Which is the top Overall college in Tamil Nadu as per NIRF 2021?
IIT Madras is the top Tamil Nadu entry, ranked #1 with a score of 86.76.
19 Tamil Nadu institutions appear in the NIRF 2021 Overall list, with national ranks, scores and cities. Use the list to explore college profiles and compare options.
IIT Madras leads the Tamil Nadu entries in 2021 at national rank 1 with a score of 86.76.
Tamil Nadu colleges featured across NIRF Overall editions
These institutions appeared in the available Tamil Nadu lists from 2017 to 2021. Ownership uses our current classification; each entry shows its latest listed year and national rank.
Top Government Overall colleges in Tamil Nadu
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras 2021 · National rank 1 · Listed this year
- Bharathiar University 2021 · National rank 22 · Listed this year
- National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli 2021 · National rank 23 · Listed this year
- Anna University 2021 · National rank 25 · Listed this year
- Alagappa University 2021 · National rank 57 · Listed this year
- Madurai Kamaraj University 2021 · National rank 83 · Listed this year
- Bharathidasan University 2021 · National rank 90 · Listed this year
- Tamil Nadu Agricultural University 2019 · National rank 68 · Historical entry
- Periyar University 2019 · National rank 97 · Historical entry
- Tamil Nadu Veterinary & Animal Sciences University 2019 · National rank 99 · Historical entry
- Annamalai University 2017 · National rank 92 · Historical entry
Top Private Overall colleges in Tamil Nadu
- Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham 2021 · National rank 12 · Listed this year
- Vellore Institute of Technology 2021 · National rank 21 · Listed this year
- Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Academy 2021 · National rank 42 · Listed this year
- Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences 2021 · National rank 49 · Listed this year
- SRM Institute of Science and Technology 2021 · National rank 53 · Listed this year
- Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology 2021 · National rank 61 · Listed this year
- Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education 2021 · National rank 74 · Listed this year
- Bharath Institute of Higher Education & Research 2021 · National rank 75 · Listed this year
- Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research 2021 · National rank 79 · Listed this year
- PSG College of Technology 2021 · National rank 86 · Listed this year
- Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering 2021 · National rank 89 · Listed this year
- PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research 2018 · National rank 75 · Historical entry
- Thiagarajar College of Engineering 2018 · National rank 95 · Historical entry
Ownership not confirmed
- University of Madras 2021 · National rank 47 · Listed this year
- Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Academy (SASTRA) 2017 · National rank 50 · Historical entry
- Sri Ramachandra University 2017 · National rank 61 · Historical entry
- Indian Institute of Management Tiruchirappalli 2017 · National rank 67 · Historical entry
- Sri Sivasubrmaniya Nadar College of Engineering 2017 · National rank 80 · Historical entry
- Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology 2017 · National rank 87 · Historical entry
This page covers published NIRF entries, not every good institution in Tamil Nadu offering programmes in this category. An institution's absence does not mean it is a poor choice. Ranks are national Overall ranks, not positions within Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu Overall ranking history
Explore Tamil Nadu institutions in the published NIRF Overall lists by year. Every rank below is a national category rank, not a position within Tamil Nadu. A lower rank number is better.
Comparisons use the preceding available Overall edition and the state recorded in each year's list. Newly listed means absent from the previous Tamil Nadu 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
19 Tamil Nadu institutions appear in the 2021 published Overall list. Indian Institute of Technology Madras is the highest-ranked Tamil Nadu entry at national rank 1 with a score of 86.76.
View full Tamil Nadu 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 66 to 49, an improvement of 17 places. Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research recorded the largest fall, moving from national rank 51 to 79. The table shows up to three biggest rises and three biggest falls. Equal movements are ordered by current rank.
Biggest Tamil Nadu ranking changes from 2020
6| 2021 rank | Institution | 2020 rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | 66 | ↑ 17 places |
| 75 | Bharath Institute of Higher Education & Research | 87 | ↑ 12 places |
| 21 | Vellore Institute of Technology | 28 | ↑ 7 places |
| 79 | Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research | 51 | ↓ 28 places |
| 90 | Bharathidasan University | 77 | ↓ 13 places |
| 47 | University of Madras | 41 | ↓ 6 places |
Changes to the published list — 1 newly listed and 0 no longer listed
Newly present Tamil Nadu institutions in 2021
1| 2021 rank | Institution | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education | 45.07 | Newly present |
Tamil Nadu institutions not present in 2021
0Every Tamil Nadu entry in the earlier list remains present.
