taken from official site and may vary.
Top Private Colleges in Kerala
Here is the table below showing the top private colleges in Kerala with their tuition fees -
| Top Private Colleges | Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
| Rajagiri College of Social Sciences Courses | INR 4,380 - INR 1 lakh |
| Sacred Heart College Courses | INR 13,460 - INR 2.88 lakh |
| St Teresa's College Courses | INR 24,000 - INR 19 lakh |
| Vimala College Courses | INR 3,780 - INR 1.01 lakh |
| Farook College Courses | INR 3,150 - INR 77,000 |
Source: The above tuition fee taken from the official website of the colleges and may vary in the future.
Top Government Colleges in Kerala
Here is the table below showing the top government colleges in Kerala with their tuition fees -
| Top Government Colleges | Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
| NIT Calicut Courses | INR 30,000 - INR 6.25 lakh |
| IIST - Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Courses | INR 1.4 lakh - INR 5 lakh |
| IIT Palakkad Courses | INR 12,000 - INR 8 lakh |
| IIM Kozhikode Courses | INR 7.6 lakh - INR 28 lakh |
| College of Engineering, Trivandrum Courses | INR 13,890 - INR 1.86 lakh |
Stream-wise Colleges in Kerala
Below mentioned content depicts the details of various streams offered by Kerala colleges with detailed information. –
| Top Streams | Top Courses offered by no. of colleges | Top Colleges |
|---|---|---|
| Business and Management Studies | BBA: 500+ MBA: 190+ BBM/BMS: 10+ |
|
| Accounting and Commerce | BCom: 640+ MCom: 300+ |
|
| Humanities and Social Sciences | BA: 570+ MA: 220+ BSc: 100+ BSW: 40+ |
|
| Science | BSc: 520+ MSc: 260+ |
|
| IT & Software | BCA: 420+ MCA: 100 BCom: 60+ |
|
Top Business and Management Colleges in Kerala
Top business and management colleges in Kerala offer top MBA and BBA courses with strong placements, led by the prestigious IIM Kozhikode. Below mentioned are the top BMS colleges in Kerala with tuition fees -
| Top BMS Colleges in Kerala |
Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
| INR 7.6lakh – INR 28 lakh |
|
| INR 3 lakh |
|
| Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi Admission |
INR 67,040 – INR 88,110 |
| MGU Kerala Admission |
INR 37,880 |
| INR 50,000 – INR 7.5 lakh |
Top Accounting and Commerce Colleges in Kerala
Top accounting and commerce colleges in Kerala offer BCom and MCom courses. Kerala colleges offer strong academic programs, often with specialisations in finance, taxation, and professional accounting. Below mentioned are the top colleges -
| Top Accounting Colleges in Kerala |
Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
| INR 3,780 – INR 78,000 |
|
| INR 3,780 |
|
| Yuvakshetra Institute of Management Studies Admission |
INR 54,000 – INR 84,000 |
| ICSI Delhi - Institute of Company Secretaries of India Admission |
INR 4,000 – INR 4 lakh |
| INR 38,680 – INR 1.8 lakh |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Top Humanities and Social Sciences colleges in Kerala
Top Humanities and Social Sciences colleges in Kerala offer diverse programs in arts, social sciences, media, and languages. Check the table below for the top colleges.
| Top Humanities Colleges in Kerala |
Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
| INR 2,190 – INR 90,000 |
|
| INR 14,520 – INR 29,520 |
|
| INR 7,900 – INR 33,720 |
|
| INR 3,780 |
|
| INR 3,780 – INR 84,000 |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Courses Offered by Kerala Colleges
Below mentioned are the detailed info. on the courses offered by various colleges in Kerala –
| Top Streams |
Top Courses Offered |
Top Colleges |
|---|---|---|
| Business and Management |
BBA, MBA, etc. |
690 |
| Accounting and Commerce |
BCom, MCom, etc. |
680+ |
| Medicine |
BPharma, MD, DPharma, MBBS, etc. |
260+ |
| Law |
LLM, LLB, BCom, LLB, BA LLB, etc. |
50+ |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Best Colleges in Kerala: Fees, Admission 2026, Courses, Placements
Commonly asked questions On Best Colleges in Kerala: Fees, Admission 2026, Courses, Placements
CAT is not a mandatory requirement for admission to College of Engineering, Trivandrum. CAT scores are required only for admission to the MBA program offered by the college.
Candidates must take one of the CMAT, CAT, or KMAT tests in order to be considered for enrollment in the M.B.A. programme offered by the CET.
Based on their exam results, they will be shortlisted and contacted for the group discussion and personal interview rounds.
Commonly asked questions On Best Colleges in Kerala: Fees, Admission 2026, Courses, Placements
The requirement of entrance exam varies course-wise. University of Kerala conducts an entrance exam for PG courses. For most of the UG programmes, admission is based on merit in the last qualifying exam. For MBA, the university accepts national or state-level entrance exams such as CAT, CMAT and KMAT. Kerala University furthers calls the shortlisted candidates for group discussion and personal interview rounds for some of the courses such as MBA, MSW, etc.
Commonly asked questions On Best Colleges in Kerala: Fees, Admission 2026, Courses, Placements
Yes, students can join Cochin University of Science and Technology. It is mantary for students to qualify the Class 12 to appear for UG and PG courses. Aspiring canddidates must have to qualify the neligibility criteria set by the institute for thendesired course.
Both the AP LAWCET and CLAT entrance exam are conducted for admission to the Law schools in India, however, the syllabus for these exams are different on many parameters and candidates should strategise differently for both the exams. AP LAWCET exam has sections including Current Affairs, Legal Aptitude, Contract Law, Constitution, etc. and the CLAT entrance exam sections include English Language, Legal Aptitude, Mathematics, etc. AP LAWCET does not have mathematics subjects, AP LAWCET exam focus more on regional knowledge. CLAT generally covers the deeper aspects of the particular subject.
Mahatma Gandhi University Kerala accepts national entrance exams such as MGU CAT, KEAM, CPGET, etc. Mahatma Gandhi University admission process is conducted via online registrations. Candidates must have to qualify the eligibility criteria set by the university for the desired course.