26 Government PhD colleges in Chennai 2026
There are 26 government PhD colleges in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Annual fees run from ₹8,167 to ₹2.01 L (median ₹46,384), based on published figures from 8 of the 26 colleges.
17 appear in the NIRF national rankings.
Compiled from listing data on . Fee figures cover 8 of 26 colleges.
PhD in Chennai at a glance
- Colleges listed
- 26
- Annual fees
- ₹8,167 – ₹2.01 L
- Median annual fee
- ₹46,384
- Course fees based on
- 8 of 26 colleges
- NIRF-ranked
- 17 of 26
- Average student rating
- 4.1 / 5 from 25 rated colleges
- Highest package reported
- ₹70 L
- Total seats (where published)
- 23 across 3 colleges
Which PhD college in Chennai is best?
Each pick names the figure it was chosen on. Categories with no published data are left out.
PhD fees in Chennai
The 8 colleges here that publish a fee for this course. An empty cell means the college has not published that figure.
| College | Annual fee | Total fee | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| SRM Institute of Science and Technology - [SRMIST] Ph.D | ₹21,667 | ₹65,001 | 5 |
| Indian Institute of Information Technology Design & Manufacturing - [IIITDM] Ph.D | ₹2.01 L | ₹6.04 L | — |
| Vels Institute of Science, Technology & Advanced Studies Ph.D | ₹39,000 | ₹1.17 L | 8 |
| Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology Ph.D | ₹60,000 | ₹1.8 L | — |
| Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R and D Institute of Science and Technology - [Vel Tech] Ph.D | ₹53,767 | ₹1.61 L | — |
| St. Peter's Institute of Higher Education and Research - [SPIHER] Ph.D | ₹54,000 | ₹1.62 L | — |
| University of Madras Ph.D | ₹8,167 | ₹24,501 | — |
| Anna University - [AU] Ph.D | ₹38,500 | ₹1.16 L | — |
All government PhD colleges in Chennai
Ordered by rating. Colleges that publish no rating appear last.
-
1
SRM Institute of Science and Technology - [SRMIST]
Chennai Government Est. 1985- Student rating
- 4.0/5
- Fees from
- ₹21,667/yr
-
2
-
3
-
4
Saveetha Institute of Medical And Technical Sciences - [SIMATS]
Chennai Government NIRF #2 Est. 2005- Student rating
- 4.2/5
-
5
-
6
Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras - [DoMS IIT Madras]
Chennai Government NIRF #13 Est. 2004- Student rating
- 4.1/5
- Highest package
- ₹35.5 L
-
7
-
8
Ethiraj College for Women
Chennai Government NIRF #64 Est. 1948- Student rating
- 4.1/5
- Highest package
- ₹10 L
-
9
Indian Institute of Information Technology Design & Manufacturing - [IIITDM]
Chennai Government NIRF #151 Est. 2007- Student rating
- 4.1/5
- Fees from
- ₹2.01 L/yr
- Highest package
- ₹32 L
-
10
Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA)
Chennai Government NIRF #55 Est. 1979- Student rating
- 4.4/5
- Highest package
- ₹21 L
-
11
-
12
Hindustan College of Arts and Science - [HICAS]
Chennai Government Est. 1995- Student rating
- 3.8/5
- Highest package
- ₹3.5 L
-
13
SDNB Vaishnav College for Women
Chennai Government Est. 1967- Student rating
- 4.3/5
- Highest package
- ₹7.5 L
-
14
Vels Institute of Science, Technology & Advanced Studies
Chennai Government NIRF #61 Est. 1992- Student rating
- 3.9/5
- Fees from
- ₹39,000/yr
- Highest package
- ₹33 L
-
15
Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Arts and Science College for Women
Chennai Government Est. 1999- Student rating
- 4.5/5
-
16
Madras Institute of Technology- [MIT]
Chennai Government Est. 1949- Student rating
- 4.1/5
- Highest package
- ₹36.5 L
-
17
Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology
Chennai Government NIRF #53 Est. 1987- Student rating
- 4.0/5
- Fees from
- ₹60,000/yr
- Highest package
- ₹41.2 L
-
18
Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R and D Institute of Science and Technology - [Vel Tech]
Chennai Government NIRF #87 Est. 1997- Student rating
- 3.7/5
- Fees from
- ₹53,767/yr
- Highest package
- ₹47 L
-
19
St. Peter's Institute of Higher Education and Research - [SPIHER]
Chennai Government Est. 1993- Student rating
- 3.9/5
- Fees from
- ₹54,000/yr
- Highest package
- ₹7.5 L
-
20
Chennai Institute of Technology - [CIT]
Chennai Government NIRF #175 Est. 2010- Student rating
- 4.2/5
- Highest package
- ₹60 L
-
21
University of Madras
Chennai Government NIRF #18 Est. 1857- Student rating
- 3.9/5
- Fees from
- ₹8,167/yr
- Highest package
- ₹6 L
-
22
DG Vaishnav College - [DDGDVC]
Chennai Government NIRF #91 Est. 1964- Student rating
- 3.9/5
- Highest package
- ₹9.45 L
-
23
Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed College For Women - [JBAS]
Chennai Government Est. 1955- Student rating
- 4.0/5
-
24
Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research
Chennai Government NIRF #13 Est. 1985- Student rating
- 3.9/5
- Highest package
- ₹70 L
-
25
Anna University - [AU]
Chennai Government NIRF #20 Est. 1978- Student rating
- 3.8/5
- Fees from
- ₹38,500/yr
- Highest package
- ₹40 L
-
26
Entrance exams for PhD in Chennai
The exams most often accepted by colleges on this page.
How to choose between them
- Check the affiliating university and approvals before the fee. A degree's value follows the body that awards it.
- Treat a published fee as the tuition floor. Hostel, exam and one-time charges are usually quoted separately.
- Ask what the placement figure counts. A "highest package" is one student; a median is the useful number, and few colleges publish it.
- Confirm the entrance exam and its dates directly with the college — cycles shift, and a missed form is a lost year.
- Visit if you can. Labs, library and travel time decide three years of your life more than a rank does.
Frequently asked questions
About PhD colleges in Chennai.
There are 26 government PhD colleges listed in Chennai.
Published annual fees range from ₹8,167 to ₹2.01 L, with a median of ₹46,384. That is based on the 8 colleges out of 26 that publish a fee; each college's own figure is in the table on this page.
SRM Institute of Science and Technology - [SRMIST] ranks first on this page, with a student rating of 4.0 out of 5. The order is by rating, and colleges without published data appear last.
Colleges on this page most commonly accept Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test, Common Admission Test, National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test, Management Aptitude Test, Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test for Masters of Dental Surgery.
The highest package reported by a college on this page is ₹70 L, from 17 colleges that publish placement figures.