Tamil Nadu NIRF Overall rankings 2020
18 Tamil Nadu institutions appear in the 2020 published Overall list. Indian Institute of Technology Madras is the highest-ranked Tamil Nadu entry at national rank 1 with a score of 85.31.
Tamil Nadu institutions in NIRF Overall 2020
18| 2020 rank | Institution | 2019 rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras | 1 | 85.31 |
| 13 | Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | 15 | 60.74 |
| 20 | Anna University | 14 | 58.10 |
| 21 | Bharathiar University | 21 | 57.32 |
| 24 | National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli | 24 | 55.92 |
| 28 | Vellore Institute of Technology | 32 | 53.89 |
| 41 | University of Madras | 33 | 50.76 |
| 48 | Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Academy | 63 | 49.40 |
| 51 | Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research | 54 | 48.59 |
| 58 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | 52 | 47.27 |
| 61 | Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology | 64 | 47.03 |
| 64 | Alagappa University | 47 | 46.85 |
| 66 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | 67 | 46.81 |
| 77 | Bharathidasan University | 86 | 44.70 |
| 83 | Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering | 78 | 44.42 |
| 84 | Madurai Kamaraj University | 69 | 44.27 |
| 85 | PSG College of Technology | 76 | 44.17 |
| 87 | Bharath Institute of Higher Education & Research | 57 | 44.03 |
Major changes from 2019 to 2020
Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Academy recorded the largest rise, moving from national rank 63 to 48, an improvement of 15 places. Bharath Institute of Higher Education & Research recorded the largest fall, moving from national rank 57 to 87. The table shows up to three biggest rises and three biggest falls. Equal movements are ordered by current rank.
Biggest Tamil Nadu ranking changes from 2019
6| 2020 rank | Institution | 2019 rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Academy | 63 | ↑ 15 places |
| 77 | Bharathidasan University | 86 | ↑ 9 places |
| 28 | Vellore Institute of Technology | 32 | ↑ 4 places |
| 87 | Bharath Institute of Higher Education & Research | 57 | ↓ 30 places |
| 64 | Alagappa University | 47 | ↓ 17 places |
| 84 | Madurai Kamaraj University | 69 | ↓ 15 places |
Changes to the published list — 0 newly listed and 3 no longer listed
Newly present Tamil Nadu institutions in 2020
0No newly listed Tamil Nadu institutions in this comparison.
Tamil Nadu institutions not present in 2020
3| 2019 rank | Institution | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 68 | Tamil Nadu Agricultural University | Not present in 2020 |
| 97 | Periyar University | Not present in 2020 |
| 99 | Tamil Nadu Veterinary & Animal Sciences University | Not present in 2020 |
Tamil Nadu NIRF Overall rankings 2019
21 Tamil Nadu institutions appear in the 2019 published Overall list. Indian Institute of Technology Madras is the highest-ranked Tamil Nadu entry at national rank 1 with a score of 83.88.
Tamil Nadu institutions in NIRF Overall 2019
21Major changes from 2018 to 2019
Madurai Kamaraj University recorded the largest rise, moving from national rank 81 to 69, an improvement of 12 places. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University recorded the largest fall, moving from national rank 40 to 68. The table shows up to three biggest rises and three biggest falls. Equal movements are ordered by current rank.
Biggest Tamil Nadu ranking changes from 2018
6| 2019 rank | Institution | 2018 rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 69 | Madurai Kamaraj University | 81 | ↑ 12 places |
| 52 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | 63 | ↑ 11 places |
| 54 | Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research | 62 | ↑ 8 places |
| 68 | Tamil Nadu Agricultural University | 40 | ↓ 28 places |
| 57 | Bharath Institute of Higher Education & Research | 35 | ↓ 22 places |
| 76 | PSG College of Technology | 64 | ↓ 12 places |
Changes to the published list — 1 newly listed and 2 no longer listed
Newly present Tamil Nadu institutions in 2019
1| 2019 rank | Institution | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97 | Periyar University | 40.99 | Newly present |
Tamil Nadu institutions not present in 2019
2| 2018 rank | Institution | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 75 | PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research | Not present in 2019 |
| 95 | Thiagarajar College of Engineering | Not present in 2019 |
Tamil Nadu NIRF Overall rankings 2018
22 Tamil Nadu institutions appear in the 2018 published Overall list. Indian Institute of Technology Madras is the highest-ranked Tamil Nadu entry at national rank 2 with a score of 81.39.
Tamil Nadu institutions in NIRF Overall 2018
22Major changes from 2017 to 2018
University of Madras recorded the largest rise, moving from national rank 64 to 29, an improvement of 35 places. Tamil Nadu Veterinary & Animal Sciences University recorded the largest fall, moving from national rank 60 to 92. The table shows up to three biggest rises and three biggest falls. Equal movements are ordered by current rank.
Biggest Tamil Nadu ranking changes from 2017
6| 2018 rank | Institution | 2017 rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | University of Madras | 64 | ↑ 35 places |
| 20 | Bharathiar University | 45 | ↑ 25 places |
| 64 | PSG College of Technology | 88 | ↑ 24 places |
| 92 | Tamil Nadu Veterinary & Animal Sciences University | 60 | ↓ 32 places |
| 40 | Tamil Nadu Agricultural University | 28 | ↓ 12 places |
| 63 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | 55 | ↓ 8 places |
Changes to the published list — 8 newly listed and 6 no longer listed
Newly present Tamil Nadu institutions in 2018
8| 2018 rank | Institution | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | Alagappa University | 48.25 | Newly present |
| 54 | Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Academy | 46.33 | Newly present |
| 62 | Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research | 45.29 | Newly present |
| 73 | Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering | 43.60 | Newly present |
| 75 | PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research | 43.24 | Newly present |
| 81 | Madurai Kamaraj University | 42.98 | Newly present |
| 94 | Bharathidasan University | 41.63 | Newly present |
| 95 | Thiagarajar College of Engineering | 41.41 | Newly present |
Tamil Nadu institutions not present in 2018
6| 2017 rank | Institution | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Academy (SASTRA) | Not present in 2018 |
| 61 | Sri Ramachandra University | Not present in 2018 |
| 67 | Indian Institute of Management Tiruchirappalli | Not present in 2018 |
| 80 | Sri Sivasubrmaniya Nadar College of Engineering | Not present in 2018 |
| 87 | Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology | Not present in 2018 |
| 92 | Annamalai University | Not present in 2018 |
Tamil Nadu NIRF Overall rankings 2017
20 Tamil Nadu institutions appear in the 2017 published Overall list. Indian Institute of Technology Madras is the highest-ranked Tamil Nadu entry at national rank 2 with a score of 73.97.
Tamil Nadu institutions in NIRF Overall 2017
20This is the earliest available Overall edition; an earlier-year comparison is unavailable.
Tamil Nadu Overall ranking list
Avg score 50.57
#InstituteScore
1 IIT Madras 86.76 0
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: rank 2
- 2018: rank 2
- 2019: rank 1
- 2020: rank 1
- 2021: rank 1
Lower rank is better.
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Improved by 1 places from #2 in 2017 to #1 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
12 Amrita 59.87 1
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: rank 16
- 2018: rank 15
- 2019: rank 15
- 2020: rank 13
- 2021: rank 12
Lower rank is better.
Highlights
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Improved by 4 places from #16 in 2017 to #12 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
21 VIT Vellore 55.39 7
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: rank 22
- 2018: rank 24
- 2019: rank 32
- 2020: rank 28
- 2021: rank 21
Lower rank is better.
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Improved by 1 places from #22 in 2017 to #21 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
22 Bharathiar University 55.38 1
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: rank 45
- 2018: rank 20
- 2019: rank 21
- 2020: rank 21
- 2021: rank 22
Lower rank is better.
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Improved by 23 places from #45 in 2017 to #22 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
23 NIT Trichy 54.97 1
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: rank 34
- 2018: rank 31
- 2019: rank 24
- 2020: rank 24
- 2021: rank 23
Lower rank is better.
