Top Five Universities In India

According to the NIRF 2024 rankings, the top five universities in India are:

Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore: Ranked first in the 2024 NIRF rankings

IISc Bangalore is a public university that offers UG, PG, and doctoral-level programmes in the fields of Engineering, Sciences, Management, and Design. The university is located in Bangalore and was established in 1909. Jamsetji Tata was one of the founding fathers of IISc Bangalore and hence it is also known as “Tata Institute”. The IISc Banglore campus is spread over 400 acres. IISc Bangalore is ranked 1st by NIRF 2024 under the Universities and Research categories, and 4th under the Innovation category.

The second campus of IISc is located in Challakere, Karnataka which is 203 km away from Bangalore and is spread over 1500 acres of land. Given below are some of the latest developments at IISc Bangalore:

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi: Ranked second in the 2024 NIRF rankings

Established in 1966, Jawaharlal Nehru University JNU Delhi has established MoUs with many national and international universities to collaborate on research projects, conferences, and publications.

JNU is ranked 10th under the Overall category and 2nd under the University category by NIRF 2024. Considered one of India’s top-ranked universities for postgraduate and research studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is a public central university that has been given the status of ‘University of Excellence' by the UGC. JNU Delhi has been accredited by the NAAC with a Grade Point of 3.91 (on a scale of 4). The university is also ranked 580 by the QS World University Rankings 2025, 14 by the Asian University Rankings - Southern Asia category 2025, and 110 under the Asian University Rankings category 2025.

Jamia Milia Islamia: Ranked third in the 2024 NIRF rankings

Jamia Millia Islamia (also known as JMI) is a central university located in Delhi. It was established in 1920 by an Act of the Parliament of India and is recognised by the UGC. Some of the courses offered by Jamia Millia are approved by AICTE and NCTE and accredited by the NBA. Jamia Millia Islamia University is accredited with an A ++ Grade by NAAC.

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal: Ranked fourth in the 2024 NIRF rankings

Established in 1953, the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) has been granted the Institution of Excellence status by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. It is a private university and is located in Karnataka. The university is accredited A++ by NAAC and offers more than 300 programmes to students. Further, MAHE has off-campuses in Mangaluru, Bengaluru, and Jamshedpur, as well as an offshore campus in Dubai (UAE). Manipal University Karnataka is ranked 4th and 56th under the 'Universities' and 'Engineering' categories by the NIRF 2024.

University of Delhi: Ranked sixth in the 2024 NIRF rankings

Recognised as an 'Institute of Excellence' by the UGC, the University of Delhi (also known as DU or Delhi University) is listed among the country's most prestigious educational institutions. Established in 1922, Delhi Univerity has grown into one of India's largest universities with over 6 lakh students under UG, PG, certificate, diploma, PG diploma and distance programmes. Delhi University, Delhi has been ranked 6th by the NIRF Ranking 2024 under the 'University' category.

DU University has two campuses- North and South. Delhi University, Delhi also has 90+ colleges affiliated with it, along with 86 departments, 23 centres, 16 faculties and three institutes spread all across Delhi. DU courses include various UG, PG and doctorate programmes in streams such as Arts, Science, Commerce, Management, Law, Medical, Design, Information Technology, etc.

Other top universities in India include: Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD), Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IITKGP), and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK).