Universities in India, state by state
India has about 1,300 universities. Most students choose between a handful in their own state. Here are the big public names in every state, what each kind of university means for you, and how to check any university in two minutes.
Four kinds of university
| Kind | Who runs it | Fees | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central university | Set up by an Act of Parliament, funded by the Centre | Low | Admission is mostly through CUET UG |
| State university | Set up by the state, funded by the state | Low to moderate | Affiliated colleges vary widely in quality; check the college, not only the university |
| Deemed to be university | Status given by the Centre on UGC's advice; many are private | Often high | Recognition of the specific course, and the total fee |
| Private university | Set up by a state law, run privately | Usually the highest | That it is on UGC's list, and that the course regulator approves the course |
The big public names in every state
Jump to: Andhra Pradesh · Arunachal Pradesh · Assam · Bihar · Chhattisgarh · Delhi · Goa · Gujarat · Haryana · Himachal Pradesh · Jammu & Kashmir · Jharkhand · Karnataka · Kerala · Ladakh · Madhya Pradesh · Maharashtra · Manipur · Meghalaya · Mizoram · Nagaland · Odisha · Puducherry · Punjab · Rajasthan · Sikkim · Tamil Nadu · Telangana · Tripura · Uttar Pradesh · Uttarakhand · West Bengal
| State | Central universities | IIT · NIT · AIIMS · IIM |
|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Central University of Andhra Pradesh · Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh · National Sanskrit University | IIT Tirupati · NIT Andhra Pradesh · AIIMS Mangalagiri · IIM Visakhapatnam |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Rajiv Gandhi University | NIT Arunachal Pradesh |
| Assam | Assam University · Tezpur University | IIT Guwahati · NIT Silchar · AIIMS Guwahati · IIM Guwahati (new) |
| Bihar | Central University of South Bihar · Mahatma Gandhi Central University · Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University · Nalanda University | IIT Patna · NIT Patna · AIIMS Patna · IIM Bodh Gaya |
| Chhattisgarh | Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya | IIT Bhilai · NIT Raipur · AIIMS Raipur · IIM Raipur |
| Delhi | University of Delhi · Jawaharlal Nehru University · Jamia Millia Islamia · IGNOU · Central Sanskrit University · Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University · South Asian University | IIT Delhi · NIT Delhi · AIIMS Delhi |
| Goa | – | IIT Goa · NIT Goa |
| Gujarat | Central University of Gujarat · Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya | IIT Gandhinagar · SVNIT Surat · AIIMS Rajkot · IIM Ahmedabad |
| Haryana | Central University of Haryana | NIT Kurukshetra · AIIMS Rewari (being built) · IIM Rohtak |
| Himachal Pradesh | Central University of Himachal Pradesh | IIT Mandi · NIT Hamirpur · AIIMS Bilaspur · IIM Sirmaur |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Central University of Jammu · Central University of Kashmir | IIT Jammu · NIT Srinagar · AIIMS Jammu · IIM Jammu |
| Jharkhand | Central University of Jharkhand | IIT (ISM) Dhanbad · NIT Jamshedpur · AIIMS Deoghar · IIM Ranchi |
| Karnataka | Central University of Karnataka | IIT Dharwad · NIT Karnataka, Surathkal · IIM Bangalore |
| Kerala | Central University of Kerala | IIT Palakkad · NIT Calicut · IIM Kozhikode |
| Ladakh | Sindhu Central University | – |
| Madhya Pradesh | Dr. Hari Singh Gour University · Indira Gandhi National Tribal University | IIT Indore · MANIT Bhopal · AIIMS Bhopal · IIM Indore |
| Maharashtra | Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya | IIT Bombay · VNIT Nagpur · AIIMS Nagpur · IIM Mumbai · IIM Nagpur |
| Manipur | Manipur University · Central Agricultural University · National Sports University | NIT Manipur |
| Meghalaya | North-Eastern Hill University | NIT Meghalaya · IIM Shillong |
| Mizoram | Mizoram University | NIT Mizoram |
| Nagaland | Nagaland University | NIT Nagaland |
| Odisha | Central University of Odisha | IIT Bhubaneswar · NIT Rourkela · AIIMS Bhubaneswar · IIM Sambalpur |
| Puducherry | Pondicherry University | NIT Puducherry |
| Punjab | Central University of Punjab | IIT Ropar · NIT Jalandhar · AIIMS Bathinda · IIM Amritsar |
| Rajasthan | Central University of Rajasthan | IIT Jodhpur · MNIT Jaipur · AIIMS Jodhpur · IIM Udaipur |
| Sikkim | Sikkim University | NIT Sikkim |
| Tamil Nadu | Central University of Tamil Nadu · Indian Maritime University | IIT Madras · NIT Tiruchirappalli · AIIMS Madurai (classes started) · IIM Tiruchirappalli |
| Telangana | University of Hyderabad · English and Foreign Languages University · Maulana Azad National Urdu University · Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University | IIT Hyderabad · NIT Warangal · AIIMS Bibinagar |
| Tripura | Tripura University | NIT Agartala |
| Uttar Pradesh | Banaras Hindu University · Aligarh Muslim University · University of Allahabad · Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University · Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University · Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University | IIT Kanpur · IIT (BHU) Varanasi · MNNIT Allahabad · AIIMS Raebareli · AIIMS Gorakhpur · IIM Lucknow |
| Uttarakhand | Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University | IIT Roorkee · NIT Uttarakhand · AIIMS Rishikesh · IIM Kashipur |
| West Bengal | Visva-Bharati | IIT Kharagpur · NIT Durgapur · AIIMS Kalyani · IIM Calcutta |
| Total | 57 central universities | 23 IITs · 31 NITs · 20 AIIMS admitting · 22 IIMs |
Most states also have their own state universities and private universities; this table lists only the centrally funded names. AIIMS Darbhanga and Awantipora, and AIIMS in Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur and Nagaland, are announced but not yet admitting. IIM Guwahati was created by Parliament in August 2025.
Check any university in two minutes
- Find it on UGC's list at ugc.gov.in, under its kind: central, state, deemed or private. UGC also publishes the lists state by state.
- Make sure it is not on UGC's fake-university list.
- Check the course with its regulator: AICTE for engineering and management, NMC for medicine, Bar Council for law, and so on.
The full five-step check is on Is this college genuine?
A university is not the same as a college
Most students study in a college affiliated to a state university. The university sets the syllabus, holds the exams and awards the degree, but the teaching, labs and placements depend on the college. Judge the college you will actually attend.
Your own state often costs least
State universities and state-run colleges usually reserve most seats for students of that state, with lower fees. Check your home state's options before you look further away.
Comparing two or three options?
The college choice scorecard puts them side by side in five minutes.
Sources
- UGC-recognised universities, counted from UGC's lists on 3 Nov 2026: 1,304 in all
- Central universities by state, from UGC's list
- AIIMS: functional and announced
- Parliament passes Bill to set up IIM Guwahati (August 2025)
- Official sites: ugc.gov.in (lists of universities and fake universities), iitsystem.ac.in, nitcouncil.org.in, iimcouncil.ac.in, aiims.edu