Which is the top Research college in Tamil Nadu as per NIRF 2025?
IIT Madras is the top Tamil Nadu entry, ranked #2 with a score of 82.99.
Top Research Colleges in Tamil Nadu@elseTop Research colleges in Tamil Nadu: NIRF ranking 2025
7 Tamil Nadu institutions appear in the NIRF 2025 Research 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 2025 at national rank 2 with a score of 82.99.
Tamil Nadu colleges featured across NIRF Research editions
These institutions appeared in the available Tamil Nadu lists from 2021 to 2025. Ownership uses our current classification; each entry shows its latest listed year and national rank.
Top Government Research colleges in Tamil Nadu
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras 2025 · National rank 2 · Listed this year
- Anna University 2025 · National rank 26 · Listed this year
- National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli 2025 · National rank 33 · Listed this year
- Bharathiar University 2024 · National rank 41 · Historical entry
- Bharathidasan University 2024 · National rank 48 · Historical entry
- Alagappa University 2023 · National rank 43 · Historical entry
Top Private Research colleges in Tamil Nadu
- Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences 2025 · National rank 13 · Listed this year
- Vellore Institute of Technology 2025 · National rank 14 · Listed this year
- SRM Institute of Science and Technology 2025 · National rank 25 · Listed this year
- Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham 2025 · National rank 31 · Listed this year
- Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Academy 2022 · National rank 44 · 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 Research ranks, not positions within Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu Research ranking history
Explore Tamil Nadu institutions in the published NIRF Research 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 Research 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 2025
7 Tamil Nadu institutions appear in the 2025 published Research list. Indian Institute of Technology Madras is the highest-ranked Tamil Nadu entry at national rank 2 with a score of 82.99.
View full Tamil Nadu 2025 ranking with scores and college profiles
Major changes from 2024 to 2025
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences recorded the largest rise, moving from national rank 20 to 13, an improvement of 7 places. Anna University recorded the largest fall, moving from national rank 17 to 26. 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 2024
5| 2025 rank | Institution | 2024 rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | 20 | ↑ 7 places |
| 31 | Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | 33 | ↑ 2 places |
| 26 | Anna University | 17 | ↓ 9 places |
| 33 | National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli | 31 | ↓ 2 places |
| 14 | Vellore Institute of Technology | 13 | ↓ 1 place |
Changes to the published list — 0 newly listed and 2 no longer listed
Newly present Tamil Nadu institutions in 2025
0No newly listed Tamil Nadu institutions in this comparison.
Tamil Nadu institutions not present in 2025
2| 2024 rank | Institution | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 41 | Bharathiar University | Not present in 2025 |
| 48 | Bharathidasan University | Not present in 2025 |
Tamil Nadu NIRF Research rankings 2024
9 Tamil Nadu institutions appear in the 2024 published Research list. Indian Institute of Technology Madras is the highest-ranked Tamil Nadu entry at national rank 2 with a score of 83.29.
Tamil Nadu institutions in NIRF Research 2024
9| 2024 rank | Institution | 2023 rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras | 2 | 83.29 |
| 13 | Vellore Institute of Technology | 11 | 60.28 |
| 17 | Anna University | 13 | 58.39 |
| 20 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | 36 | 55.85 |
| 24 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | 39 | 53.34 |
| 31 | National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli | 22 | 50.94 |
| 33 | Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | 32 | 50.38 |
| 41 | Bharathiar University | 38 | 46.79 |
| 48 | Bharathidasan University | — | 44.41 |
Major changes from 2023 to 2024
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences recorded the largest rise, moving from national rank 36 to 20, an improvement of 16 places. National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli recorded the largest fall, moving from national rank 22 to 31. 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 2023
5| 2024 rank | Institution | 2023 rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | 36 | ↑ 16 places |
| 24 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | 39 | ↑ 15 places |
| 31 | National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli | 22 | ↓ 9 places |
| 17 | Anna University | 13 | ↓ 4 places |
| 41 | Bharathiar University | 38 | ↓ 3 places |
Changes to the published list — 1 newly listed and 1 no longer listed
Newly present Tamil Nadu institutions in 2024
1| 2024 rank | Institution | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | Bharathidasan University | 44.41 | Newly present |
Tamil Nadu institutions not present in 2024
1| 2023 rank | Institution | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 43 | Alagappa University | Not present in 2024 |
Tamil Nadu NIRF Research rankings 2023
9 Tamil Nadu institutions appear in the 2023 published Research list. Indian Institute of Technology Madras is the highest-ranked Tamil Nadu entry at national rank 2 with a score of 84.01.
Tamil Nadu institutions in NIRF Research 2023
9| 2023 rank | Institution | 2022 rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras | 2 | 84.01 |
| 11 | Vellore Institute of Technology | 10 | 62.41 |
| 13 | Anna University | 21 | 59.65 |
| 22 | National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli | 23 | 53.63 |
| 32 | Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | 31 | 50.83 |
| 36 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | 48 | 49.54 |
| 38 | Bharathiar University | 22 | 48.72 |
| 39 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | 36 | 48.58 |
| 43 | Alagappa University | 43 | 44.06 |
Major changes from 2022 to 2023
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences recorded the largest rise, moving from national rank 48 to 36, an improvement of 12 places. Bharathiar University recorded the largest fall, moving from national rank 22 to 38. 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 2022
6| 2023 rank | Institution | 2022 rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | 48 | ↑ 12 places |
| 13 | Anna University | 21 | ↑ 8 places |
| 22 | National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli | 23 | ↑ 1 place |
| 38 | Bharathiar University | 22 | ↓ 16 places |
| 39 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | 36 | ↓ 3 places |
| 11 | Vellore Institute of Technology | 10 | ↓ 1 place |
Changes to the published list — 0 newly listed and 1 no longer listed
Newly present Tamil Nadu institutions in 2023
0No newly listed Tamil Nadu institutions in this comparison.
