Top Universities in India State-Wise 2026-27: Your Ultimate Guide

Central University of Andhra Pradesh holds a special place in the Indian University System. It was born out of a promise made by the Government of India to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Andhra Pradesh on the eve of the bifurcation of the erstwhile composite state of Andhra Pradesh into Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The university was established in 2018 in the district headquarters town of Anantapuramu in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. The region has immense historical significance, as it formed part of the Vijayanagara Empire ruled by the majestic king Sri Krishnadevaraya, among others. The folklore of the region is richly filled with the stories of Sri Krishnadevaraya’s people-centric rule and several welfare measures. Apart from that, the region is also known for its mineral deposits and salubrious climate of the Deccan Plateau. The region also is known for sericulture and horticulture crops. As a feather in the cap, the global auto major KIA started its operations in a greenfield project, just 60 km away from Ananthapuramu city. Further, Ananthapuramu is also a prominent educational hub with higher educational institutes such as Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Government Medical College, and a century-old Government Arts College, apart from a host of engineering colleges.

Tezpur University is a premier Central University located in Assam, established in 1994 by an Act of Parliament. The university is known for its interdisciplinary approach to education, research excellence, and strong academic infrastructure. It offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, sciences, humanities, management, and social sciences. The campus is spread across a lush green area, providing a conducive environment for learning and innovation.

Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, India, is one among 54 such universities of Federal Government, which come under the purview of the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education of Government of India. It was established under the Central Universities Act, 2009 (Section 25 of 2009) as Central University of Bihar (CUB) and the name since changed by the Central Universities (Amendment) Act, 2014 to Central University of South Bihar (CUSB).

The Nalanda Open University is the only university in the state of Bihar meant for imparting learning exclusively through the system of distance education. The university was established on 14 March 1987 by an ordinance promulgated by the Government of Bihar. Later, the Nalanda Open University Act, 1995, was passed by the Bihar Legislature, replacing the ordinance, and the university came under the authority and jurisdiction of the new act automatically. The university is named after the famous Nalanda University of ancient India. At present, the university is functioning from its headquarters at Bargaon, Nalanda. The university has a well-equipped and fully automated modern office in an area of 10 acres, which houses an examination center for about 1000 students, a state-of-the-art library with about 50,000 titles, and a computer laboratory of about 100 latest-configuration computers, apart from administrative offices and other infrastructure. The university is recognized by the Distance Education Bureau (DEB), University Grants Commission, and Ministry of HRD, Government of India, for imparting education through distance mode.

Goa University, established in 1985, is a premier public state university located in Taleigao, Goa. It offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs across disciplines such as arts, science, commerce, management, and engineering. The university is known for its scenic campus, strong academic framework, and research-oriented approach.

Established by Parliament of India through the Central Universities Act (2009), Central University of Gujarat (CUG) considers its main objectives to be the dissemination and advancement of knowledge creation and sharing. The university is committed to making special provisions for integrated and interdisciplinary courses, educating and training human resources for the country's development, initiating appropriate measures for promoting innovation in teaching and learning, and paying special attention to improving the social and economic conditions and welfare of the people, especially pertaining to their intellectual, academic, and cultural development. The university was ranked overall 60th in India and 2nd among all the universities in Gujarat in the NIRF 2016 rankings. According to NIRF 2017, the university ranked among the top 150 universities in the country.

The Central University of Haryana (CUH), established in 2009, is a prestigious central university located in Mahendragarh, Haryana. The university offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs across disciplines such as engineering, sciences, humanities, commerce, and management. CUH is known for its modern infrastructure, research-oriented approach, and focus on academic excellence.

The Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP), established in 2009, is a premier central university located in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. It offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs across disciplines such as humanities, social sciences, commerce, management, and sciences. The university is known for its scenic campus, research-oriented curriculum, and emphasis on interdisciplinary learning.

The President of India gave assent to the Central Universities Act, 2009, which envisages establishing and incorporating universities for teaching and research in the various states. The Central University of Jharkhand came into being under this act on the 1st of March, 2009. The Visitor of the Central University of Jharkhand, Her Excellency, Shrimati Pratibha Devisingh Patil, appointed Dr. Darlando T. Khathing, an internationally renowned scientist and a distinguished academic administrator, as its first Vice Chancellor. CUJ focus will be on research in cutting-edge technologies.

