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Top Universities in India 2026: Ranking, Admission, Fees, Placements
For studying science, choose from 180+ top universities in India. NIRF annually ranks these under the University category. Here, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore is the No. 1 university in India. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi and Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) in Manipal take the second and third spots. In addition to NIRF, you can also find listings of global rankings surveys, such as the QS World University Rankings, which ranks IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, and IIT Madras, which also have various science programmes other than engineering. Getting admission into these requires clearing national-level entrances, including IAT, JEE Advanced, or similar. Top private universities, including MAHE, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, and SRM Institute of Science and Technology, will have in-house entrances, and they can be relatively easier to crack. Learn more below.
- Top Universities in India: Highlights 2026
- Top 10 Universities in India: NIRF
- Top Universities in India: QS World University Ranking 2026
- Eligibility Criteria for Top Universities in India 2026
- Entrance Exams Accepted in Top Universities in India 2026
- Top Private Universities in India for Science
- ROI of Top Universities in India
- Top Universities in India under INR 1 lakh
- Top Government Universities in India
- Specialisations Offered by Top Universities in India
- Top Universities in India: Comparison 2026
Top Universities in India: Highlights 2026
The table below gives you a broad overview of the best locations, fee ranges, entrance exams, and most popular science programmes at the top universities in India. Based on NIRF listings, you have the highest number of top-ranked universities in Delhi NCR, followed by Chennai. And, it is common for only some of the premier central government universities, like JNU, to be very affordable. But do note that science specialisations, including Agriculture, Biotechnology, Physics, and Computer Science, will have different fee ranges from the same universities.
| Parameters |
Details |
|---|---|
| Total no. of Top Universities in India (NIRF) |
180+ (NIRF) |
| Total Tuition Fee Range at Top Indian Universities for Science |
~ INR 430 to INR 30+ Lakh |
| Popular Locations for Top Universities |
Delhi NCR: 19 |
| Specialisations in Top Indian Universities |
|
| Accepted Entrance Exams |
IAT, CUET, JEE Advanced, etc |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Top 10 Universities in India: NIRF
The Indian Institute of Science is the best university in India, according to NIRF. This is a top 10 list of the top universities ranked by the same, compared with rankings from 2024.
| Top Universities |
NIRF 2024 | NIRF 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | 2 | |
| 4 | 3 | |
| 3 | 4 | |
| 6 | 5 | |
| 5 | 6 | |
| BITS Pilani Ranking | 19 | 7 |
| 7 | 8 | |
| 9 | 9 | |
| Aligarh Muslim University Ranking | 8 | 10 |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Top Universities in India: QS World University Ranking 2026
In the QS World University ranking 2026, IIT Delhi leads India as 123rd ranks globally followed by IIT Bombay and IIT Madras.
| College Name | QS World University Ranking 2026 |
|---|---|
| IIT Delhi | 123 |
| IIT Bombay | 129 |
| IIT Madras | 180 |
| IIT Kharagpur | 215 |
| IISc | 219 |
| IIT Kanpur | 222 |
| DU | 328 |
| IIT Guwahati | 334 |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Eligibility Criteria for Top Universities in India 2026
The general eligibility criteria for admission to the top Universities in India
- Passing Class 12 in the Science stream with 60 to 75% or more marks is required.
- Getting valid scores in the required entrance exam for the universities and waiting for counselling or interview rounds for final seat allocation.
Entrance Exams Accepted in Top Universities in India 2026
To take admission to the top Universities in India, candidates must meet the eligibility criteria or pass an entrance exam. Listed below are the top entrance exams accepted in their schedule and syllabus -
| Exam Name | Exam Schedule |
|---|---|
| IIT JAM | IIT JAM Schedule |
| CUET | CUET Schedule |
| ICAR AIEEA | ICAR AIEEA Schedule |
| CUET PG | CUET PG Schedule |
Top Private Universities in India for Science
Almost all of the top 10 universities in this list have BSc and MSc programmes with several research-focused science departments with multiple citations across Indian and international scientific journals. See the fee ranges for the different types of science courses these offer.
