Top 10 Universities In India - Latest NIRF Ranking 2025

NIRF, the government ranking body for higher educational institutions, released its list of the top universities, colleges, and institutes for further education for 2025. A number of private and public universities have emerged as leaders in the higher education sector, among the total 1000 universities in India.   

If you want to know about the latest top universities in the nation where you can seek admission for your further educational journey, then this blog is just the right choice for you. 

Read further to find relevant details about the top 10 universities of India, their courses, student services, and fee ranges:

Top Universities of India Based on NIRF Universities Ranking (2025)

The National Institutional Ranking Framework, more commonly known as the NIRF, is a national ranking body for higher educational institutions that was established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) in 2015.

The body provides rankings of the top institutions and universities across various disciplines. With the latest rankings of the NIRF being released for 2025, a number of universities in the public and private sectors have emerged as the best in the nation.

The NIRF ranks the universities based on a number of crucial factors such as:

• Educational Courses and Curricula
• Financial Resources and their Utilisation
• Student Services
• Infrastructural Facilities
• Research Contributions
• Faculty Profiles
• Faculty to Student Ratio
• Student Strength of the University (including doctoral scholars)
• Placement Services, etc.

Based on the overall evaluation of such parameters, the NIRF provides a score for the universities and releases its national ranking of the universities. In the 2025 rankings, the top 10 universities that have emerged as eminent in India include 7 public sector and 3 private sector universities out of a total of over 1000 universities in India.

Given below is the list of the top 10 universities of India that have been ranked by the NIRF in the "Universities" category (2025):

Rank	Institute ID	Name	City	State	Score
1	IR-O-U-0220	Indian Institute of Science	Bengaluru	Karnataka	85.05
2	IR-O-U-0109	Jawaharlal Nehru University	New Delhi	Delhi	71.00
3	IR-O-U-0234	Manipal Academy of Higher Education	Manipal	Karnataka	69.25
4	IR-O-U-0108	Jamia Millia Islamia	New Delhi	Delhi	69.10
5	IR-O-U-0120	University of Delhi	Delhi	Delhi	67.38
6	IR-O-U-0500	Banaras Hindu University	Varanasi	Uttar Pradesh	67.28
7	IR-O-U-0391	Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani	Pilani	Rajasthan	67.24
8	IR-O-U-0436	Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham	Coimbatore	Tamil Nadu	67.05
9	IR-O-U-0575	Jadavpur University	Kolkata	West Bengal	65.42
10	IR-O-U-0496	Aligarh Muslim University	Aligarh	Uttar Pradesh	65.35

Top 10 Best Universities of India (Based on NIRF Rankings)

Further key details about India's top 10 universities have been provided below:

1) Indian Institute of Science (IISc)

The Indian Institute of Science (lISc) is a central public university located in Bengaluru that was started in 1909, pre-independence, and has over a century of experience in extending elite education to students in domains pertaining to physical and life sciences.

The university is an NAAC-rated 'A' grade institution and is also recognized by the UGC and AlU. IISc Bengaluru offers a number of courses such as UG degrees, GIAN and NPTEL courses, MOOCs, etc. to enable both classroom and remote learning. Scholarships, fellowships, financial help, and placements are available for this course.

Find more details about IISc University Bangalore here:

University Approvals	UGC, NAAC 'A' Grade, NIRF Rank 1 (Universities Category, 2025), AIU etc.
City	Bangalore
Type of Institution	Central Government
Major Subject Areas of Course	Biological Sciences Chemical Sciences Electrical, Electronics, and Computer Science (EECS) Interdisciplinary Sciences Mechanical Sciences Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Types of Courses Offered	UG Degree Courses GIAN Courses NPTEL Courses MOOCS
Average Fee Range	INR 90,000 to 8,80,000 (Approximately)
Scholarship & Financial Aid	Available
Placement Assistance	Available

2) Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), established in 1969, is an acclaimed university of India located in the national capital of New Delhi. Ranked as the second-best university in India as of 2025 by the NIRF, JNU boasts of a stellar faculty, a sociopolitically active and aware learning environment, an infrastructurally advanced campus and classrooms, and excellent placements post-education completion.