The Central University of Karnataka (CUK) has been established by an Act of the Parliament (No. 3 of 2009) at Kalaburagi, Karnataka. It is one of the 16 new central universities established by the Government of India during the UGC XI Plan Period to address the concerns of ‘equity and access’ and to increase the access to quality higher education by people in less educationally developed districts, which have a graduate enrollment ratio of less than the national average of 11%. The CUK, with its territorial jurisdiction all over Karnataka, has initiated its activities from the academic year beginning August 2009 in keeping with the philosophy of achieving and maintaining the highest levels of academic excellence, sensitivity to equity and access in enrollment and recruitment, and emerging as a premier national educational and research institution in the country.

The University of Kerala, established in 1937, is one of the oldest and premier universities in India. Located in Thiruvananthapuram, the university offers undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and diploma programs across disciplines such as Science, Arts, Commerce, Management, Law, and Technology. It is recognized by the UGC and accredited with NAAC A++ grade. The university has numerous affiliated colleges across the state and is known for its strong academic heritage and research contributions.

Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, also known as the University of Sagar, is a central university located in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. Established in 1946 by Dr. Harisingh Gour, it is one of the oldest and largest universities in the state. The university offers undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, and doctoral programs across disciplines such as science, arts, commerce, law, engineering, management, and pharmacy. The campus spreads across more than 1300 acres and provides modern academic facilities, research centers, hostels, libraries, and sports infrastructure.

Manipur University, established in 1980 and converted into a Central University in 2005, is located in Imphal, Manipur. It offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs across disciplines such as humanities, sciences, social sciences, and professional courses. The university is recognized by UGC and is known for its academic excellence, research contributions, and diverse student community in the North-East region of India.

The objectives of the University shall be to disseminate and advance knowledge by providing instructional and research facilities in such branches of learning as it may deem fit; to pay special attention to the improvement of the social and economic conditions and welfare of the people of the hill areas of the Northeastern region, and, in particular, their intellectual, academic and cultural advancement The North-Eastern Hill University Act (24 of 1973), passed by both Houses of Parliament, received the assent of the President of India on May 26th, 1973. It was published in the Gazette of India (Extraordinary) on May 26th, 1973, together with the First Schedule of the Act incorporating the Statutes of the University.

Mizoram University (MZU) is a central university established in 2001 by the Government of India. Located in Aizawl, Mizoram, the university offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs across disciplines such as science, humanities, commerce, management, and engineering. The university is recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and accredited with an ‘A’ grade by NAAC. Mizoram University is known for its scenic campus, strong academic research, and diverse student community from across India.

Nagaland University, the 13th Central University and the only Central University in Nagaland, was established based on the Act of Parliament of India and received the assent of the President of India on 20th October 1989 as THE NAGALAND UNIVERSITY ACT 1989 (No. 35 of 1989) and came into force as notified in THE GAZETTE OF INDIA EXTRAORDINARY PART-II SECTION-1 in October 1989 published by the Ministry of Law and Justice (Legislative Department), New Delhi. The university came into being on September 6, 1994, having jurisdiction over the entire state of Nagaland. Prior to this, Nagaland had been in the catchment area of North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), with Kohima designated as one of the campuses of NEHU along with SASRD-Medziphema. With the establishment of Nagaland University, the two erstwhile campuses inherited from NEHU as well as the colleges affiliated to it fell within the jurisdiction of Nagaland University. The nascent university had to go through many teething problems initially. The headquarters of the university, i.e., Lumami, as per the act, could not immediately accommodate the needful so as to start functioning as headquarters. Hence, for nearly a decade and a half, Nagaland University had been functioning from Kohima as the interim headquarters of the university. Meanwhile, the establishment of the academic departments was sanctioned by the government in the year 1997. All the new departments had to be located at Lumami and started functioning with Kohima still as the interim headquarters. Constructional activities started earnestly, making it fit for academic pursuits at the headquarters in the best possible way. Upon the completion of new constructions to a reasonable stage, the shifting of interim arrangements at Kohima to Lumami took place in the mid-year of 2010.