| Private Universities |
Total Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
| INR 4.4 Lakh to INR 5.7 lakh |
|
| INR 5 Lakh |
|
| INR 2.8 Lakh to INR 37.9 Lakh |
|
| INR 2.3 Lakh to INR 3.2 Lakh |
|
| Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences Courses |
INR 1+ Lakh |
| INR 1.7 Lakh to INR 8.7 Lakh |
|
| INR 4.8 Lakh to INR 5.6 Lakh |
|
| INR 1.5 Lakh to INR 42.5 Lakh |
|
| KIIT Science Courses | INR 4.8 Lakh - INR 7.7 Lakh |
| Lovely Professional University Courses | INR 3 Lakh to INR 28 Lakh |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
Top Indian universities like IITs, IIMs, IISc, BITS Pilani, and DU colleges consistently offer the highest salaries. Manipal School of Life Sciences offered the highest average salary of INR 11.75 LPA.
| Universities Name |
Total Tuition Fee |
Annual Average Package |
|---|---|---|
| INR 432 |
INR 9.50 LPA |
|
| JMI Placement | INR 42,700 |
INR 6 LPA |
| Manipal School of Life Sciences Placement | INR 3.06 Lakh |
INR 11.75 LPA |
| Banaras Hindu University Placement | INR 2.40 lakh |
INR 8.5 LPA |
| INR 11,010 |
INR 5.50 LPA |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
Top Universities in India under INR 1 lakh
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
Top Government Universities in India
The top government Universities in India include IISC, JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia, and many others, often leading national rankings like NIRF. Among the top 5 public universities listed here, three of them are in Delhi.
| Public/Govt. Universities |
Total Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
| INR 30,000 to INR 3.2 Lakh |
|
| INR 432 to INR 3.1 Lakh |
|
| INR 20,000 to INR 6.2 Lakh |
|
| INR 540 to INR 2.4 Lakh |
|
| INR 600 to INR 2.4 lakh |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Specialisations Offered by Top Universities in India
Top Indian Universities offer specialisations like Biotechnology, Agriculture, Chemistry, etc. See the table below.
| Top Specialisations | No. of Colleges | College Name |
|---|---|---|
| Biotechnology | 24 | Jamia Millia Islamia, VIT Vellore, SRM IST, Chennai, etc. |
| Agriculture | 36 | Banaras Hindu University, SOA University, KL University, etc. |
| Mathematics | 16 | Jadavpur University, KIIT - Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Panjab University, etc. |
| Computer Science | 16 | Aligarh Muslim University, Anna University, Srinivasa Ramanujan Center, etc. |
| Chemistry | 15 | Indian Institute of Science, KIIT, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, etc. |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Top Universities in India: Comparison 2026
To check the comparison between the universities in India, click the link below:
Indian Institute of Science
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education
Jamia Millia Islamia
Delhi University (DU)
Commonly asked questions On Top Universities in India 2026: Ranking, Admission, Fees, Placements
IISc is the top University according to NIRF 2025. It has also been accredited NAAC 'A' grade by UGC.
Listed below are some of the top Universitites in India along with their NIRF ranking 2025:
Universities Name | NIRF 2023 | NIRF 2024 | NIRF 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| 6 | 4 | 3 | |
| 3 | 3 | 4 | |
| 11 | 6 | 5 | |
| 5 | 5 | 6 | |
| BITS Pilani Ranking | 20 | 19 | 7 |
| 7 | 7 | 8 | |
| 4 | 9 | 9 | |
| Aligarh Muslim University Ranking | 9 | 8 | 10 |
Source: Official site and may vary.
According to NIRF ranking 2025, IISc is the top ranked University in India, secures, 1st position, followed by other top colleges like JNU and Manipal Academy of Higher Education.
VIT Vellore offers good placements to students. As per the latest report, overall highest package offered during VIT placements 2026 was INR 1 Crore per Annum. More than 10000 offers were made across all 4 VIT campuses.
