NIRF Rankings 2024: Factors & Top Colleges & Universities for Engineering, MBA, Law & Other Streams
Confused how to choose the right college for admission? Know all about NIRF ranking and its parameters that should be considered while choosing a college/university. This article presents all details related to NIRF India Rankings including the parameters used, parameter-scoring criteria, parameters that students should consider for admission and more. Read on for more insights.
In India, Government rankings for colleges and universities are released by National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), which was setup in September 2015 under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), currently known as the Ministry of Education (MoE). The Nirf Ranking 2024 also known as India Rankings have been released under 16 categories, Overall, Universities, Colleges, Research Institutions, Engineering, Management, Pharmacy, Medical, Dental, Law, Architecture and Planning, Agriculture and Allied Sectors, Open University, Skill University, State Public University. The position of various institutions under major categories of the NIRF India rankings are following:
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NIRF Ranking 2024 2024: IIT Madras upheld its top rank in the Overall category, followed by IISc Bengaluru and IIT Bombay at second and third positions, respectively.
University – NIRF Rankings 2024
Top University in NIRF 2024: Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru maintained its prominence, followed by Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia Islamia.
Q: Can I get IIT Delhi with 500 rank?
Yes, you can get into IIT Delhi with 500 rank. As per the IIT Delhi Cutoff 2024, the last round closing ranks ranged between 116 and 6102 for the General AI category students. There are a few courses available at 500 rank including BTech in CSE and BTech in Mathematics and Computer Engineering.
The table provided below mentions the courses available at rank 500, for the General All India category candidates:
Q: Can I get admission to IIT Bombay in BTech if my rank is between 1 and 5000?
The cut off rank in Round 6 for B.Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering is 67 which is very close to this range. This was for general category under All India quota. Unless the candidate belongs to some other category, one can not afford to score less than this. With this rank, there is a probability of getting admission however since, the cut offs keep changing from round to round, better ranks definitely increases your chances of getting admission in IIT Bombay - Indian Institute of Technology.
Q: What rank is required in IIT JAM for IIT Bombay MSc admission?
IIT Bombay MSc cutoff 2024 has been released for Round 1, wherein, M.Sc.+ in Applied Geology is the most competitive specialsiation with a closing rank of 16 for the General AII India category students. The least competitive course is M.Sc.+ Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering with a cutoff rank of 643. So, candidates seeking admission to any of the MSc course must secure a rank upto 643 to be eligible for IIT Bombay.
IIT Bombay admissio to the MSc course is based on IIT JAM scores, followed by IIT JAM counselling process. Only candidates in the JAM 2024 Merit List based on JAM 2024 scorecard will be eligible to apply for admission.
Check out the list of Top five Universities in India as per NIRF Ranking 2024 along with their scores in the table given below, for detailed ranking click here.
| University | State | Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Institute of Science
|
Karnataka | 83.29 | 1 |
| Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) | Delhi | 69.80 | 2 |
| Jamia Millia Islamia [JMI] | Delhi | 68.11 | 3 |
| Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal | Karnataka | 67.18 | 4 |
| Banaras Hindu University | Uttar Pradesh | 66.05 | 5 |
Colleges – India Rankings 2024
NIRF 2024 Top Colleges: Delhi University's six colleges have been ranked among the top 10 colleges in India, with Hindu College securing top position and Miranda House bagging the second spot.
Top five Colleges in India 2024
Given below are the list of top five colleges in India as per NIRF Ranking 2024 along with their overall score, for detailed ranking click here.
| Name of College |
NIRF 2024 Rank |
NIRF Score 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
74.47 | |
| 2 |
73.22 | |
| St. Stephen's | 3 |
72.97 |
| Rama Krishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College | 4 |
72.97 |
| 5 |
72.59 |
NIRF Ranking 2024 Engineering Colleges
Leading Engineering Colleges: IIT-Madras retained its position as the premier engineering institution in India for the eighth consecutive year, with IIT-Delhi and IIT-Bombay securing the second and third spots, respectively.
