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 | 74 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 | #16 | ₹2.06 L | — | Government |
| SRM University Chennai Chennai | 10 | — | ₹19.1 L | — | Government |
| SIMATS Chennai Chennai | 10 | #2 | ₹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 | — | ₹13.5 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
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1925
star 10.0 Fees from ₹3.33 L NIRF #14 Highest ₹9.5 L 17 courses -
2
Madras Christian College - [MCC]
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1837
star 10.0 Fees from ₹2.06 L NIRF #16 14 courses -
3
SRM Institute of Science and Technology - [SRMIST]
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1985
star 10.0 Fees from ₹19.1 L 75 courses -
4
Saveetha Institute of Medical And Technical Sciences - [SIMATS]
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2005
star 10.0 Fees from ₹1.13 Cr NIRF #2 61 courses -
5
Stella Maris College
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1960
star 9.9 Fees from ₹1.94 L NIRF #41 16 courses -
6
Madras Medical College - [MMC]
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1835
star 9.9 Fees from ₹1.8 L NIRF #16 15 courses -
7
SRM Institute of Hotel Management
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1993
star 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]
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2004
star 9.9 Fees from ₹13.5 L Highest ₹35.5 L 5 courses -
9
Women's Christian College - [WCC]
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1915
star 9.9 Fees from ₹3.38 L 50 courses -
10
Saveetha School of Law
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2009
star 9.9 Fees from ₹17.5 L 10 courses -
11
Stanley Medical College
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1938
star 9.9 Fees from ₹1.17 L 40 courses -
12
Great Lakes Institute of Management
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2004
star 9.9 Fees from ₹23.5 L NIRF #37 Highest ₹39.3 L 7 courses -
13
College of Engineering, Anna University - [CEG]
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1794
star 9.9 Fees from ₹4.6 L NIRF #9 66 courses -
14
Ethiraj College for Women
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1948
star 9.9 Fees from ₹2.81 L NIRF #64 Highest ₹10 L 73 courses -
15
SRM Dental College Ramapuram
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1996
star 9.8 Fees from ₹15.7 L 12 courses -
16
Government Kilpauk Medical College - [GKMC]
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1960
star 9.8 Fees from ₹49,750 10 courses -
17
Sri Ramachandra Dental College
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1995
star 9.8 Fees from ₹30 L 11 courses -
18
Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA)
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1979
star 9.8 Fees from ₹1.28 L NIRF #55 Highest ₹21 L 34 courses -
19
Indian Institute of Information Technology Design & Manufacturing - [IIITDM]
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2007
star 9.8 Fees from ₹9.56 L NIRF #184 Highest ₹32 L 5 courses -
20
SRM School of Environment Architecture and Design - [SRM SEAD]
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2009
star 9.8 Fees from ₹5.1 L Highest ₹55 L 4 courses -
21
Sri Muthukumaran Medical College Hospital and Research Institute - [SMMCHRI]
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2009
star 9.7 Fees from ₹21.75 L 4 courses -
22
Guru Nanak College (Autonomous)
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1971
star 9.7 Fees from ₹2.55 L NIRF #89 14 courses -
23
SSN College of Engineering - [SSNCE]
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1994
star 9.7 Fees from ₹5.16 L NIRF #47 Highest ₹89 L 27 courses -
24
The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1987
star 9.7 Fees from ₹9,000 257 courses -
25
Government Medical College Omandurar - [GMC]
location_on Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2015
star 9.7 Fees from ₹90,365 7 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. 74 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.
