Which is the top Engineering college in Chennai as per NIRF 2021?
IIT Madras leads the city list at rank #1.
NIRF 2021 · City ranking
11 Chennai institutions appear in the NIRF 2021 Engineering list, with national ranks, scores and cities. Use the list to explore college profiles and compare options.
IIT Madras leads the Chennai entries in 2021 at national rank 1 with a score of 90.19.
Chennai colleges featured across NIRF Engineering editions
These institutions appeared in the available Chennai lists from 2016 to 2021. Ownership uses our current classification; each entry shows its latest listed year and national rank.
Top Government Engineering colleges in Chennai
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras 2021 · National rank 1 · Listed this year
- Anna University 2021 · National rank 18 · Listed this year
- INDIAN INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, DESIGN & MANUFACTURING, KANCHEEPURAM 2020 · National rank 182 · Historical entry
- Tamil Nadu Veterinary & Animal Sciences University 2019 · National rank 108 · Historical entry
- Indian Institute Of Information Technology, Design & Manufacturing (IIITD&M) Kancheepuram-Chennai 2016 · National rank 80 · Historical entry
Top Private Engineering colleges in Chennai
- SRM Institute of Science and Technology 2021 · National rank 34 · Listed this year
- Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology 2021 · National rank 55 · Listed this year
- Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R & D Institute of Science and Technology 2021 · National rank 93 · Listed this year
- Rajalakshmi Engineering College 2021 · National rank 110 · Listed this year
- B. S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology 2021 · National rank 112 · Listed this year
- Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences 2021 · National rank 121 · Listed this year
- Vels Institute of Science Technology and Advanced Studies (VISTAS) 2021 · National rank 125 · Listed this year
- Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS) 2021 · National rank 172 · Listed this year
- Easwari Engineering College 2021 · National rank 189 · Listed this year
- Sri Sai Ram Institute of Technology 2020 · National rank 192 · Historical entry
- Dr. M. G. R. Educational and Research Institute 2019 · National rank 196 · Historical entry
- ST. Joseph's College of Engineering 2017 · National rank 97 · Historical entry
- Hindustan Institute Of Technology And Science (Hits) 2016 · National rank 72 · Historical entry
- Anand Institute Of Higher Technology 2016 · National rank 98 · Historical entry
Ownership not confirmed
- Sri Sai Ram Engineering College 2017 · National rank 96 · Historical entry
This page covers published NIRF entries, not every good institution in Chennai offering programmes in this category. An institution's absence does not mean it is a poor choice. Ranks are national Engineering ranks, not positions within Chennai.
Chennai Engineering ranking history
Explore Chennai institutions in the published NIRF Engineering lists by year. Every rank below is a national category rank, not a position within Chennai. A lower rank number is better.
Comparisons use the preceding available Engineering edition and the state and city recorded in each year's list. Newly listed means absent from the previous Chennai list, not necessarily a first NIRF appearance. Absence does not establish why an institution is missing, and movement alone does not explain changes in quality.
Highlights and changes in 2021
11 Chennai institutions appear in the 2021 published Engineering list. Indian Institute of Technology Madras is the highest-ranked Chennai entry at national rank 1 with a score of 90.19.
View full Chennai 2021 ranking with scores and college profiles
Major changes from 2020 to 2021
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences recorded the largest rise, moving from national rank 149 to 121, an improvement of 28 places. Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS) recorded the largest fall, moving from national rank 107 to 172. The table shows up to three biggest rises and three biggest falls. Equal movements are ordered by current rank.
Biggest Chennai ranking changes from 2020
6| 2021 rank | Institution | 2020 rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 121 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | 149 | ↑ 28 places |
| 112 | B. S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology | 123 | ↑ 11 places |
| 34 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | 41 | ↑ 7 places |
| 172 | Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS) | 107 | ↓ 65 places |
| 18 | Anna University | 14 | ↓ 4 places |
| 55 | Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology | 51 | ↓ 4 places |
Changes to the published list — 2 newly listed and 2 no longer listed
Newly present Chennai institutions in 2021
2| 2021 rank | Institution | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 125 | Vels Institute of Science Technology and Advanced Studies (VISTAS) | 36.63 | Newly present |
| 189 | Easwari Engineering College | 32.75 | Newly present |
Chennai institutions not present in 2021
2| 2020 rank | Institution | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 182 | INDIAN INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, DESIGN & MANUFACTURING, KANCHEEPURAM | Not present in 2021 |
| 192 | Sri Sai Ram Institute of Technology | Not present in 2021 |
Chennai NIRF Engineering rankings 2020
11 Chennai institutions appear in the 2020 published Engineering list. Indian Institute of Technology Madras is the highest-ranked Chennai entry at national rank 1 with a score of 89.93.