Check below the top five Engineering colleges in India based on the NIRF Ranking Engineering 2024. For detailed NIRF rankings for engineering colleges click here.
| Name of the Institute |
Overall Score |
NIRF Ranking 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 89.46 |
1 |
|
| 86.66 |
2 |
|
| 83.09 |
3 |
|
| 82.79 |
4 |
|
| Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur | 76.88 |
5 |
NIRF Ranking 2024 Management
Top Management Institutes: Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, secured the top spot, followed by IIM Bangalore and IIM Kozhikode. The NIRF Ranking of b-schools was released in August 2024, along with other NIRF 2024 Ranking categories.
Q: What was the closing rank of Calcutta University for CSE?
| Course | R1 | R2 | R3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering | 753 | 988 | 1207 |
Q: Can I get IIT Kanpur with 2000 rank?
Yes, candidates securing 2000 rank can easily get top IITs, including Kanpur, Delhi, Bombay and Madras among others. JEE Advanced Round 1 cutoff 2023 has been released on June 30. As per the first cutoff list, candidates with 2000 rank can opt for specialisations such as, Computer Science and Engineering, Mathematics and Scientific Computing and Statistics and Data Science, among others for IIT Kanpur. Given below is the list of BTech specialisations that fall within the 2000 rank for IIT Kanpur admission 2023:
| BTech Specialisations | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Computer Science & Engineering | 215 |
| Electrical Engineering | 1305 |
Top five MBA Colleges are listed below, check the list of top 100 MBA colleges in NIRF ranking 2024 here.
| Institute Name |
Overall Score |
NIRF Ranking 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 83.32 |
1 |
|
| 81.16 |
2 |
|
| 77.90 |
3 |
|
| 76.25 |
4 |
|
| IIM Calcutta | 75.07 |
5 |
NIRF Ranking 2024 medical colleges
Top Medical Colleges in India- All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi; Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh; and Christian Medical College are the top three medical colleges in India as per the NIRF Rankings 2024.
Check top five medical colleges in the country, for detailed list of colleges click here.
NIRF Pharmacy Rankings 2024
Top Pharmacy Institutes: The Jamia Hamdard led the pharmacy institutes category, closely followed by National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad and BITS Pilani.
Enlisted below are the top five pharmacy colleges in India as per the NIRF 2024 ranking framework, click here for detailed list:
| Pharmacy College |
NIRF Ranking 2024 |
NIRF 2024 Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
84.01 |
|
| National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad |
2 |
80.29 |
| 3 |
78.95 |
|
| 4 |
77.13 |
|
| 5 |
74.69 | |
|
|
NIRF Law Rankings 2024
Top Law Institutes: The National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, once again emerged as the top law institute, followed by National Law University, Delhi, and NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad.
The top five law colleges are listed below, detailed NIRF Law Ranking 2024 List has been here.
| NLUs in India |
NIRF Ranking 2024 |
NIRF Ranking 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
1 |
|
| 2 |
2 |
|
| National Academy of Legal Study & Research (NALSAR) University of Law, Hyderabad |
3 |
4 |
| The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata |
4 |
5 |
| 5 |
6 |
NIRF Architecture Rankings 2024
There are around 860 Architecture colleges in India that offer courses in full-time, part-time, distance-learning, virtual classroom and online mode of study. These colleges provide degree, diploma and certificate courses.
Check list of top five architecture colleges in India.
| College Name |
NIRF 2024 |
NIRF 2023 |
NIRF 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
1 |
1 |
|
| IIT Kharagpur | 2 |
3 |
3 |
| 3 |
2 |
2 |
|
| IIEST Shibpur | 4 |
10 |
6 |
| 5 |
5 |
4 |
- This article presents all details related to NIRF rankings including the parameters used, parameter-scoring criteria, parameters that students should consider for admission and more. Read on for more insights.
Brief History of NIRF
The first Government rankings for colleges and universities in India were released by NIRF in 2016.
