Tamil Nadu continues to be the top destination for quality higher education in India with 10 of the top 50 higher education institutions in the state, according to the most recent rankings released by National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF-2024) earlier this week.
While IIT Madras continues to be the top-ranked institution in the country, other private deemed-to-be universities in the top 50 from the state, according to NIRF-2024, include Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham in Coimbatore and Vellore Institute of Technology in Vellore which have been ranked 18 and 19 respectively.
Anna University in Chennai has been ranked 20 while SRM Institute of Science and Technology and Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, both in Chennai, have been ranked 21 and 22. Other institutions ranked in the top 50 (overall category) include National Institute of Technology in Tiruchirappalli (31), Bharathiar University in Coimbatore (44), Shanmugha Arts Science Technology and Research Academy in Thanjavur (47) and Kalasilingam Academy of Research and Education in Srivilliputhur (50).
Six of the these top-ranked institutions are privately run showcasing the strength of private sector in addressing educational needs of youth in the state as well as the rest of the country as students from across the country flock to these institutions every year to secure admissions.
NIRF-2024
Six of the these top-ranked institutions are privately run showcasing the strength of private sector in addressing educational needs of youth in the state as well as the rest of the country as students from across the country flock to these institutions every year to secure admissions.
Besides TN, Uttar Pradesh and capital Delhi have five institutions each ranked in the top 50 category, while Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra are home to four HEIs in the category.
| Institution | NIRF-2024 Ranking |
| Indian Institute of Technology, Madras | 1 |
| Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore | 18 |
| Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore | 19 |
| Anna University, Chennai | 20 |
| SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai | 21 |
| Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai | 22 |
| National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli | 31 |
| Bharathiar University, Coimbatore | 44 |
| Shanmugha Arts Science Technology and Research Academy, Thanjavur | 47 |
| Kalasilingam Academy of Research and Education, Srivilliputhur | 50 |
According to the Ministry of Education (MoE), the ranking framework evaluates institutions based on five broad groups of parameters, namely Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR), Research and Professional Practice (RP), Graduation Outcome (GO), Outreach and Inclusivity (OI), and Perception (PR). Ranks are assigned based on the total scores across these parameters. A five-dimensional view of institutions across these parameters reveals their relative strengths. A very strong and positive correlation exists between an institution’s overall rank and its rank based on Research and Professional Practice (RP).
Besides TN, Uttar Pradesh and capital Delhi have five institutions each ranked in the top 50 category, while Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra are home to four HEIs in the category.
NIRF-2024
The rankings continue to emphasize on the collection, verification, and use of reliable data, in contrast to global rankings that often give disproportionate weightage to perception and internationalization (measured by international students and faculty). The NIRF framework bases its rankings on objective data, which is crucial in a large and diverse higher education system like India, where reliance solely on perception data can be misleading and subject to manipulation. Despite the challenges involved in gathering, verifying, and authenticating data from numerous institutions, this approach ensures a more accurate and trustworthy assessment, according to the MoE.