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Improved by 11 places from #34 in 2017 to #23 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
25 Anna University 54.42 5
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: rank 13
- 2018: rank 10
- 2019: rank 14
- 2020: rank 20
- 2021: rank 25
Lower rank is better.
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Moved down 12 places from #13 in 2017 to #25 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
42 SASTRA 49.15 6
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: not ranked
- 2018: rank 54
- 2019: rank 63
- 2020: rank 48
- 2021: rank 42
Lower rank is better.
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Improved by 12 places from #54 in 2018 to #42 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
47 University of Madras 48.66 6
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: rank 64
- 2018: rank 29
- 2019: rank 33
- 2020: rank 41
- 2021: rank 47
Lower rank is better.
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Improved by 17 places from #64 in 2017 to #47 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
49 Saveetha Chennai 48.63 17
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: rank 91
- 2018: rank 70
- 2019: rank 67
- 2020: rank 66
- 2021: rank 49
Lower rank is better.
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Improved by 42 places from #91 in 2017 to #49 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
53 SRMIST Chennai 47.30 5
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: rank 55
- 2018: rank 63
- 2019: rank 52
- 2020: rank 58
- 2021: rank 53
Lower rank is better.
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Improved by 2 places from #55 in 2017 to #53 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
57 Alagappa University 46.79 7
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: not ranked
- 2018: rank 43
- 2019: rank 47
- 2020: rank 64
- 2021: rank 57
Lower rank is better.
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Moved down 14 places from #43 in 2018 to #57 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
61 Sathyabama 46.60 0
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: rank 72
- 2018: rank 68
- 2019: rank 64
- 2020: rank 61
- 2021: rank 61
Lower rank is better.
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Improved by 11 places from #72 in 2017 to #61 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
74 KARE 45.07 NEW
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: not ranked
- 2018: not ranked
- 2019: not ranked
- 2020: not ranked
- 2021: rank 74
Lower rank is better.
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Ranked #74 in both 2021 and 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
75 Bharath Institute of Higher Education & Research 44.81 12
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: rank 35
- 2018: rank 35
- 2019: rank 57
- 2020: rank 87
- 2021: rank 75
Lower rank is better.
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Moved down 40 places from #35 in 2017 to #75 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
79 SRIHER Chennai 44.40 28
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: not ranked
- 2018: rank 62
- 2019: rank 54
- 2020: rank 51
- 2021: rank 79
Lower rank is better.
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Moved down 17 places from #62 in 2018 to #79 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
83 Madurai Kamraj University 43.75 1
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: not ranked
- 2018: rank 81
- 2019: rank 69
- 2020: rank 84
- 2021: rank 83
Lower rank is better.
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Moved down 2 places from #81 in 2018 to #83 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
86 PSG College of Technology 43.14 1
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: rank 88
- 2018: rank 64
- 2019: rank 76
- 2020: rank 85
- 2021: rank 86
Lower rank is better.
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Improved by 2 places from #88 in 2017 to #86 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
89 SSN College 42.94 6
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: not ranked
- 2018: rank 73
- 2019: rank 78
- 2020: rank 83
- 2021: rank 89
Lower rank is better.
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Moved down 16 places from #73 in 2018 to #89 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
90 Bharathidasan University 42.79 13
NIRF Rank Trend (Overall)
- 2017: not ranked
- 2018: rank 94
- 2019: rank 86
- 2020: rank 77
- 2021: rank 90
Lower rank is better.
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Improved by 4 places from #94 in 2018 to #90 in 2021.
Consistently ranked among India's top overall institutions.
Data source: NIRF, Ministry of Education, Government of India. Ownership labels apply only to institutions classified in the NIRFRank database.
Tamil Nadu ranking questions
Does this include private colleges?
Yes. Private and government labels appear when the institution is resolved in NIRFRank's curated registry.
How many Tamil Nadu colleges are in the NIRF 2021 list?
19 ranked colleges are shown across 9 cities in this state.
What does the rank trend inside each row show?
Open any row to see that college's NIRF Overall rank across the latest available editions.