As per media reports, the India-specific Government/NIRF rankings were launched due to poor performance of Indian universities in world university rankings. Many higher education experts argued that Indian universities rank low in world university rankings such as Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) and Times Higher Education (THE) as international ranking bodies are insensitive to the higher education scenario in countries such as India where the objective of improving access to higher education is more important than improving the quality of education.
It was also argued that world university rankings lay greater emphasis on parameters such as internationalisation (for instance, presence of international students and faculty) and reputation in which Indian universities are weak and ignore areas such as social inclusion on which they (Indian higher education institutions) focus.
Hence, the decision to introduce India-specific university ranking system was made by the Government, which led to the current NIRF Rankings framework.
NIRF Ranking Parameters
NIRF provides rankings to universities and colleges in India based on scores obtained by them in five parameters:
- Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR)
- Research and Professional Practice (RP)
- Outreach and Inclusivity (OI)
- Graduation Outcomes (GO)
- Perception (PR)
Each parameter has various sub-parameters based on which higher education institutions are ranked. as mentioned below:
| NIRF Ranking Parameters & Sub-Parameters |
Marks Assigned |
Total Marks & Ranking Weightage |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR) |
Total Marks: 100 Ranking Weightage: 0.30 |
|
|
20 |
|
|
30 |
|
|
20 |
|
|
30 |
|
| Research and Professional Practice (RP) |
Total Marks: 100 Ranking Weightage: 0.30 |
|
|
35 |
|
|
35 |
|
|
15 |
|
|
15 |
|
| Graduation Outcome (GO) |
Total Marks: 100 Ranking Weightage: 0.20 |
|
|
60 |
|
|
40 |
|
| Outreach and Inclusivity (OI) |
Total Marks: 100 Ranking Weightage: 0.10 |
|
|
30 |
|
|
30 |
|
|
20 |
|
|
20 |
|
| Perception (PR) |
Total Marks: 100 Ranking Weightage: 0.10 |
|
|
100 |
|
It may be noted that while NIRF ranking parameters remain same for every category (Overall, Engineering, Architecture, Management, Medical, Pharmacy, Dental, Law), there might be some changes in the sub-parameters relevant for a particular category.
Importance of NIRF Rankings for Students
In India, there are various higher educational institutions attracting students for enrollment in a wide variety of courses offered by them. However, not all offer quality education to students. On the other hand, choosing the right educational institution is one of the most important tasks in a student’s life that ensures bright future ahead.
This is where NIRF rankings come into play. A good rank of an institution shows that its students receive well-rounded education. A good ranking also ensures that the institute has better reputation in the education industry than its counterparts.
The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) released its 2024 rankings in August, with the NIRF Rankings 2025 anticipated to be revealed in April 2025. Notably, the NIRF 2024 rankings incorporated Open University, Skills University and State Public University Rankings within NIRF, along with the introduction of sustainability criteria, thereby showcasing the accomplishments of diverse educational institutions across India.
Continuing its streak, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras secured the top spot in the Overall category for the sixth consecutive year, while the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, was recognized as the best university. AIIMS Delhi maintained its position as the leading medical institution, and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad retained its top rank among MBA colleges.
Key Highlights of NIRF Ranking 2024
Since its inception in 2015, NIRF Rankings, also known as India Rankings by the Education Ministry, have gained traction, witnessing increased participation from institutions and expansion into new categories each year.
Categories in NIRF Ranking:
The 2024 NIRF Rankings encompassed 16 categories, including major ones like, "Overall," Universities, Engineering, Management, Pharmacy, Law, Medical, Dental, Architecture & Planning, Research Institutions, and Colleges.
Statistics on NIRF Rankings:
A total number of 6,517 unique institutions offered themselves for ranking under “Overall”, category-specific and / or domain-specific rankings for India Rankings 2024. In all, 10,845 applications for ranking were made by these 6,517 unique institutions under various categories / domains including 2,781 in Overall Category, 1,463 in Engineering, and 3,371 in General Degree Colleges. A noticeable increase in institutional participation in the rankings exercise this year indicates its recognition amongst institutions of higher education in India as a fair and transparent ranking exercise. Number of unique applicants to India Rankings have increased from 2,426 in 2016 to 6,517 in 2024 whereas total number of applications for ranking in various categories have increased from 3,565 in 2016, to 10,845 in 2024 i.e. total increase of 4091 (168.63% increase) in number of unique institutions and 7,280 (204.21% increase) in total number of applicants.