The Central University of Odisha has been established by the Parliament under the Central Universities Act, 2009 (No. 3C of 2009). It is one of the 15 new Central Universities established by the Government of India during the UGC XI Plan period to address the concerns of "equity and access" and as per the policy of the Government of India to increase the access to quality higher education by people in less educationally developed districts, which have a Graduate Enrollment Ratio of less than the national average of 11%. The Koraput District of Odisha comes within the KBK region (Koraput, Bolangir, and Kalahandi), which is still considered an extremely underdeveloped region of the State of Odisha. These three districts of the state are known for tribal culture because the majority of the people here belong to ST and SC categories. Since there is no university or any other national-level educational setup in this region, the Central University is proposed to be established here so that it may widen the access to quality higher education in the country.

The Central University of Punjab has been established in 2009 along with other new central universities by an Act of Parliament (No. 25 of 2009). Central University has completed a remarkable journey of 13 years. The university is accredited with an ‘A+’ grade in 2023 in the second accreditation cycle by NAAC and has secured 95th, 87th, 84th, 81st, 100th, and 83rd ranks in the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively, in the University category of NIRF. It is credited with the highest per capita research funding. The university has a mission of providing a wide range of instructional and research facilities across integrated and cross-disciplines, promoting innovation in teaching, learning, and research, and cross-pollinating new ideas, new technologies, and new worldviews. It aims to create an ignited workforce responsive to regional, national, and global needs in tune with the requirements of academia, industry, and business. The university is resorting to e-governance through the Samarth Project. The staff members have been trained in twenty-one administrative modules for reducing the response time and bringing transparency to the decision-making process and also to ensure a participatory model of governance.

The Central University of Rajasthan (CURaj) was established in the year 2009 by an Act of Parliament (Act No. 25 of 2009). This university was established with the aspiration to be one of India’s most dynamic and vibrant universities in order to impart cutting-edge education to all the learner communities. The university is fully funded by the government of India, which provides quality education to all, especially those coming from humble socio-economic backgrounds and seeking quality education. To date, CURaj has successfully completed a journey of 15 years since its establishment in the year 2009. In this short span of time, the university has emerged as one of the top academic institutions by adopting cutting-edge technology to impart knowledge for global outreach. The university is one of the fastest-growing and flourishing institutes of higher education in Rajasthan. In the last 15 years of its journey, the university has emerged as a green and pollution-free campus that promises to provide an aesthetic and salubrious environment to nurture and optimize academics, research, and holistic development by engaging the students and staff members in various sports and cultural activities that are crucial for maintaining the well-being of the students and nurturing their potential. Currently, Professor Anand Bhalerao is the Honorable Vice-Chancellor under whose guidance and leadership the university is blossoming ever since he took over the charge of Vice-Chancellor on 24th January 2022.

Sikkim University is a central university located in Gangtok and Yangang, Sikkim, India. It was established in 2007 by an Act of Parliament of India. While currently operating from various locations in Gangtok, its permanent campus is being developed in Yangang, Namchi district. Several departments and offices have started functioning from the main campus as the university is undergoing a progressive shifting phase to the main campus. The ongoing development of the permanent campus in Yangang is a significant undertaking with the development of state-of-the-art facilities and a consolidated learning and research environment for the students. Currently the university offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs distributed among the following schools of studies, each encompassing related departments: Sikkim University offers a broad spectrum of programs catering to various academic interests, therefore providing valuable opportunities for specialized research and learning. Sikkim University is actively implementing the Learning Outcomes-based Curriculum Framework (LOCF) in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Sikkim's rich natural resources and cultural diversity provide unique opportunities for research, especially in environmental science, sustainable development, and cultural studies. The ongoing campus development will help mitigate existing challenges and is expected to further enhance the university's capacity to attract more students, faculty, and international collaborations. Sikkim University is on the path to becoming a center of academic excellence, contributing to the socio-economic development of Sikkim and neighboring states while focusing on sustainability and cultural preservation.