JNU is a UGC-recognised and NAAC-graded 'A' grade university in India. Students interested in several domains, ranging from pure sciences, social sciences, liberal arts, management, engineering, etc can seek education at the UG, PG, doctoral, or vocational level at JNU. Being a public central university, the courses at JNU are quite affordable in terms of their fee structure along with available financial aid and scholarships.The placement records and average packages of placements at JNU have been consistently quite appealing and satisfactory.

More details about JNU have been provided here:

University Approvals	UGC, NAAC 'A' Grade, NIRF Rank 2 (Universities Category, 2025), AIU etc.
City	New Delhi
Type of Institution	Central Government
Major Subject Areas of Course	International Languages Social Sciences Language, Literature & Culture Studies Computer & Systems Sciences Environmental Sciences Life Sciences Physical Sciences Arts and Aesthetics Biotechnology Management & Entrepreneurship Nano Sciences Engineering etc.
Types of Courses Offered	Part-Time Program PG Diploma UG Degree PG Degree Ph.D Program
Average Fee Range	INR 20,000 to 12,00,000 (Approximately)
Scholarship & Financial Aid	Available
Placement Assistance	Available

3) Manipal Academy of Higher Education-Manipal (MAHE)

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) is a private university in Manipal, Karnataka that was established in 1953. With a number of colleges, departments, and branches under its functioning, MAHE has accreditations from a number of statutory bodies such as UGC, NABH, NBA, AICTE etc.

Courses offered at MAHE pertain to the domains of health, medicine, liberal arts, sciences, technology, management, etc. Students can pursue diplomas, degrees, certificate courses, doctorates, or even

super specialty courses from MAHE and the additional placement services of the university ensure that students can explore top career opportunities after completing their course.

More details about Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) have been provided below:

University Approvals	UGC, NABH, NBA, AICTE, and NIRF Rank 3 in Universities Category (2025) etc.
City	Manipal
Type of Institution	Private
Major Subject Areas of Course	Health Medical Studies Design and Communication Mass Communication Humanities Liberal Arts Social Sciences Science Technology Management etc.
Types of Courses Offered	UG Degree PG Degree Diploma Courses Certification Courses Post Masters Courses Ph.D Lateral Entry Courses Super Speciality Courses
Average Fee Range	INR 25,000 to 70,00,000 (Approximately)
Scholarship & Financial Aid	Available
Placement Assistance	Available

4) Jamia Millia Islamia

Jamia Millia Islamia University is a central public university of India established in New Delhi in 1920. Not only is Jamia Millia one of India's oldest universities, it continues to be a highly acclaimed university of the country.

The UGC, AICTE, NBA recognize it and is also a NAAC-rated A++ university of India. The common domains in which courses are offered in JMI include fine arts, liberal arts, dentistry, architecture, engineering etc.

Students can pursue courses at various levels per the requirement, including UG and PG degrees, diplomas, certifications, advanced diplomas and Ph.Ds. scholarships and other financial aids are also provided as part of the course to enable a larger number of students to take the course up. Placements at JMI are also quite satisfactory as students graduating from this university get placed with lucrativepackages in various domains.

Further key details about Jamia Millia Islamia University here:

University Approvals	UGC, AICTE, NBA, NIRF Rank 4 in Universities Category (2025), NAAC A++ Grade, etc.
City	New Delhi
Type of Institution	Central Government
Major Subject Areas of Course	Fine Arts Engineering & Technology Architecture & Ekistics Dentistry Educational Studies etc.
Types of Courses Offered	School Programs UG Degrees PG Degrees Certificate Programs Diploma Programs PG Diplomas Advanced Diploma Programs Doctoral Programs
Average Fee Range	INR 40,000 to 2,00,000 (Approximately)
Scholarship & Financial Aid	Available
Placement Assistance	Available

5) University of Delhi (DU)

The University of Delhi (DU) is a central university located in New Delhi in Delhi. It was established in 1922 and has been declared an institution of eminence by the Government of India (Gol). The accreditations of DU include those like UGC, AlCTE, etc. along with a NAAC-rated 'A' grade.

The university provides UG and PG degrees, diplomas, and certification programs in a number of domains ranging from medicine, arts, commerce, law, performing arts, visual arts, hospitality and tourism etc.