Notable Top-ranking Institutions:
NIRF Rankings cover various categories such as NIRF Engineering Ranking 2024, Top 10 NIRF colleges, and NIRF MBA Ranking 2024, NIRF Medical Rankings 2024.
NIRF Rankings – Which Parameters to Consider for Admission?
Candidates can refer the NIRF rankings released annually to choose the best university/college for themselves. However, the question arises, ‘which ranking parameters to consider the most for admission?’
To help answer the question, further we have explained each NIRF ranking parameter in detail:
Teaching, Learning and Resources
This parameter deals with the teaching and learning resources available with an institution and the way they are utilised. TLR has the following sub-parameters:
- Student strength including doctoral students: This is calculated based on the number of students enrolled in undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD courses offered at the institute
- Faculty-student ratio with emphasis on permanent faculty: This is calculated based on the total number of students enrolled versus the total permanent faculty at the institute. The optimum expected ratio is 1:15, that is, one teacher for every 15 students.
- Combined metric for faculty with PhD (or equivalent) and experience: This is calculated based on the percentage/number of faculty that is PhD qualified
- Financial resources and its utilization: This is calculated based on an institute’s annual average capital and operational expenditure per student for the past three years
Graduation Outcome
This is an important parameter that students should consider while securing admission in an institute. This parameter measures the ultimate goal of a university/college. Various sub-parameters under GO include:
- Metric for university examinations: It is calculated based on number of students passing the respective university exams in stipulated time for the course in which enrolled
- Metric for number of PhD students graduated: It is calculated based on the number of students who have completed their PhD from the institute in the last three years
Apart from the sub-parameters mentioned above, the below sub-parameters are also included under GO for few categories such as Engineering, Management and Law:
- Combined % for placement, higher studies and entrepreneurship: It is calculated based on the percentage of graduating students placed through campus placements, selected for higher education or started their own start-ups
- Median salary: It is calculated based on the median salary of graduates who have passed from the college/university
- Metric for graduating students admitted into top universities: It is calculated based on the number of students who have secured admission in top universities across the globe against the total number of students graduated from the institute
Perception
Although this parameter has the least weightage in NIRF ranking framework, it is an important factor to consider at the time of college admissions. The parameter judges the overall perception of the college/university by peers, industry and researchers.
- Peer Perception: Academic peers and employers: It is calculated based on a survey done over a large category of employers, professions from reputed organisations and a large category of academics to capture their preference for graduates of different institutes
Research and Professional Practice
This parameter measures the quality of research carried out at an institute and the scholarships offered to students.
- Combined metric for publications: This is calculated based on the total publications reported in Web of Science, Indian Citation Index, etc.
- Combined metric for quality of publications: This calculates the quality of publications
- IPR and patents: Published, granted and licensed: This is calculated based on the number of patents granted, published and licensed over last three years
- Footprint of projects and professional practice and executive development programmes: It is calculated based on average research funding earning received at institute level and average annual earnings from full-time executive development programmes in last three years
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Outreach and Inclusivity
This parameter majorly deals with the representation of women and other marginalised and minority students in an institution.
- Percentage of students from other states/countries: As the name suggests, this is calculated based on the total number of students in an institute belonging to other states and countries
- Percentage of women: It is calculated based on the number of women enrolled in an institute as students, faculty and in other administrative jobs. The ideal expectation is to have 50 per cent students and 20 per cent faculty.
- Economically and socially challenged students: It is calculated based on the number of economically and socially challenged students being provided full tuition fee reimbursement by the institute
- Facilities for physically challenged students: It is calculated based on the facilities provided for physically challenged students
Abhay an alumnus of IIMC and Delhi University, has over a decade long experience of reporting on various beats of journalism. During his free time he prefers listening to music or play indoor and outdoor games.