- The All India Survey on Higher Education 2021-22 records 1,168 universities and university-level institutions in India
- The University Grants Commission lists 56 central universities established by Acts of Parliament, while more than 170 Institutes of National Importance, including the IITs, NITs and AIIMS, operate under special central laws.
What Is a University in India?
A university in India is an institution of higher education empowered to award degrees, established by an Act of Parliament or a state legislature, or recognised as a deemed-to-be university. Universities offer undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes across many disciplines and are regulated mainly by the University Grants Commission under the UGC Act.
The word university comes from the Latin phrase universitas magistrorum et scholarium, meaning a community of teachers and scholars. In India, universities provide both undergraduate and postgraduate courses and are the backbone of the higher education system that has expanded rapidly since independence.
Universities in India can be public or private. Public universities are funded by the central or state governments, while private universities are set up by private sponsoring bodies under state legislation. Most degree-awarding institutions are recognised by the University Grants Commission, which also releases grants to eligible colleges and institutions.
Indian education system explainedRead →How Many Universities Are There in India?
According to the All India Survey on Higher Education 2021-22, India has 1,168 universities and university-level institutions. Of these, 685 are government-managed, 10 are private aided deemed universities and 473 are private unaided universities. The UGC separately recognises 56 central universities established through Acts of Parliament as of 2025.
The government-managed group of 685 includes 240 institutions run by the central government and 445 by state governments, using the survey's management-based classification. Alongside these, the UGC maintains a distinct legal category of 56 central universities, and more than 170 Institutes of National Importance function under their own central Acts.
| University Type | Number (AISHE 2021-22, current as of 2026) |
|---|---|
| Total universities and university-level institutions | 1,168 |
| Government-managed universities | 685 |
| Central-government managed | 240 |
| State-government managed | 445 |
| Private deemed (aided) universities | 10 |
| Private (unaided) universities | 473 |
| Open universities | 18 |
What Are the Types of Universities in India?
Indian universities fall into several categories: central universities set up by Parliament, state universities established by state legislatures, private universities run by sponsoring bodies, and deemed-to-be universities granted university status by the UGC. Separate groups include agricultural universities, open universities and Institutes of National Importance created under dedicated central laws.
- Central universities
- State universities
- Private universities
- Deemed-to-be universities
- Agricultural universities
- Institutes of National Importance
- Open universities
Which Are the Major Central Universities in India?
Central universities are established and largely funded by the central government through Acts of Parliament, with the UGC listing 56 of them as of 2025. Well-known examples include Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Delhi, Banaras Hindu University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Aligarh Muslim University and the University of Hyderabad.
Central universities operate under the Ministry of Education or, in a few cases, other central ministries. Most are funded and monitored through the University Grants Commission. They typically offer a wide range of courses and admit students through national tests such as CUET.
- Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi
- University of Delhi (DU), Delhi
- Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi
- Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
- Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh
- University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad
- Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi
What Are State and Private Universities in India?
State universities are created by state legislatures and form the largest group, while private universities are established by state Acts but run by private sponsoring bodies. AISHE 2021-22 recorded 445 state-government universities and 473 private unaided universities, including institutions such as Lovely Professional University and Amity University.
State universities are supported by their respective state governments and affiliate large numbers of colleges. Private universities are permitted to award their own degrees but usually cannot affiliate outside colleges. Fees at private universities are generally higher, reflecting their infrastructure and self-financed model.
Some widely known state and private universities include the following:
- Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune (state)
- Anna University, Chennai (state)
- Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi (state)
- Lovely Professional University, Punjab (private)
- Amity University, Noida (private)
- O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat (private)
- Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida (private)
What Are Deemed and Agricultural Universities?
Deemed-to-be universities are strong institutions granted university status by the UGC under Section 3 of the UGC Act, such as TISS and BITS Pilani. Agricultural universities, coordinated by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, numbered about 57 in AISHE 2021-22 and focus on farm science education and research.
Deemed-to-be universities enjoy academic autonomy in setting courses and syllabi while remaining under UGC oversight. Agricultural universities, supported by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, give students strong practical exposure to farming techniques, new technologies and agricultural research.
Examples of deemed and agricultural universities include:
- Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai (deemed)
- Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani (deemed)
- Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi
- National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal
- Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
- Central Agricultural University, Imphal
What Are Institutes of National Importance and Open Universities?
Institutes of National Importance are premier institutions created by special Acts of Parliament, including the IITs, NITs, IIMs, AIIMS and IISERs, and India now has more than 170 of them. Open universities, led by Indira Gandhi National Open University, deliver distance and online education, with AISHE 2021-22 counting 18 open universities nationwide.
Institutes of National Importance receive special funding and status because of their role in developing skilled specialists for the country. Open universities let students continue their studies through distance and online modes without attending regular classes, providing study material and both undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
- Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)
- National Institutes of Technology (NITs)
- Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs)
- All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
- Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs)
- Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad
- Vardhman Mahaveer Open University, Kota