Higher education in DU is quite affordable and pocket-friendly, primarily in order to ensure students from diverse backgrounds can take up higher education. Placements are also offered at DU with a large number of students getting placed each year with appealing pay packages.

Find more details about the courses and the university below:

University Approvals	UGC, NAAC 'A' Grade, AlCTE, NIRF Rank 6 in Universities Category (2025) etc.
City	New Delhi
Type of Institution	Central Government
Major Subject Areas of Course	Animation & Design Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences Commerce  Computer Applications & IT  Education  Engineering and Architecture  Hospitality & Tourism  Law  Business & Management Administration  Media, Mass Communication, and Journalism  Medicine and Aillied Sciences  Pharmacy  Sciences etc.
Types of Courses Offered	UG Degree PG Degree Diploma Programs Certificate Courses
Average Fee Range	INR 5,000 to 2,40,000 (Approximately)
Scholarship & Financial Aid	Available
Placement Assistance	Available

6) Banaras Hindu University (BHU)

Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is a central university located in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. It was established in 1916 and has been declared an institution of eminence by the Government of India (Gol). The accreditations of BHU include those like UGC, AlU, etc. along with a NAAC-rated 'A' grade.

The university provides UG and PG degrees, diplomas, and certifications as well as doctoral programs in a number of domains ranging from medicine, arts, commerce, environmental sustainability, performing arts, visual arts, etc. Higher education in BHU is quite affordable and pocket-friendly, primarily in order to ensure students from diverse backgrounds can take up higher education. Placements are also offered at BHU, with a large number of students getting placed each year with appealing pay packages.

Find more details about the courses and the university below:

University Approvals	UGC, NAAC 'A' Grade, AIU, NIRF Rank 6 in Universities Category (2025) etc.
City	Banaras
Type of Institution	Central Government
Major Subject Areas of Course	Science Medical Science Agricultural Science Arts Commerce Law Educational Studies Environment and Sustainability Performing Arts Visual Arts Sanskrit Social Science Management Studies etc.
Types of Courses Offered	UG Degree PG Degree Diploma Programs Certificate Courses Ph.D
Average Fee Range	INR 7,000 to 2,50,000 (Approximately)
Scholarship & Financial Aid	Available
Placement Assistance	Available

7) Birla Institute of Technology & Science -Pilani (BITS Pilani)

Birla Institute of Technology & Science -Pilani (BITS Pilani) is a private university for technological education in Pilani, Rajasthan. It was established in 1964 and is recognized by the University Grants Commission in the year 2018 as the Institute of Eminence (IOE).

It is an NAAC A-grade university of India and is the 7th university in the NIRF rankings of 2025. It offers courses like Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Pharmacy, Master of Engineering, Master of Science, Master of Pharmacy, Master of Philosophy, doctoral programs, Master of Business Administration, and some online programs as well. The courses at BITS Pilani are placement-integrated, with satisfactorily high returns on investment.

Find further key details about BITS Pilani given below:

University Approvals	UGC, NAAC A Grade, NIRF Rank 7 in Universities Category (2025), etc.
City	Pilani, Rajasthan
Type of Institution	Private
Major Subject Areas of the Course	Advanced Sciences Information Technology (IT) Engineering Management Studies Bioscience Architecture, etc.
Types of Courses Offered	UG Degree PG Degree Doctorate
Average Fee Range	INR 1,70,000 to 4,00,000 (Approximately)
Scholarship & Financial Aid	Available
Placement Assistance	Available

8) Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham 

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is one of southern India's leading universities and centers for higher education. It was established in Coimbatore in 1994 and is currently an A++ university that is also recognized by the UGC, AICTE, NABH, etc.

The major areas in which Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham offers higher education include liberal arts, science, commerce and management, engineering and technology, medicine and Ayurveda, mass communication, as well as social sciences. Students willing to take up education in the form of degrees at the UG and PG levels, diplomas and certificates, fellowships, online courses, integrated courses, etc. can consider this university as it is one of India's eminent higher educational institutions. Added to the educational comprehensiveness, top rankings, and faculty profile of the university are its student services, infrastructural facilities, and placements, all of which make the educational experience at Amrita a holistic and comprehensive experience for development.

