72 Private PhD colleges in Chennai 2026
There are 72 private PhD colleges in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Annual fees run from ₹1,645 to ₹92,369 (median ₹33,765), based on published figures from 10 of the 72 colleges.
14 appear in the NIRF national rankings.
Compiled from listing data on . Fee figures cover 10 of 72 colleges.
PhD in Chennai at a glance
- Colleges listed
- 72
- Annual fees
- ₹1,645 – ₹92,369
- Median annual fee
- ₹33,765
- Course fees based on
- 10 of 72 colleges
- NIRF-ranked
- 14 of 72
- Average student rating
- 3.9 / 5 from 63 rated colleges
- Highest package reported
- ₹4.7 Cr
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 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIT Madras - Indian Institute of Technology - [IITM] Ph.D | ₹92,369 | ₹2.77 L | — |
| Queen Mary's College Ph.D | ₹1,645 | ₹4,935 | — |
| Presidency College Ph.D | ₹2,215 | ₹6,645 | — |
All private PhD colleges in Chennai
Ordered by rating. Colleges that publish no rating appear last.
-
1
Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute
Chennai Private NIRF #30 Est. 1988- Student rating
- 3.9/5
- Highest package
- ₹12 L
-
2
-
3
Rajalakshmi Engineering College - [REC]
Chennai Private NIRF #86 Est. 1997- Student rating
- 3.6/5
- Highest package
- ₹31.31 L
-
4
Madras School of Social Work - [MSSW]
Chennai Private NIRF #55 Est. 1952- Student rating
- 4.1/5
- Highest package
- ₹1.2 L
-
5
GKM College of Engineering and Technology - [GKMCET]
Chennai Private Est. 1996- Student rating
- 3.3/5
- Highest package
- ₹4.5 L
-
6
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
-
7
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8
-
9
MEASI Institute of Management - [MIM]
Chennai Private Est. 1987- Student rating
- 3.9/5
- Highest package
- ₹27.3 L
-
10
Madras School of Economics - [MSE]
Chennai Private Est. 1993- Student rating
- 3.7/5
- Highest package
- ₹20.15 L
-
11
Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University - [TANUVAS]
Chennai Private NIRF #26 Est. 1876- Student rating
- 4.0/5
-
12
-
13
Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University - [TNPESU]
Chennai Private Est. 2004- Student rating
- 3.9/5
- Highest package
- ₹4.5 L
-
14
Mohamed Sathak College of Arts and Science
Chennai Private Est. 1991- Student rating
- 3.8/5
- Highest package
- ₹12 L
-
15
-
16
-
17
Indian Maritime University - [IMU]
Chennai Private Est. 2008- Student rating
- 4.1/5
- Highest package
- ₹24 L
-
18
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19
-
20
Presidency College
Chennai Private NIRF #15 Est. 1840- Student rating
- 4.1/5
- Fees from
- ₹2,215/yr
- Highest package
- ₹15 L
-
21
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22
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23
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24
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25
Government Arts College For Men
Chennai Private Est. 1969- Student rating
- 3.7/5
- Highest package
- ₹3.42 L
-
26
Jerusalem College of Engineering - [JCE]
Chennai Private Est. 1995- Student rating
- 3.9/5
- Highest package
- ₹12 L
-
27
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28
-
29
Sri Muthukumaran Institute of Technology - [SMIT]
Chennai Private Est. 1996- Student rating
- 4.1/5
- Highest package
- ₹7.5 L
-
30
Showing the top 30 of 72. 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 72 private PhD colleges listed in Chennai.
Published annual fees range from ₹1,645 to ₹92,369, with a median of ₹33,765. That is based on the 10 colleges out of 72 that publish a fee; each college's own figure is in the table on this page.
Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute ranks first on this page, with a student rating of 3.9 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, Management Aptitude Test, Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions, Common Admission Test, Xavier Aptitude Test, Common Management Admission Test.
The highest package reported by a college on this page is ₹4.7 Cr, from 29 colleges that publish placement figures.