Top 10 Universities in India 2021

                                 "A University should be a place of Light, of Liberty and of Learning."

                                                                                                            - Benjamin Disraeli.

India has witnessed a rapid expansion in terms of higher education offered by various public and private universities. The Nation is a hub of top universities imparting the best quality education in multiple disciplines and is the third-largest in the world, after the United States of America (USA) and China. 

The main governing body at the tertiary level is the University Grants Commission (UGC). UGC is the statutory body responsible for coordination, determining and regulating the standards of Higher Education.  

Earlier, students were limited to government-run or funded universities. Whereas, currently, several high-quality private universities are marking their presence in the list of top universities in India.

Public Universities are institutes that are supported either by the Central or the State governments. Private Universities are institutes supported by multiple bodies, groups, trusts or societies.

To know the top ranking universities in India, NIRF rankings serve as a reliable source. Let's get to know more about NIRF:

About NIRF:

The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) was established in 2015 and approved by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India.

NIRF was established to rank institutions of Higher Education across India. It ranks the institutes based on destined parameters and sub-parameters. 

Below mentioned are NIRF 2021 ranking list parameters and sub-parameters:

1) Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR):

• Total Student Strength along with Doctoral Students (SS)
• Faculty-Student Ratio with emphasis on Permanent Faculty (FSR)
• Combined metric for Faculty with Ph.D (or equivalent) and Experience (FQE)
• Financial Resources and its Utilisation (FRU)

2) Research and Professional Practices (RP):

• Combined metric for Publications (PU)
• Combined metric for Quality of Publications (QP)
• IPR and Patents: Published and Granted (IPR)
• Footprint of Projects and Professional Practice (FPPP)

3) Graduation Outcomes (GO):

• Metric for University Examinations (GUE)
• Metric for Number of Ph.D Students Graduated (GPHD)

4) Outreach and Inclusivity (OI):

• Percentage of Students from other States/ Countries (Region Diversity RD)
• Percentage of Women (Women Diversity WD)
• Economically and Socially Challenged Students (ESCS)
• Physically Challenged Students and their Facilities (PCS)
• Perception Ranking (PR)

5) Peer Perception:

• Academic Peers and Employers (PR)

Top 10 Universities in India according to NIRF Ranking 2021:

India has some of the best universities offering high-quality higher education in multiple fields and disciplines. Like every year, this year, NIRF 2021 has ranked universities based on the parameters mentioned above. 

Below mentioned are NIRF Ranking 2021 for Top Ten University in India:

More about the Top 10 Universities: 

• Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore:

Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore has been one of India's premier institutes for advanced scientific and technological research and education for the past 112 years. IISc is a public university established in 1909 with the partnership between Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata (Founder of Tata Group), the Mysore Royal Family, and the Government of India.  

• Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi:

Jawaharlal Nehru University is a top institute in India and a world-renowned centre for teaching and research. Established in 1969, the university has an excellent student-teacher ratio of 1:10. The mode of instruction of the university encourages students to explore their creativity instead of only reproducing received knowledge.    

• Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi:

Banaras Hindu University (BHU) was established in 1916 and is recognized as an internationally reputed learning destination. It was founded by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya with the cooperation and support of Dr. Annie Besant.

It played a significant role during the independence movement and has produced great freedom fighters and builders of modern India who have contributed to the progress of the nation.

•   Calcutta University, Kolkata:

The University of Calcutta, well known as Calcutta University (CU), is a public state university located in Kolkata, West Bengal. It was established on January 24th, 1857. It is the first multidisciplinary and western institute in Asia.   

It has been accredited an A grade by NAAC and has been recognized as a Five Star University within the country. CU was awarded the status of "University with Potential for Excellence" by the University Grants Commission. 

• Amrita Vishwa Vidhyapeetham (AVV), Coimbatore:

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is a Private Deemed-to-be-university established in 1994. It is a multi-campus university with 6 campuses spread across the southern region of the country.

AVV, Coimbatore offers Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Doctoral, Integrated-Degree, Dual Degree and Certificate programs across multiple streams. In 2003, it became the youngest institute to become Deemed-to-be-university.      

• Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi:

Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) is a central university established in 1920 at Aligarh and re-established in Delhi in 1905. It offers UG, PG, and Doctoral programs in the field of Science, Commerce, Arts, Technology, Hospitality, Management, Architecture, Education, etc.

The university has been ranked among the Top Ten University in India by NIRF 2021 and is ranked 195 by the Times Higher Education Emerging Economies University Rankings 2021. 

• Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal:

Manipal University, also known as Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), is one of the top private Deemed-to-be-Universities in Manipal, Karnataka.  

MAHE started in 1953 with the establishment of Kasturba Medical College. It was recognized in 1993 and became one of the top universities in India and the world.  

• Jadavpur University, Kolkata:

Jadavpur University is a state-level research institute that was established in 1906 in Kolkata. The university was initially called Bengal Technical Institute and was converted into Jadavpur University later in 1955.

Jadavpur University is one of the top Universities in the country, which holds the 8th position in NIRF ranking 2021 list.

• University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad:

University of Hyderabad (UoH) was established in 1974 as a Central University recognized by the UGC. It is accredited A grade by NAAC. It offers Integrated, PG and Doctorate courses in Engineering, Management, Science, Education, Computer Applications and other streams. 

• Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh:

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is a top public university in India located in Aligarh. AMU was established as the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in 1877. In 1920 MAO evolved as the Aligarh Muslim University. It is ranked 10th in the NIRF ranking 2021 list. 

All the universities are ranked based on the NIRF parameters. Admission to all the universities are based on various national entrance exams or university entrance exams according to the program opted by the candidates.

Now that you have the list of top 10 universities in India, choose the right University based on your preference. 

Given that there are hundreds of universities, selecting one might be a little stressful. Hence, research properly and gain proper guidance to choose wisely based on your need and requirement.