Education · Free tool
NIRF College Rank
NIRF is the Ministry of Education's annual ranking based on teaching quality, research, perception, outreach, graduation outcomes. Top 10 by stream listed below.
| Rank | College | City | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IIT Madras | Chennai | 89.46 |
| 2 | IIT Delhi | New Delhi | 86.66 |
| 3 | IIT Bombay | Mumbai | 83.09 |
| 4 | IIT Kanpur | Kanpur | 82.79 |
| 5 | IIT Kharagpur | Kharagpur | 76.88 |
| 6 | IIT Roorkee | Roorkee | 76.00 |
| 7 | IIT Guwahati | Guwahati | 71.86 |
| 8 | IIT Hyderabad | Hyderabad | 71.55 |
| 9 | NIT Tiruchirappalli | Tiruchirappalli | 66.88 |
| 10 | IIT (BHU) Varanasi | Varanasi | 66.69 |
Source: nirfindia.org. Rankings update annually in June.
How NIRF ranks are computed
The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) is run annually by the Ministry of Education and weights five parameters: Teaching, Learning & Resources (30%), Research & Professional Practice (30%), Graduation Outcomes (20%), Outreach & Inclusivity (10%), Perception (10%). Colleges submit verified data on faculty-student ratio, PhD enrolments, patents, publications, median salary at graduation, regional / gender / economic diversity. Categories include Overall, University, Engineering, Management, Pharmacy, Medical, Law, Architecture, Dental, Research, Agriculture and Innovation.
2024 top picks by stream
- Engineering: IIT Madras (#1 for 9 years), IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur — the “old IIT” cluster dominates the top 10
- Management: IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Kozhikode, IIT Delhi (DMS), IIM Calcutta
- Medical: AIIMS Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh, CMC Vellore, NIMHANS Bengaluru, BHU Varanasi
- Law: NLSIU Bengaluru, NLU Delhi, NALSAR Hyderabad, IIT Kharagpur (Rajiv Gandhi SoIPL), Symbiosis Pune
When to use this
- JoSAA / CAP counselling preference order — pair the NIRF rank with branch-specific median salary data
- MBA / EMBA short-listing across IIMs, FMS, MDI, XLRI before CAT / XAT results
- NEET counselling choice filing for AIIMS / govt MBBS by AIQ + state quota
For rank-based shortlisting, use the JEE Main rank predictor or NEET rank predictor alongside this list.
FAQ
Are NIRF rankings reliable?
Reasonably — they use TLR, RPC, GO, OI, and perception scores. Critics point to perception (10%) being subjective. For relative ordering within a stream, NIRF is usable.
Why is IISc not in engineering?
IISc Bangalore is in NIRF's "Universities" category at #1, not engineering specifically. Many of its programs are research-heavy / interdisciplinary.
Private vs govt college — how to compare?
Top-tier privates (BITS Pilani, VIT, Manipal) often appear in NIRF top 50 engineering. They lose ground on outreach but win on placement metrics. Don't auto-assume govt is better.