Private universities in India are generally expensive than government colleges. However, listed below are some affordable private colleges with fees and ranking -
| Top Private Colleges | Tuition Fee | NIRF Ranking 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Agricultural Research Institute - IARI | INR 74,950 | 16 |
| Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R and D Institute of Science and Technology | INR 20,000 | 101-150 |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Banaras Hindu University
BITS Pilani - Birla Institute of Technology and Science
Amrita Center for Nanoscience and Molecular Medicine, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - Kochi Campus
Aligarh Muslim University
School of Science and Humanities, SRM Kattankulathur
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Poonamallee
Commonly asked questions On Top Universities in India 2026: Ranking, Admission, Fees, Placements
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS) offers a variety of scholarships depending on extracurricular and academic accomplishments rather than a universal 100% scholarship. Students who have qualified for JEE-Main or have achieved 80% or higher in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics are eligible for a 50% fee scholarship offered by the institution. Based on their degree of accomplishment, SIMATS offers scholarships ranging from 10% to 50% of tuition fees in recognition of students' excellence in sports. Athletes competing at the national level are eligible for a 50% scholarship, those competing at the state, district, and zonal levels for 25%, and 10% of the scholarships, respectively.
BITS Pilani as the top private University in India offered the highest placement package of INR 16.15 LPA. Listed below are somw of the top private colleges with their average salary package -
| Top Private Universities | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Manipal School of Life Sciences | INR 11.75 LPA |
| BITS Pilani | INR 16.15 LPA |
| Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | INR 4.30 LPA |
| JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research | INR 9.75 LPA |
| Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education | INR 6.12 LPA |
Source: Official site and may vary.
No, candidates can not get direct admission in VIT Vellore. The college provides an admission process to students on the basis of an entrance exam for the majority of the courses. Some of the popular national-level entrance exams accepted by the college are NATA, GATE, CAT, MAT, CMAT, XAT, etc.
Based on recent 2025-2026 rankings, the top private universities in India include Manipal School of Life Sciences, VIT Vellore, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, etc.
Given below are some of the top private universities in India -
Private Universities | Total Tuition Fee | NIRF 2025 |
|---|---|---|
INR 3.06 Lakh | 3 | |
INR 3.75 Lakh | 14 | |
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences Admission | INR 2 Lakh | 13 |
INR 7.6 Lakh | 15 | |
| KIIT Admission | INR 5.95 Lakh | 17 |
Source: Official site and may vary.
SOA University - Siksha 'O' Anusandhan
Indian Agricultural Research Institute - IARI
KIIT - Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology
UoH - University of Hyderabad
JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research
Commonly asked questions On Top Universities in India 2026: Ranking, Admission, Fees, Placements
No, VIT Vellore admissions are not solely based on VITEEE. The university conducts VITEEE for BTech admission, VITMEE for MTech admissions and VITREE for PhD admission. The institute accepts national-level entrance exams like CAT, XAT, MAT, GMAT, CMAT, ATMA, etc., for MBA course. However, admission to a few other courses, including BSc, BSc (Hons), BCA, BCom, MSc, MCA, among others, is based on the aggregate obtained by the candidates in previous qualifying degree/ exam (merit-based). After passing the entrance exam, aspirants are called further rounds of selection. Shortlisted aspirants need to come for counselling and document verification round.
Listed below are some of the top Agrcultural universities in India with their tuition fees -
| Top Colleges | Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
| Banaras Hindu University | INR 2.40 lakh |
| SOA University - Siksha 'O' Anusandhan | INR 7.60 lakh |
| Amity University, Noida | INR 4.20 lakh |
| KL (Deemed to be University) | INR 9.80 lakh |
| Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education | INR 4.80 lakh |
Source: Official site and may vary.
CUET is the popular entrance exam accepted by most of the private universities in India. Listed below are some of the private colleges with tuition fees -
| Top Colleges | Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
| Amity University, Noida | INR 4.20 lakh |
| Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research | INR 1.65 lakh |
| Shoolini University | INR 6.36 lakh |
| Amity University, Gurugram | INR 5.36 lakh |
| Ashoka University | INR 42.96 lakh |
Source: Official site and may vary.