Welcome to the Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, a hub of academic excellence and innovation. Our institution takes immense pride in its 13 schools, with 28 dynamic departments that foster a diverse and enriching learning environment. Our commitment to comprehensive education is evident in the vast array of 64 academic programs we offer, tailored to cater to different interests and aspirations. Among these are 29 research programs, 22 specialized programs, 6 integrated programs, 2 undergraduate programs, and several PG diploma courses. Through strategic collaborations with prestigious institutions such as the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International School of Textiles & Management, Coimbatore, and the Salim Ali Center for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) in Coimbatore, CUTN extends its academic reach even further, providing undergraduate and postgraduate programs through industrial and institutional partnerships. Moreover, the Central University of Tamil Nadu houses a community college, providing B.Voc. programs, along with various certificate and diploma programs to cater to diverse educational needs.

The University of Hyderabad (UoH), established in 1974, is a premier central university known for its excellence in teaching and research. Located in Hyderabad, it offers a wide range of postgraduate, integrated, and doctoral programs across disciplines such as sciences, social sciences, humanities, management, and technology. The university is recognized for its strong research output, vibrant campus life, and interdisciplinary learning environment.

From a humble beginning as the Post-Graduate Wing of Calcutta University in 1976 to a state university in 1987 and eventually a central university in 2007, Tripura University has traversed a long way in its pursuit of excellence as a higher education institution in this tiny landlocked state of Tripura. The university is dedicated to the cause of developing and empowering the people of this state and the region by imparting quality education and technological innovations in the field of academic and research activities. The picturesque beauty in an idyllic surrounding of the campus situated in a zero-pollution zone provides the right academic ambience for nurturing young and potential minds. As a conventional university, Tripura University has taken upon itself the responsibility to preserve and promote the enviable heritage of the state’s indigenous art forms, folk, oral, and multi-dimensional cultural traditions. At present there are five faculties, forty-four departments, and four centers of study in the university, along with four departments under the Directorate of Distance Education. The Directorate of Distance Education extends educational support to the employed and socio-economically deprived sections located in the far-flung hilly areas of this state. The future plans of the university include expansion of the campus and immediate installation of ICT-enabled classrooms in all the departments, more hostels for men and women, including research scholar hostels, improved canteens, guest houses, and accommodation for the faculty and non-teaching staff, employment of modern technological tools, and facilitating a multimedia mode of interactive teaching and learning. In order to adapt to the demands of the changing times, the university is gradually changing over to e-governance for efficient, accurate, and eco-friendly administration.

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi was established by the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi through an Act of Legislature in 2007 and was notified in July 2008. Mandated to focus on research and teaching in the social sciences and humanities and guided by Dr. Ambedkar's vision of bridging equality and social justice with excellence, AUD considers it to be its mission to create sustainable and effective linkages between access to and success in higher education. The University is committed to creating an institutional culture characterized by humanism, non-hierarchical and collegial environment, teamwork and the nurturance of creativity

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (BAMU), established in 1958, is a public state university located in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), Maharashtra. The university was originally known as Marathwada University and was renamed in 1994 in honor of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. BAMU offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs in disciplines such as science, engineering, humanities, commerce, law, and management. The university is recognized by the UGC and accredited with NAAC grade A. It serves as an affiliating university for numerous colleges across the Marathwada region.

Banaras Hindu University (BHU), established in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, is one of India’s premier central universities located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs across disciplines such as humanities, social sciences, science, engineering, medicine, and management. Known for its large residential campus, BHU is recognized for academic excellence, research contributions, and cultural heritage.

Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University was established as a state university vide U.P. State Government notification no. (10)/(865)/15/(75)(85)/64 dated 23 November 1973. It has a rare distinction of taking birth through a powerful and popular movement during the early 1970s. This movement symbolized the hopes and aspirations of the masses for the development of higher education institutions in the Garhwal region. The people of this remote mountain region struggled to open a university in the small but historic semi-rural town of Srinagar, Garhwal. It was an expression of the quest for empowering their future generations to overcome endemic economic and social backwardness, geographic and environmental constraints, preserving cultural identity, and harnessing the human resources for development. Proof-of-year-of-establishment.pdf The HNBGU was converted to a Central University on 15th January 2009 by an Act of Parliament, i.e., the Central Universities Act 2009. The university has thus been entrusted with new responsibilities to guide its students, faculty, and all other stakeholders to achieve excellence in academics and strive for the all-round development of the students. Since its inception, the university has shown commitment towards regional and community development inherent in its teaching courses, research agenda, and other outreach and extension initiatives. The synergy derived from the circumstances of its genesis still inspires and promotes its vision for the future. However, being a central university, HNBGU has a pan-India appeal and draws students from various pockets of the country. The University, nestled in the lap of the Himalayas, ranging in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, is a residential cum affiliating institution of higher learning. It has jurisdiction over seven districts of the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. The university has three campuses distantly located from each other: Birla Campus with its extension at Chauras Campus, Srinagar, Garhwal; B. Gopal Reddy (BGR) Campus, Pauri; and Swami Ram Teerth (SRT) Campus, Badshahithaul, Tehri. In addition, there are around 70 colleges and institutes affiliated with HNBGU, spreading over seven districts of the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. On university campuses, undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs are offered in various disciplines. Besides conventional courses, the university has introduced some regionally relevant courses of greater significance for the mountainous areas.

The top university in India and a globally recognized hub for education and research is Jawaharlal Nehru University. JNU was ranked third among all Indian universities by the National Institutional Ranking Framework, Government of India, in 2016 and second in 2017. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) ranked JNU first in India with a Grade Point of 3.91 (on a scale of 4). In 2017, the President of India presented JNU with the Best University Award. Jawaharlal Nehru University is still a young institution that was founded by a parliamentary act in 1966. Its strength, vitality, and reputation stem from the belief that ideas are a field for exploration, experimentation, and never-ending quest, and that a variety of viewpoints serve as the foundation for intellectual inquiry. The calm of an oasis, a green lung amid the bustle and crowds of India's capital city, is where the intellectually restless, the insatiably curious, and the mentally rigorous can flourish at JNU.

The idea of establishing a South Asian University (SAU) was mooted by the Prime Minister of India at the 13th SAARC Summit in Dhaka in 2005. The idea was for member countries to pool their resources for the creation of a Center of Excellence in the form of a university that would provide world-class facilities and professional faculty to students and researchers drawn from every country of the SAARC region. Prof. Gowher Rizvi, the well-known historian, scholar, and academic from Bangladesh, was entrusted with the task of preparing a concept paper for SAU. Prepared after a series of consultations across the SAARC countries, the Concept Paper was submitted to the SAARC governments to elicit their views. The idea of a South Asian University found favor in all SAARC member states, and an inter-ministerial agreement for the establishment of the South Asian University was signed on 04 April 2007, during the 14th SAARC Summit in New Delhi.

Hindu College, which was established in 1899, has a distinguished background that ties it intimately to both the country and the city of Delhi. The idea of the College was born out of the movement for Indian independence, which was growing in strength as the nineteenth century drew to a close. The Indian National Congress had been founded a little more than ten years prior, and this year, at the momentous Lucknow session, the first party constitution was drafted. In 1899, Mahatma Gandhi was in South Africa spearheading a campaign against efforts to disenfranchise the Indian community there. Dadabhai Naoroji was two years away from publishing his Poverty and Un-British Rule in India. Bal Gangadhar Tilak had made his now-famous claim that Swaraj should be a birthright.

The Central University of Jammu (CUJ), established in 2011, is a premier public central university located in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir. The university offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs across disciplines such as sciences, social sciences, humanities, and management. CUJ is known for its modern infrastructure, research-oriented approach, and emphasis on interdisciplinary learning. The university aims to promote academic excellence, innovation, and holistic development of students.

Central University of Kashmir (CUK) is a premier central university established in 2009 by the Government of India under the Central Universities Act. Located in Ganderbal near Srinagar, the university offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, management, education, social sciences, law and humanities. The university is recognized by the University Grants Commission and focuses on interdisciplinary research, innovation and academic excellence while contributing to the socio-economic development of the Kashmir region.