Find more details about the university and its courses listed below:

University Approvals	UGC, AICTE, NAAC A++ Grade, NIRF Rank 8 in Universities Category (2025), NABH, etc.
City	Coimbatore
Type of Institution	Private
Major Subject Areas of Course	Arts Science Commerce Management Ayurveda Mass Communication Medicine Engineering Social Sciences, etc.
Types of Courses Offered	UG Degrees PG Degrees Doctoral Programs Fellowship Programs Integrated Degrees Certificate Courses Online Courses, etc.
Average Fee Range	INR 4,00,000 to 12,00,000 (Approximately)
Scholarship & Financial Aid	Available
Placement Assistance	Available

9) Jadavpur University 

Established in 1955, Jadavpur University has emerged as one of the leading universities for higher education in engineering, arts, and science-related disciplines. The major accreditations and rankings in the basket of Jadavpur University include those like UGC, membership of AlU, NAAC-grade ('A'), etc. It is also the ninth-best university in India as per the NIRF rankings of 2025. Jadavpur University offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, M.Phil. and Ph.D to students. The fee range for the various courses ranges from INR 5000 to INR 3 lakhs, depending upon the level of the course and subject domain. Placement services, scholarships, and fellowships are available at Jadavpur University.

Find more essential details about the university here:

University Approvals	UGC, NAAC A+ Grade, NIRF Rank 9 in Universities Category (2025), etc.
City	Kolkata
Type of Institution	State Government
Major Subject Areas of Course	Arts Science Engineering & Technology, etc.
Types of Courses Offered	UG Degree PG Degree M.Phil Ph.D., etc.
Average Fee Range	INR 5,000 to 3,00,000 (Approximately)
Scholarship & Financial Aid	Available
Placement Assistance	Available

10) Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)

Aligarh Muslim University is a central public university established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the "Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College" in 1875. In 1920, it was renamed the Aligarh Muslim University. In contemporary times, AMU is regarded as a prestigious and eminent university for higher education across India. Not only is it well-acclaimed, but it is also well-accredited, with bodies like the UGC, NAAC, and NIRF recognizing it as one of the top HEls of India. The domains of disciplines in which AMU offers courses include linguistics, biochemistry, cardiology, liberal arts, fine arts, medicine, law, etc. Degrees, diplomas, advanced diplomas, doctoral programs, as well as certifications are offered at AMU for PG and UG aspirants to pursue. Major student services at AMU include mentorship by expert faculty, industrial interactions and practical exposure to students, financial aid through scholarships and fellowships, placements, etc.

Further details about AMU and the various programs offered here have been given below:

University Approvals	UGC, NAAC A+ Grade, NIRF Rank 10 in Universities Category (2025), etc.
City	Aligarh
Type of Institution	Central Government
Major Subject Areas of Course	Sciences Biochemistry Cardiology Linguistics Business Administration Liberal Arts Fine Arts Educational Studies Medicine Law, etc.
Types of Courses Offered	UG Degree PG Degree Doctoral Programs Diploma Advanced Diploma etc.
Average Fee Range	INR 15,000 to 11,00,000 (Approximately)
Scholarship & Financial Aid	Available
Placement Assistance	Available

Top Trending Online Programs 

Here are the listed top trending online programs in 2025:

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning  Data Science and Analytics	Healthcare Entrepreneurship & Management  Project Management
Cybersecurity	Business Finance
Digital Marketing	Analytics and Business Intelligence
Blockchain and Cryptocurrency	Product Innovation & Design Thinking

Other Top Universities of India based on NIRF Ranking 2025

Given below is a list of the universities of India that have emerged in the top 11-20 ranking band in the NIRF (2025) rankings:

Rank	Institute ID	Name	City	State	Score
11	IR-O-U-0473	S.R.M. Institute of Science and Technology	Chennai	Tamil Nadu	65.26
12	IR-O-U-0304	Homi Bhabha National Institute	Mumbai	Maharashtra	65.08
13	IR-O-I-1441	Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences	Chennai	Tamil Nadu	65.04
14	IR-O-U-0490	Vellore Institute of Technology	Vellore	Tamil Nadu	64.64
15	IR-O-U-0363	Siksha O Anusandhan	Bhubaneswar	Odisha	63.14
16	IR-O-U-0101	Indian Agricultural Research Institute	New Delhi	Delhi	62.89
17	IR-O-U-0356	Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology	Bhubaneswar	Odisha	62.87
18	IR-O-U-0042	University of Hyderabad	Hyderabad	Telangana	61.83
19	IR-O-U-0747	Chandigarh University	Mohali	Punjab	61.27
20	IR-O-U-0439	Anna University	Chennai	Tamil Nadu	61.22

How does NIRF Evaluate and Rank Universities?

