Total Number of Universities in India in 2024 | Central | State | Deemed | Private

In this article we will discuss about the total number of Central Universities, State Universities, Deemed Universities and Private Universities in India in 2024.

India has both public and private universities that make up its higher education system. Private universities typically receive funding from a variety of organizations and societies, in contrast to public universities which receive funding from the central and state governments of India. The University Grants Commission (UGC) is an Indian government agency with recognition authority granted under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956. More than that, fifteen separate Professional Councils are set up to oversee various facets of accreditation and coordination.

Total Number of Universities in India

Central universities, or Union universities

Central Universities in India – An Act of Parliament establishes central universities, often known as Union universities, and the Ministry of Education’s Department of Higher Education is responsible for overseeing them. There are 56 central universities on the UGC’s published list as of 14 November 2023.

State universities in India

State Universities in India in 2024 – Typically created by an act of the local legislative assembly, state universities in India are overseen by the respective state governments of the several Indian states and territories. There are 479 operational state Universities on the UGC’s roster as of 14 November 2023. All three of India’s oldest universities—University of Calcutta, University of Madras, and University of Mumbai—share an 1857 founding year on the UGC’s list. The majority of state universities are actually networked systems of connected colleges, which are commonly found in smaller towns and offer a variety of undergraduate and, in some cases, graduate-level courses. With the blessing of the affiliated university, more prestigious institutions may go so far as to provide PhD degrees in select departments.

Deemed universities in India, or “Deemed to be University”,

Deemed Universities in India in 2024 – According to Section 3 of the UGC Act, the Department of Higher Education grants a university the status of “Deemed to be University” or “Deemed university” when the UGC recommends it. The UGC has approved 124 deemed universities status as of 14 November 2023. On 12 May 1958, the Indian Institute of Science was given presumed university status, making it the first institute to do so according to this list. The UGC often includes multiple institutes in a single listing. The Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research and the Institute of Mathematical Sciences are both included in the Homi Bhabha National Institute’s roster.

State Private universities are approved by the UGC

The UGC has authorized private and state universities. Degrees can be conferred, however off-campus associated colleges cannot. 455 public and private universities are included in the UGC’s consolidated list as of November 14, 2023.
There are a total of 1,114 universities that fall under these four categories as of November 14, 2023. Every one of India’s 28 states and five of the country’s eight union territories—Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, and Puducherry—have some sort of university.

Gujarat boasts 97 institutions, making it the most university-rich state in India. Additionally, with 63 state-run private universities, Gujarat easily tops the list. There are 28 deemed universities in Tamil Nadu, while 42 are located in Karnataka, the state with the most universities overall. Out of all the states and territories, Delhi boasts the most central universities with seven.

Institutes of National Importance

Institutes of National Importance in India – Other institutions are also authorized to independently confer degrees, in addition to the universities listed above. The formal designations for these institutions are “autonomous organizations” or “autonomous institutes,” and they do not affiliate with colleges. The Department of Higher Education has administrative jurisdiction over them. The All-India Institutes of Medical Sciences, the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, the Indian Institutes of Management, the National Institutes of Technology, the Indian Institutes of Technology for Information and Communication, and other independent institutes are all part of these groups. Listed below are not these educational institutions.
Additionally, the UGC has not authorized any of the professional councils that oversee educational institutions; for example, the Agricultural Education Division of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) oversees agricultural universities.
Additionally, a list of fraudulent Indian universities has been kept by the University Grants Commission (UGC). According to the UGC, these 24 colleges are not legitimate and cannot provide degrees since they are not recognized and are operating outside the UGC Act. Twenty universities have been added to the list as of November 14, 2023.

State-wise List of Universities in India

Total Number of Universities by state and type

As per according the last update on 14 November 2023.

• List of autonomous higher education institutes in India
• List of central universities in India
• List of deemed universities in India
• List of state private universities in India
• List of state universities in India

Higher Education System Notes