Chennai institutions in NIRF Engineering 2020
11| 2020 rank | Institution | 2019 rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras | 1 | 89.93 |
| 14 | Anna University | 9 | 59.89 |
| 41 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | 36 | 50.95 |
| 51 | Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology | 47 | 46.77 |
| 95 | Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R & D Institute of Science and Technology | 86 | 37.86 |
| 106 | Rajalakshmi Engineering College | 139 | 37.01 |
| 107 | Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS) | 95 | 36.98 |
| 123 | B. S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology | 131 | 35.41 |
| 149 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | 186 | 33.55 |
| 182 | INDIAN INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, DESIGN & MANUFACTURING, KANCHEEPURAM | 197 | 31.63 |
| 192 | Sri Sai Ram Institute of Technology | 194 | 31.32 |
Major changes from 2019 to 2020
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences recorded the largest rise, moving from national rank 186 to 149, an improvement of 37 places. Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS) recorded the largest fall, moving from national rank 95 to 107. The table shows up to three biggest rises and three biggest falls. Equal movements are ordered by current rank.
Biggest Chennai ranking changes from 2019
6| 2020 rank | Institution | 2019 rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 149 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | 186 | ↑ 37 places |
| 106 | Rajalakshmi Engineering College | 139 | ↑ 33 places |
| 182 | INDIAN INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, DESIGN & MANUFACTURING, KANCHEEPURAM | 197 | ↑ 15 places |
| 107 | Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS) | 95 | ↓ 12 places |
| 95 | Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R & D Institute of Science and Technology | 86 | ↓ 9 places |
| 14 | Anna University | 9 | ↓ 5 places |
Changes to the published list — 0 newly listed and 3 no longer listed
Newly present Chennai institutions in 2020
0No newly listed Chennai institutions in this comparison.
Chennai institutions not present in 2020
3| 2019 rank | Institution | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 108 | Tamil Nadu Veterinary & Animal Sciences University | Not present in 2020 |
| 196 | Dr. M. G. R. Educational and Research Institute | Not present in 2020 |
| 200 | Easwari Engineering College | Not present in 2020 |
Chennai NIRF Engineering rankings 2019
14 Chennai institutions appear in the 2019 published Engineering list. Indian Institute of Technology Madras is the highest-ranked Chennai entry at national rank 1 with a score of 89.05.
Chennai institutions in NIRF Engineering 2019
14| 2019 rank | Institution | 2018 rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras | 1 | 89.05 |
| 9 | Anna University | 8 | 63.12 |
| 36 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | 46 | 48.95 |
| 47 | Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology | 37 | 46.07 |
| 86 | Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R & D Institute of Science and Technology | 77 | 37.22 |
| 95 | Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS) | — | 36.11 |
| 108 | Tamil Nadu Veterinary & Animal Sciences University | — | 35.32 |
| 131 | B. S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology | 79 | 33.70 |
| 139 | Rajalakshmi Engineering College | — | 33.24 |
| 186 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | — | 30.79 |
| 194 | Sri Sai Ram Institute of Technology | — | 30.48 |
| 196 | Dr. M. G. R. Educational and Research Institute | — | 30.45 |
| 197 | INDIAN INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, DESIGN & MANUFACTURING, KANCHEEPURAM | — | 30.37 |
| 200 | Easwari Engineering College | — | 30.31 |
Major changes from 2018 to 2019
SRM Institute of Science and Technology recorded the largest rise, moving from national rank 46 to 36, an improvement of 10 places. B. S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology recorded the largest fall, moving from national rank 79 to 131. The table shows up to three biggest rises and three biggest falls. Equal movements are ordered by current rank.
Biggest Chennai ranking changes from 2018
4| 2019 rank | Institution | 2018 rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | 46 | ↑ 10 places |
| 131 | B. S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology | 79 | ↓ 52 places |
| 47 | Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology | 37 | ↓ 10 places |
| 86 | Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R & D Institute of Science and Technology | 77 | ↓ 9 places |
Changes to the published list — 8 newly listed and 0 no longer listed
Newly present Chennai institutions in 2019
8| 2019 rank | Institution | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95 | Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS) | 36.11 | Newly present |
| 108 | Tamil Nadu Veterinary & Animal Sciences University | 35.32 | Newly present |
| 139 | Rajalakshmi Engineering College | 33.24 | Newly present |
| 186 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | 30.79 | Newly present |
| 194 | Sri Sai Ram Institute of Technology | 30.48 | Newly present |
| 196 | Dr. M. G. R. Educational and Research Institute | 30.45 | Newly present |
| 197 | INDIAN INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, DESIGN & MANUFACTURING, KANCHEEPURAM | 30.37 | Newly present |
| 200 | Easwari Engineering College | 30.31 | Newly present |
Chennai institutions not present in 2019
0Every Chennai entry in the earlier list remains present.
Chennai NIRF Engineering rankings 2018
6 Chennai institutions appear in the 2018 published Engineering list. Indian Institute of Technology Madras is the highest-ranked Chennai entry at national rank 1 with a score of 88.95.
Chennai institutions in NIRF Engineering 2018
6| 2018 rank | Institution | 2017 rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras | 1 | 88.95 |
| 8 | Anna University | 8 | 67.04 |
| 37 | Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology | — | 47.26 |
| 46 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | 35 | 45.51 |
| 77 | Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R & D Institute of Science and Technology | 58 | 37.73 |
| 79 | B. S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology | 89 | 37.57 |
Major changes from 2017 to 2018
B. S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology recorded the largest rise, moving from national rank 89 to 79, an improvement of 10 places. Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R & D Institute of Science and Technology recorded the largest fall, moving from national rank 58 to 77. The table shows up to three biggest rises and three biggest falls. Equal movements are ordered by current rank.
Biggest Chennai ranking changes from 2017
3| 2018 rank | Institution | 2017 rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79 | B. S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology | 89 | ↑ 10 places |
| 77 | Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R & D Institute of Science and Technology | 58 | ↓ 19 places |
| 46 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | 35 | ↓ 11 places |
Changes to the published list — 1 newly listed and 2 no longer listed
Newly present Chennai institutions in 2018
1| 2018 rank | Institution | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology | 47.26 | Newly present |
Chennai institutions not present in 2018
2| 2017 rank | Institution | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 96 | Sri Sai Ram Engineering College | Not present in 2018 |
| 97 | ST. Joseph's College of Engineering | Not present in 2018 |
Chennai NIRF Engineering rankings 2017
7 Chennai institutions appear in the 2017 published Engineering list. Indian Institute of Technology Madras is the highest-ranked Chennai entry at national rank 1 with a score of 87.96.
Chennai institutions in NIRF Engineering 2017
7| 2017 rank | Institution | 2016 rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras | 1 | 87.96 |
| 8 | Anna University | — | 63.97 |
| 35 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | — | 49.20 |
| 58 | Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R & D Institute of Science and Technology | — | 42.31 |
| 89 | B. S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology | 54 | 36.97 |
| 96 | Sri Sai Ram Engineering College | — | 36.64 |
| 97 | ST. Joseph's College of Engineering | — | 36.51 |
Major changes from 2016 to 2017
B. S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology recorded the largest fall, moving from national rank 54 to 89. The table shows up to three biggest rises and three biggest falls. Equal movements are ordered by current rank.
Biggest Chennai ranking changes from 2016
1| 2017 rank | Institution | 2016 rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 89 | B. S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology | 54 | ↓ 35 places |
Changes to the published list — 5 newly listed and 3 no longer listed
Newly present Chennai institutions in 2017
5| 2017 rank | Institution | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Anna University | 63.97 | Newly present |
| 35 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | 49.20 | Newly present |
| 58 | Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R & D Institute of Science and Technology | 42.31 | Newly present |
| 96 | Sri Sai Ram Engineering College | 36.64 | Newly present |
| 97 | ST. Joseph's College of Engineering | 36.51 | Newly present |
Chennai institutions not present in 2017
3| 2016 rank | Institution | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 72 | Hindustan Institute Of Technology And Science (Hits) | Not present in 2017 |
| 80 | Indian Institute Of Information Technology, Design & Manufacturing (IIITD&M) Kancheepuram-Chennai | Not present in 2017 |
| 98 | Anand Institute Of Higher Technology | Not present in 2017 |
Chennai NIRF Engineering rankings 2016
5 Chennai institutions appear in the 2016 published Engineering list. Indian Institute of Technology Madras is the highest-ranked Chennai entry at national rank 1 with a score of 89.41.