The NIRF rankings of universities are one of the most comprehensive and systematic frameworks of evaluation and ranking. As a result, it is well-known across the nation as well as in international circles as a prestigious ranking body.

The evaluation and ranking of NIRF for universities is out of a total marks of 500, which is divided into 5 components, presented in the order of their weightage:

• Research Productivity, Impact and IPR (RPIl) with a weightage of 0.4/1
• Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR) with a weightage of 0.3/1
• Outreach and Inclusivity (Ol) with a weightage of 0.15/1
• Perception (PR) with a weightage of 0.1/1
•  Graduation Outcome (GO) with a weightage of 0.05/1

The following table provides further details about the evaluation components for each of the mentioned 5 parameters, along with the marks division as proposed by the NIRF:

Evaluation Parameter	Constituent Dimensions	Marks	Total Marks & Weightage
Research Productivity, Impact and IPR (RPII)	Combined Matrics for Publications	45	Total Marks = 100 Weightage = 0.40/1
	Combined Matrics of Citations	45
	Intellectual Property Right	10
Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR)	Teacher-Student Ratio with emphasis on Permanent Faculty	25	Total Marks = 100 Weightage = 0.3/1
	Combined Metric for Faculty with Ph.D. and Experience	25
	Metric for Library and Laboratory Facilities	40
	Metric for Sports and Extra Curricular Facilities	10
Outreach and Inclusivity (OI)	Outreach Footprint (Continuing Education, Services)	25	Total Marks = 100 Weightage = 0.15/1
	Percentage of Students from Other States/Countries	25
	Percentage of Women Students and Faculty	20
	Percentage of Economically and Socially Disadvantaged Students	20
	Facilities for Differently Abled Persons	10
Perception (PR)	Process for Peer Rating in Category	50	Total Marks = 100 Weightage = 0.10/1
	Application to Seat Ratio	50
Graduation Outcome (GO)	Combined Performance in University Examinations	50	​​​​​​​ Total Marks = 100 Weightage = 0.05/1
	Combined Performance in Public Examinations	50

Based on this framework, the NIRF conducts its evaluation of the annual reports of various universities across India, and provides a ranking of 200 universities that emerge as performing the best on all the mentioned parameters and on an overall basis.

Top Online Universities of India

With the recent uprise of online and remote education in India, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, the national statutory bodies of India are also providing the requisite recognition to online learning (OL) courses for widespread access to education.

In line with a similar intent, the distance and online education division of UGC, i.e., the UGC-DEB, has deemed duly approved online courses as being equivalent in credibility and value to regular offline courses.

As a result, many top universities have started to extend their educational services and programs to a larger number of students through the online learning mode (OL). Common fields in which online educational courses can be taken up include management studies, computer applications, data science, liberal arts, commerce, etc. Vocational, diploma, and short-term certifications can also be taken up through the OL mode.

Given here are a few of the leading universities of India that offer accredited and credible courses (including degrees, diplomas, and certifications) in the online mode to students.

Top Universities of India for Accredited and Credible Online Courses
Amity Online University	Jain Online University
Online Uttaranchal University (Online UU)	Dr. D. Y. Patil University
Amrita Online	SASTRA University Online
SRM Institute of Science & Technology Online	Vignan University Online
Shoolini University Online	Chandigarh University Online Learning
Datta Meghe Online	Manav Rachna Online
GLA University Online	Online Manipal
UPES Online	LPU Online

Conclusion 

The rankings released by NIRF every year help to identify the top universities in India on the basis of their academic and overall student services. As per the rankings of 2025, 6 government and 3 private universities, and 1 state government have emerged as leading centers for higher education across a variety of domains.