Best Archaeology Colleges in India - Courses, Fees, Admissions 2026
Best Archaeology Colleges in India - Courses, Fees, Admissions 2026
Commonly asked questions On Best Archaeology Colleges in India - Courses, Fees, Admissions 2026
About 60+ best Archaeology colleges are there in India, of which 52 are government-owned, 6 are owned privately, and 3 are owned by semi-government institutions. CUET and CUET-PG are the top entrance exams for admission to the best Archeology colleges in India. The top Archaeology colleges in India are Kerala University, BHU, University of Madras, and MSU, etc.
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The table here gives some top Archaeology college options in India
| College Name | Tuition Fee | Eligibility / Exams |
|---|---|---|
| Calcutta University | INR 2,400 - INR 12,000 | Merit-Based |
| Kerala University | INR 3,360 | Merit-Based |
| BHU | INR 9,530 - INR 20,000 | CUET-PG |
| University of Madras | INR 3,000 - INR 68,000 | Merit-Based |
| St. Xavier's College Mumbai | INR 72,500 | Merit-Based |
Note - This information is taken from the official website and may vary.
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Hope this helps!
Yes, you can get admission to best Archaeology colleges in India without any entrance exam but it is advised to go for entrance exams like CUET PG to increase your chances of getting into most colleges. However you can refer below for the best Archaeology colleges in India that accept students on merit-basis:
| College Name | Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
| MSU | - |
| K J Somaiya Institute of Dharma Studies | INR 15,000 |
| Tamil Nadu Open University | INR 3,500 |
| Maharaja's College | INR 41,580 |
| Dr. Ram Manohar Lahia Avadh University | - |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.
Hope this helps!
As the Arts & Humanities stream is mostly preferred by students to pursue a graduate degree course in Archaeology, it is not an essential requirement. Most of the top universities in India do not demand a stream specification in 12th board for taking admission to their BA Archaeology program.
So, to answer your question, yes. You can pursue an undergraduate course in Archaeology after completing your 12th class in Science stream or any stream.
The St Xavier’s College Mumbai admission process depends on its affiliating University or the University of Mumbai. Interested students must apply through the university page and choose St Xavier’s College Mumbai as their preference. Though students can apply directly for Certificate or Diploma courses.
Commonly asked questions On Best Archaeology Colleges in India - Courses, Fees, Admissions 2026
You can refer below for the top specialisations offered by best Archaeology colleges in India.
| Top Specialisations | No. of Colleges |
|---|---|
| Ancient History | 20+ |
| Indian Cuisine & Culture | 2 |
| Heritage Management | 2 |
Note - The information is taken from the official website of the college.
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No, Archaeology courses aren't necessarily expensive. In fact, there are 49 colleges where it is offered at a course fee of less than INR 1 Lakh. Some colleges with low tuition fees have been mentioned in the table below:
| College Name | Average Tuition Fees |
|---|---|
| Utkal University of Culture Fees | INR 1,200 |
| Central University of Haryana Fees | INR 2,000 |
| Calcutta University Fees | INR 2,400-12,000 |
| Visva Bharati University Fees | INR 2,400-2,520 |
| UNIRAJ (University of Rajasthan) Fees | INR 2,410 |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.
The colleges with the highest placement after Archaeology courses have been mentioned below, along with their average placement salary and top recruiters.
| College Name | Average Placement Salary | Top Recruiters |
|---|---|---|
| Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Solapur University Placement | INR 14.86 LPA | Cipla, Lupin, Infosys, TCS, etc. |
| Calcutta University Placement | INR 9.2 LPA | IDBI Bank, HDFC Bank, YesBank, Bank of India, etc. |
| 3 Hindu University Placement | INR 9 LPA | IBM, Infosys, Wipro, Genpact, etc. |
| Acharya Nagarjuna University Placement | INR 8 LPA | Amazon, Deloitte, Cognizant, etc. |
| Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi Placement | INR 7.5 LPA | American Express, Info Edge, EY, HCL Technologies, etc. |
| Tumkur University Placement | INR 7.2 LPA | Wipro, IBM, etc. |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.
Archaeology field provides various career aspects at graduate level, post graduate level and PhD level. It depends on where you are at right now and what type of career you wish to pursue as an archaeologist. Let's make it clear for you by categorizing on different levels.
Graduate Level – You can take admission to BA Archaeology courses after qualifying your class 12th board with at least 50% marks. Complete your 3-years degree programme in archaeology at your preferred college. You can choose careers as assistant professor, assistant researcher or consultant archaeologist.
Post-Graduate Level – After completing undergraduate course in Archaeology, you can go for post-graduation which is a 2 years course and contains more detailed study in Archaeology field. A post-graduate degree in archaeology offers associate level career opportunities.
PhD Level – 5-years doctoral research programme in Archaeology allows deeper research scope in your specialised with a chance to publish your research work. At this level, you can opt for advance career jobs as research specialist, heritage manager, archivist, museum manager, and others.
Lucknow University has a huge campus of 219.01 acres and provides modern facilities to students. Some of the facilities provided by the university are listed below:
- Well-stocked library
- Media and Entertainment Lab
- Seminar halls
- Indoor Sports Ground
- Medical facilities
Commonly asked questions On Best Archaeology Colleges in India - Courses, Fees, Admissions 2026
Hi, please refer below for the top courses offered by best Archaeology colleges in India:
| Courses | No. of Colleges |
|---|---|
| MA | 55 |
| BA | 14 |
| PG Diploma | 12 |
| MSc | 2 |
| UG Diploma | 2 |
Hope this answered your question!