Chennai institutions in NIRF Engineering 2016
5| 2016 rank | Institution | Previous rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras | — | 89.41 |
| 54 | B. S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology | — | 57.80 |
| 72 | Hindustan Institute Of Technology And Science (Hits) | — | 54.32 |
| 80 | Indian Institute Of Information Technology, Design & Manufacturing (IIITD&M) Kancheepuram-Chennai | — | 52.64 |
| 98 | Anand Institute Of Higher Technology | — | 49.41 |
This is the earliest available Engineering edition; an earlier-year comparison is unavailable.
Chennai Engineering ranking list
Tamil Nadu#InstituteScore
1 IIT Madras 90.19 0
NIRF Rank Trend (Engineering)
- 2017: rank 1
- 2018: rank 1
- 2019: rank 1
- 2020: rank 1
- 2021: rank 1
Lower rank is better.
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Held the #1 position for five consecutive years.
Consistently ranked among India's top engineering institutions.
18 Anna University 58.31 4
NIRF Rank Trend (Engineering)
- 2017: rank 8
- 2018: rank 8
- 2019: rank 9
- 2020: rank 14
- 2021: rank 18
Lower rank is better.
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Moved down 10 places from #8 in 2017 to #18 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top engineering institutions.
34 SRMIST Chennai 54.17 7
NIRF Rank Trend (Engineering)
- 2017: rank 35
- 2018: rank 46
- 2019: rank 36
- 2020: rank 41
- 2021: rank 34
Lower rank is better.
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Improved by 1 places from #35 in 2017 to #34 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top engineering institutions.
55 Sathyabama 46.65 4
NIRF Rank Trend (Engineering)
- 2017: not ranked
- 2018: rank 37
- 2019: rank 47
- 2020: rank 51
- 2021: rank 55
Lower rank is better.
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Moved down 18 places from #37 in 2018 to #55 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top engineering institutions.
93 Vel Tech Chennai 39.84 2
NIRF Rank Trend (Engineering)
- 2017: rank 58
- 2018: rank 77
- 2019: rank 86
- 2020: rank 95
- 2021: rank 93
Lower rank is better.
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Moved down 35 places from #58 in 2017 to #93 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top engineering institutions.
110 Rajalakshmi Engineering College 37.71 4
NIRF Rank Trend (Engineering)
- 2017: not ranked
- 2018: not ranked
- 2019: rank 139
- 2020: rank 106
- 2021: rank 110
Lower rank is better.
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Improved by 29 places from #139 in 2019 to #110 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top engineering institutions.
112 Crescent Chennai 37.58 11
NIRF Rank Trend (Engineering)
- 2017: rank 89
- 2018: rank 79
- 2019: rank 131
- 2020: rank 123
- 2021: rank 112
Lower rank is better.
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Moved down 23 places from #89 in 2017 to #112 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top engineering institutions.
121 Saveetha Chennai 37.09 28
NIRF Rank Trend (Engineering)
- 2017: not ranked
- 2018: not ranked
- 2019: rank 186
- 2020: rank 149
- 2021: rank 121
Lower rank is better.
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Improved by 65 places from #186 in 2019 to #121 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top engineering institutions.
125 VISTAS 36.63 NEW
NIRF Rank Trend (Engineering)
- 2017: not ranked
- 2018: not ranked
- 2019: not ranked
- 2020: not ranked
- 2021: rank 125
Lower rank is better.
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Ranked #125 in both 2021 and 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top engineering institutions.
172 HITS 33.98 65
NIRF Rank Trend (Engineering)
- 2017: not ranked
- 2018: not ranked
- 2019: rank 95
- 2020: rank 107
- 2021: rank 172
Lower rank is better.
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Moved down 77 places from #95 in 2019 to #172 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top engineering institutions.
189 Easwari Engineering College 32.75 11
NIRF Rank Trend (Engineering)
- 2017: not ranked
- 2018: not ranked
- 2019: rank 200
- 2020: not ranked
- 2021: rank 189
Lower rank is better.
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Improved by 11 places from #200 in 2019 to #189 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top engineering institutions.
Data source: NIRF, Ministry of Education, Government of India. This page filters the official 2021 ranking by published city and state.
Chennai ranking questions
How many ranked colleges are shown for Chennai?
11 colleges from Chennai appear in the official 2021 list.
Can I compare these colleges?
Yes. Open any expanded row and use the comparison action to review ranks, scores and historical performance.
How is the city filter created?
The page uses the city published for each institution in the selected NIRF ranking edition.