98 PhD colleges in Chennai 2026
There are 98 PhD colleges in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
26 are government institutions and 72 are private.
Annual fees run from ₹1,645 to ₹2.01 L (median ₹38,750), based on published figures from 18 of the 98 colleges.
31 appear in the NIRF national rankings.
Compiled from listing data on . Fee figures cover 18 of 98 colleges.
PhD in Chennai at a glance
- Colleges listed
- 98
- Government / private
- 26 / 72
- Annual fees
- ₹1,645 – ₹2.01 L
- Median annual fee
- ₹38,750
- Course fees based on
- 18 of 98 colleges
- NIRF-ranked
- 31 of 98
- Average student rating
- 4.0 / 5 from 88 rated colleges
- Highest package reported
- ₹4.7 Cr
- Total seats (where published)
- 23 across 3 colleges
Narrow by type
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 | — |
| IIT Madras - Indian Institute of Technology - [IITM] Ph.D | ₹92,369 | ₹2.77 L | — |
All 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
Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute
Chennai Private NIRF #30 Est. 1988- Student rating
- 3.9/5
- Highest package
- ₹12 L
-
26
-
27
Rajalakshmi Engineering College - [REC]
Chennai Private NIRF #86 Est. 1997- Student rating
- 3.6/5
- Highest package
- ₹31.31 L
-
28
Madras School of Social Work - [MSSW]
Chennai Private NIRF #55 Est. 1952- Student rating
- 4.1/5
- Highest package
- ₹1.2 L
-
29
GKM College of Engineering and Technology - [GKMCET]
Chennai Private Est. 1996- Student rating
- 3.3/5
- Highest package
- ₹4.5 L
-
30
IIT Madras - Indian Institute of Technology - [IITM]
Chennai Private NIRF #1 Est. 1959- Student rating
- 4.3/5
- Fees from
- ₹92,369/yr
- Highest package
- ₹4.3 Cr
Showing the top 30 of 98. See all colleges in Chennai
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 98 PhD colleges listed in Chennai, of which 26 are government and 72 are private.
Published annual fees range from ₹1,645 to ₹2.01 L, with a median of ₹38,750. That is based on the 18 colleges out of 98 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.
Yes — 26 of the 98 PhD colleges listed here are government institutions.
Colleges on this page most commonly accept Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test, Management Aptitude Test, Common Admission Test, Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions, Xavier Aptitude Test, Common Management Admission Test.
The highest package reported by a college on this page is ₹4.7 Cr, from 46 colleges that publish placement figures.