Tamil Nadu institutions not present in 2023
1| 2022 rank | Institution | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Academy | Not present in 2023 |
Tamil Nadu NIRF Research rankings 2022
10 Tamil Nadu institutions appear in the 2022 published Research list. Indian Institute of Technology Madras is the highest-ranked Tamil Nadu entry at national rank 2 with a score of 86.38.
Tamil Nadu institutions in NIRF Research 2022
10| 2022 rank | Institution | 2021 rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras | 2 | 86.38 |
| 10 | Vellore Institute of Technology | 12 | 59.71 |
| 21 | Anna University | 32 | 52.85 |
| 22 | Bharathiar University | 23 | 51.18 |
| 23 | National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli | 35 | 51.14 |
| 31 | Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | 29 | 49.42 |
| 36 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | 46 | 46.00 |
| 43 | Alagappa University | — | 41.00 |
| 44 | Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Academy | 50 | 40.40 |
| 48 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | — | 39.58 |
Major changes from 2021 to 2022
National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli recorded the largest rise, moving from national rank 35 to 23, an improvement of 12 places. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham recorded the largest fall, moving from national rank 29 to 31. 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 2021
4| 2022 rank | Institution | 2021 rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli | 35 | ↑ 12 places |
| 21 | Anna University | 32 | ↑ 11 places |
| 36 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | 46 | ↑ 10 places |
| 31 | Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | 29 | ↓ 2 places |
Changes to the published list — 2 newly listed and 0 no longer listed
Newly present Tamil Nadu institutions in 2022
2| 2022 rank | Institution | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | Alagappa University | 41.00 | Newly present |
| 48 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | 39.58 | Newly present |
Tamil Nadu institutions not present in 2022
0Every Tamil Nadu entry in the earlier list remains present.
Tamil Nadu NIRF Research rankings 2021
8 Tamil Nadu institutions appear in the 2021 published Research list. Indian Institute of Technology Madras is the highest-ranked Tamil Nadu entry at national rank 2 with a score of 86.01.
Tamil Nadu institutions in NIRF Research 2021
8| 2021 rank | Institution | Previous rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras | — | 86.01 |
| 12 | Vellore Institute of Technology | — | 55.58 |
| 23 | Bharathiar University | — | 50.88 |
| 29 | Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | — | 48.29 |
| 32 | Anna University | — | 47.87 |
| 35 | National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli | — | 45.91 |
| 46 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | — | 40.16 |
| 50 | Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Academy | — | 38.53 |
This is the earliest available Research edition; an earlier-year comparison is unavailable.
Tamil Nadu Research ranking list
Avg score 59.82
#InstituteScore
2 IIT Madras 82.99 0
NIRF Rank Trend (Research)
- 2021: rank 2
- 2022: rank 2
- 2023: rank 2
- 2024: rank 2
- 2025: rank 2
Lower rank is better.
Highlights
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Held the #2 position for five consecutive years.
Consistently ranked among India's top research institutions.
13 Saveetha Chennai 60.96 7
NIRF Rank Trend (Research)
- 2021: not ranked
- 2022: rank 48
- 2023: rank 36
- 2024: rank 20
- 2025: rank 13
Lower rank is better.
Highlights
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Improved by 35 places from #48 in 2022 to #13 in 2025.
Consistently ranked among India's top research institutions.
14 VIT Vellore 60.39 1
NIRF Rank Trend (Research)
- 2021: rank 12
- 2022: rank 10
- 2023: rank 11
- 2024: rank 13
- 2025: rank 14
Lower rank is better.
Highlights
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Moved down 2 places from #12 in 2021 to #14 in 2025.
Consistently ranked among India's top research institutions.
25 SRMIST Chennai 55.41 1
NIRF Rank Trend (Research)
- 2021: rank 46
- 2022: rank 36
- 2023: rank 39
- 2024: rank 24
- 2025: rank 25
Lower rank is better.
Highlights
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Improved by 21 places from #46 in 2021 to #25 in 2025.
Consistently ranked among India's top research institutions.
26 Anna University 55.09 9
NIRF Rank Trend (Research)
- 2021: rank 32
- 2022: rank 21
- 2023: rank 13
- 2024: rank 17
- 2025: rank 26
Lower rank is better.
Highlights
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Improved by 6 places from #32 in 2021 to #26 in 2025.
Consistently ranked among India's top research institutions.
31 Amrita 52.48 2
NIRF Rank Trend (Research)
- 2021: rank 29
- 2022: rank 31
- 2023: rank 32
- 2024: rank 33
- 2025: rank 31
Lower rank is better.
Highlights
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Moved down 2 places from #29 in 2021 to #31 in 2025.
Consistently ranked among India's top research institutions.
33 NIT Trichy 51.40 2
NIRF Rank Trend (Research)
- 2021: rank 35
- 2022: rank 23
- 2023: rank 22
- 2024: rank 31
- 2025: rank 33
Lower rank is better.
Highlights
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Improved by 2 places from #35 in 2021 to #33 in 2025.
Consistently ranked among India's top research 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 2025 list?
7 ranked colleges are shown across 4 cities in this state.
What does the rank trend inside each row show?
Open any row to see that college's NIRF Research rank across the latest available editions.