What is the Difference Between Autonomous, Deemed, Private, State & Central Universities?

There are thousands of institutes and universities offering hundreds of degrees. However, it is important to know which are authentic and valuable. When choosing a university, it is important to know what is Autonomous college, Deemed-to-be university, Private institution or State & Central University because the validity of an educational degree is of utmost importance. 

There are over 1074 universities in India, offering undergraduate and postgraduate courses in scores of subjects from streams like Science, Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Commerce, Fine Arts, etc. These universities have been classified into various categories based on the type of education, mode and courses offered - such as Central, State, Private, Autonomous and Deemed-to-be.  All Indian universities have to be recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to function legally and offer valid degree. The UGC recognises the institutions on the basis of various parameters. Institutions fulfilling the parameters are awarded recognition of Central, State, Private, Autonomous and Deemed-to-be.

This means, if an institute is recognised by the UGC, it is recognised by the Government of India and the degree is valid in India and abroad. When selecting a university for higher education, candidates should always look for UGC recognition to avoid falling into the trap of fake universities. Apart from the UGC, there are about 15 Professional Councils, which control various aspects of accreditation. These government recognition and competent body accreditation are the real marker of authenticity of an institute or university. Read below to know more about Universities in India and their types - Central, State, Private, Autonomous and Deemed-to-be Universities.

Total Number of Universities in India

Currently, there are about 1074 universities in India. These universities are classified into Central, State, Private and Deemed-to-be universities. Take a look the table below for category-wise total number of universities in India.

Please note, the above list doesn’t include Autonomous colleges and institutes.

Central University

A central university is the one which is established by an Act of Parliament and is under the direct purview of the Department of Higher Education (DHE) under Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). As per the latest list available, there are 56 Central universities in our country.

Salient features:

• Conduct their own admission process
• Can decide their own syllabus
• Conduct their own exams
• Grant degrees to the students

Check: Complete list of UGC approved central universities in North India here

State University

As the name suggests, a State University is established, run and funded by the state government. State universities are usually established by a local legislative assembly act. According to a UGC consolidated list, there are 460 state universities in the country. State universities can confer/grant their own degrees to the students.

Salient features:

• Conduct their own admission process
• Grant degrees to the students
• Conducts their own exams
• Can decide their own syllabus

Deemed-to-be-University

Many students often ask - what is deemed university? Even though they offer the same courses as any other university, what is the difference? So, here is the answer. Deemed is a status of autonomy granted to a university by DHE under MHRD, on the advice of UGC. Deemed-to-be-Universities enjoy full autonomy or independence in deciding courses, syllabus, admissions and fees. Some Deemed to be Universities can also grant degrees on their own. Deemed-to-be Universities, which continue to perform well, can get the status of a full-fledged University. According to rthe latest UGC list, there are 128 Deemed-to-be universities in the country.

Salient features:

• Conduct their own admission procedure
• Can decide their own syllabus
• Conduct their own exams
• May or may not grant degrees to the students

Private University

Private University is also an UGC approved institute. However, it does not run on central or state funds. Private universities can grant degrees but cannot have off-campus colleges or affiliate an institution/college. “They can establish off-campus centre(s) within the concerned State after their existence of five years and with the prior approval of the University Grants Commission,” states the UGC website. Unlike state and central universities which have a ‘Chancellor’ as the head, a private university is always headed by ‘President’ or ‘Chairperson’.

a Private University needs to adhere to UGC rules and regulations for operations. The UGC regularly sends committees to inspect Private universities. According to the latest UGC consolidated list, there 430 are private universities in the country.

Salient features:

• Conduct their own admission procedure
• Can decide their own syllabus
• Conduct their own exams
• Can grant degrees to the students

Autonomous Institutes & Colleges

Autonomous institutes and colleges exercise independent control over their daily operations, syllabus, courses offered and admission procedure. They fall under the administrative control of Department of Higher Education (DHE), MHRD.

However, there’s a thin line of difference between Autonomous Institutes and Autonomous Colleges.

Autonomous Colleges are those which are affiliated to a certain university. These colleges can conduct their own admission procedure and exams. However, at the end of course completion, they cannot issue their own degree or diploma. The final degree or diploma is issued by the affiliated university.

Autonomous Institutes, like deemed-to-be universities, enjoy full autonomy or independence in deciding courses, syllabus, admissions and fees. However, they can grant diplomas and not degrees.

Some autonomous institutes are permitted to award degrees, though they are not referred to as Universities. These institutes include the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), etc.

Salient features:

• Conduct their own admission procedure
• Can decide their own syllabus
• Conduct their own exams
• May or may not grant diploma or degree to students

What is the Difference between Deemed-to-be University, Autonomous College & Private Institutions?

Take a look at the table below to understand the basic difference between Deemed-to-be, Autonomous and Private Colleges. 

Top Deemed-to-be University in India

Some of the popular Deemed universities in India are listed below:

• IISC Bangalore
• Manipal Academy of Higher Education
• Birla Institute of Technology & Science
• Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
• Institute of Chemical Technology
• Vellore Institute of Technology
• Jamia Hamdard
• Homi Bhabha National Institute
• SRM Institute of Science and Technology
• JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research
• Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology
• Tata Institute of Social Sciences
• National Institute of Technology Rourkela
• Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology
• D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth
• Symbiosis International
• Jain University
• S. Ramaiah University
• Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation University

Check popular Science, Commerce, and Humanities colleges in India, below: