Best colleges in Chennai 2026
497 colleges in Chennai charge between ₹984 and ₹1.53 Cr in the first year, and Loyola College is the highest rated of them. Every figure below is the college's own published number.
Colleges in Chennai — at a glance
| Colleges listed | 497 |
|---|---|
| Fee range (first year) | ₹984 – ₹1.53 Cr |
| Government / Private | 75 / 422 |
| NIRF-ranked | 80 of 497 |
| Highest package reported | ₹4.7 Cr |
| Top rated | Loyola College |
Which college in Chennai is best?
It depends what you are optimising for. Each pick below is the best in this list on that one measure.
Top 8 colleges in Chennai compared
Rating, ranking, fees and placement side by side.
| College | Rating | NIRF | Fees from | Highest package | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loyola Chennai Chennai | 10 | #14 | ₹3.33 L | ₹9.5 L | Government |
| MCC Chennai Chennai | 10 | — | ₹2.06 L | — | Government |
| SRM University Chennai Chennai | 10 | — | ₹19.1 L | — | Government |
| SIMATS Chennai Chennai | 10 | — | ₹1.13 Cr | — | Government |
| Stella Maris College Chennai Chennai | 9.9 | #41 | ₹1.94 L | — | Government |
| MMC Chennai Chennai | 9.9 | #16 | ₹1.8 L | — | Government |
| SRM Institute of Hotel Management Chennai Chennai | 9.9 | #1 | ₹1.9 L | ₹6.33 L | Government |
| DOMS, IIT Madras Chennai | 9.9 | #13 | ₹13.5 L | ₹35.5 L | Government |
A dash means that college has not published the figure. Nothing here is estimated.
Top 25 colleges in Chennai
-
1
Loyola College
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1925
10.0 Fees from ₹3.33 L NIRF #14 Highest ₹9.5 L 58 courses -
2
Madras Christian College - [MCC]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1837
10.0 Fees from ₹2.06 L 87 courses -
3
SRM Institute of Science and Technology - [SRMIST]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1985
10.0 Fees from ₹19.1 L 398 courses -
4
Saveetha Institute of Medical And Technical Sciences - [SIMATS]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2005
10.0 Fees from ₹1.13 Cr 321 courses -
5
Stella Maris College
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1960
9.9 Fees from ₹1.94 L NIRF #41 53 courses -
6
Madras Medical College - [MMC]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1835
9.9 Fees from ₹1.8 L NIRF #16 76 courses -
7
SRM Institute of Hotel Management
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1993
9.9 Fees from ₹1.9 L NIRF #1 Highest ₹6.33 L 4 courses -
8
Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras - [DoMS IIT Madras]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2004
9.9 Fees from ₹13.5 L NIRF #13 Highest ₹35.5 L 7 courses -
9
Women's Christian College - [WCC]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1915
9.9 Fees from ₹3.38 L 50 courses -
10
Saveetha School of Law
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2009
9.9 Fees from ₹17.5 L 10 courses -
11
Stanley Medical College
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1938
9.9 Fees from ₹1.17 L 40 courses -
12
Great Lakes Institute of Management
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2004
9.9 Fees from ₹23.5 L NIRF #37 Highest ₹39.3 L 8 courses -
13
College of Engineering, Anna University - [CEG]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1794
9.9 Fees from ₹4.6 L NIRF #9 66 courses -
14
Ethiraj College for Women
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1948
9.9 Fees from ₹2.81 L NIRF #64 Highest ₹10 L 73 courses -
15
SRM Dental College Ramapuram
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1996
9.8 Fees from ₹15.7 L NIRF #8 12 courses -
16
Government Kilpauk Medical College - [GKMC]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1960
9.8 Fees from ₹49,750 47 courses -
17
Sri Ramachandra Dental College
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1995
9.8 Fees from ₹30 L 11 courses -
18
Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA)
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1979
9.8 Fees from ₹1.28 L NIRF #55 Highest ₹21 L 34 courses -
19
Indian Institute of Information Technology Design & Manufacturing - [IIITDM]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2007
9.8 Fees from ₹9.56 L NIRF #151 Highest ₹32 L 27 courses -
20
SRM School of Environment Architecture and Design - [SRM SEAD]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2009
9.8 Fees from ₹5.1 L Highest ₹55 L 4 courses -
21
Sri Muthukumaran Medical College Hospital and Research Institute - [SMMCHRI]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2009
9.7 Fees from ₹21.75 L 21 courses -
22
Guru Nanak College (Autonomous)
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1971
9.7 Fees from ₹2.55 L 45 courses -
23
SSN College of Engineering - [SSNCE]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1994
9.7 Fees from ₹5.16 L NIRF #47 Highest ₹89 L 27 courses -
24
The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1987
9.7 Fees from ₹9,000 257 courses -
25
Government Medical College Omandurar - [GMC]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2015
9.7 Fees from ₹90,365 15 courses
Showing 25 of 497. Ordered by student rating; colleges that publish a fee appear first.
See all 497 →How to choose between them
Start with the fee you can commit to. Across Chennai the published first-year fee runs from ₹984 to ₹1.53 Cr, so the shortlist changes completely depending on the band you pick.
Government or private. 75 of these are government-run and 422 are private. Government colleges are usually cheaper and admit on entrance rank; private colleges are more likely to have their own admission route.
Check the ranking applies to your course. 80 of these hold an NIRF rank, but NIRF is scored per category — a rank in one category says nothing about another.
Then read the placement tab, not the headline package. The highest package is one student; the percentage placed and the recruiters listed tell you far more.
Frequently asked questions
How many colleges are there in Chennai?
There are 497 colleges listed in Chennai on this page, of which 75 are government and 422 are private.
What is the fee for colleges in Chennai?
Published first-year fees range from ₹984 to ₹1.53 Cr. Each college's own figure is in the table above.
Which is the best college in Chennai?
Loyola College has the highest student rating among the colleges listed here, in Chennai.
What is the highest package from colleges in Chennai?
The highest package reported by a college on this page is ₹4.7 Cr. Packages vary by course and year.