I think the course fee for Archeology in India is generally inexpensive. The costliest Archaeology college comes in a range of around 1.5 lakh rupees.
| Colleges Name | Average Course Fees |
|---|---|
| St. Xavier's College, Mumbai | INR 72,500 |
| Karnataka University, Dharwad | INR 15,800 |
| MSU Baroda | INR 16,460 - 22,590 |
| Banaras Hindu University | INR 25,160 |
| University of Madras | INR 3,000 - 68,000 |
Note - The information is taken from the official website and may vary.
CUET PG is the top entrance exam for admission to best Archaeology colleges in India followed by CUET, Andhra Pradesh PGCET, IPU CET, etc.
Here are some top Archaeology book recommendations for you
- Handbook of Archaeology by Tejas Chadha and Dipankar Agarwal.
- Pre-Historic Archaeology by D K Bhattacharya.
- Archaeology: The Essential Guide to Our Human Past by Paul Bahn.
- Ancient Lives: An Introduction To Archaeology And Prehistory by Brian M. Facan.
- Spooky Archaeology: Myth and the Science of the Past by Jeb J. Card.
- Michel Foucault's Archaeology of Western Culture.
This University offers various undergraduate, postgraduate, undergraduate diploma, postgraduate diploma, and certificate programmes in and research programmes in professional and academic faculty of Arts, Commerce, Law, Science, Journalism, Library Science, and Education. Some of the names of these courses include BTech, BBA, MBA, BCom, BSc, MSc, MA, BA, BPT, LLM, etc.
Commonly asked questions On Best Archaeology Colleges in India - Courses, Fees, Admissions 2026
Archaeologists can look deeply into specific aspects of human history and cultural heritage thanks to these specializations. People may decide to specialize in one or more of these categories, depending on the place, era, or kind of archaeological site of interest.
Candidates can check the table to learn about Archaeology specializations
Specializations in Archaeology | |
|---|---|
Indian Cuisine & Culture | Environmental Archaeology |
Battlefield Archaeology | Heritage Management |
Experimental Archaeology | Urban Archaeology |
Marine Archaeology | Ancient History |
Disclaimer: The information given in the above table is taken from external sources and may vary.
There is no age limit to pursue MA Archaeology course. You can pursue this course at any age. The colleges and entrance exam conducting bodies do not prescribe any minimum or maximum age limit for you to pursue MA Archeology course. Some colleges especially private colleges may have their own eligibility rules. So, it is better if you check the individual college's eligibility criteria before applying. Make sure that you satisfy other eligibility parameters such as academic qualifications and marks criteria.
You need to have excellent research skills, the ability to work methodically, planning & project management skills, an interest in History & research, cultural awareness, and so on to become an Archaeologist. These skills will help you succeed in your field.
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Patna University has 100+ faculty members such as Science, Humanities, Social Science, Commerce, Education, and Law. Most of these faculty members have master's and PhD level degrees from top colleges. Moreover, the faculty members have a minimum of 6+ years of experience.
For Visva Bharati University admissions to various UG & PG courses, candidates have to fulfil the minimum eligibility criteria, followed by the other selection rounds. Find below the course-wise eligibility and selection criteria related to Visva Bharati University course admissions 2025:
| Course Name | Eligibility | Selection Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| BSc | Class 12 with 50% | CUET |
| BA | Class 12 with 45% | CUET |
| MSc | Graduation with 45% | ICAR AIEEA, CUET-PG |
| MA | Graduation with 45% | CUET PG |
| UG Diploma | Class 12 | CUET |
Commonly asked questions On Best Archaeology Colleges in India - Courses, Fees, Admissions 2026
B.Tech at Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University is a reputable, affordable, NAAC 'A' graded central university option in Uttarakhand featuring 80% placements with top recruiters like TCS & HCL. Program provides good infrastructure & hostel facilities for tuition fees ranging from INR 67000 to INR 88000.
Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith offers all the necessary campus facilities to its students. Some of the facilities include:
- Well-equipped classrooms
- Library
- Sports and medical facilities
- Labs
National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) is generally considered a Tier 1 institution. The university has an academic reputation as it has been accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with an A grade and recognised by the UGC. NFSU offers a wide range of programs from Diploma to doctoral levels in various forensic disciplines.
Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University (PRSU) has over 215 faculty members in various schools of PSRU. Some of the names of these schools include School of Studies in Environmental Science, School of Studies in Electronics and Photonics, School of Studies in History, School of Studies in Psychology, Renewable Energy Technology & Management, etc. Most of these faculty members have a doctoral degree with good teaching experience.
Admissions to NEHU Shillong is offered on the basis of merit and valid scores of accepted entrance exams. Candidates must secure a minimum aggregate in Class 12 for admission to UG level courses. Whereas, for PG level courses, candidates must secure valid scores in accepted entrance exams such as JEE Main, CUET UG/PG, CAT/MAT/AIMA and other national-level examinations suitable for the chosen course.
Archaeology Applications open till Apr 18, 2026. Apply Now