Top Engineering Colleges in Tamil Nadu (NIRF 2025): Ranks, Scores and What to Check
The best-ranked engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu in NIRF 2025, from the official engineering table: IIT Madras, NIT Tiruchirappalli, SRM, VIT, Anna University, Amrita and more.
Why Tamil Nadu is a strong state for engineering
Tamil Nadu has one of the densest sets of engineering institutions in India. The NIRF 2025 engineering table has more than 10 Tamil Nadu institutions in its top 100, across government, deemed and private universities. This post lists them in rank order, using the official table.
Ranked list
| Rank in India | Institution | City | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Chennai | 88.72 |
| 9 | National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli | Tiruchirappalli | 68.14 |
| 14 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology | Chennai | 65.83 |
| 16 | Vellore Institute of Technology | Vellore | 65.25 |
| 20 | Anna University | Chennai | 63.51 |
| 23 | Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | Coimbatore | 62.46 |
| 33 | Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education | Krishnan Koil | 59.03 |
| 40 | Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology and Research Academy (SASTRA) | Thanjavur | 58.02 |
| 45 | Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | Chennai | 56.55 |
| 67 | Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology | Chennai | 50.64 |
| 87 | Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology | Chennai | 47.43 |
What the list shows
Government institutions. IIT Madras, NIT Tiruchirappalli and Anna University are the three government institutions in the top 20 for Tamil Nadu. IIT Madras is ranked first in India, and NIT Trichy is ninth.
Private and deemed universities. SRM, VIT, Amrita, Kalasalingam, SASTRA and Saveetha are in the same table. Their scores are close to the government institutions in some cases. Compare the component scores, not the rank alone.
Lower bands. Sathyabama and Vel Tech appear in lower bands. Check the branch and placement data for these colleges before you decide.
What to check before you join
- Branch-wise seats and closing ranks. A college's overall rank does not tell you about each branch. For IITs and NITs, check the JoSAA data for the branch you want.
- Fees and hostel. Private colleges publish their fee structure on their official sites. Government colleges publish state or central fee rules. Check both.
- Placement report. Each institution publishes one. Read the branch-wise median and the placement percentage.
- Admission route. IIT and NIT seats go through JEE Main and JoSAA. Many private universities run their own tests. Check the route for each college on your list.
- Component scores. Use the NIRF component columns: teaching and resources, research, graduation outcomes, outreach and perception.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best engineering college in Tamil Nadu? In the NIRF 2025 engineering table, IIT Madras is ranked first in India and first in the state.
Which NIT is in Tamil Nadu? NIT Tiruchirappalli, ranked 9 in India in NIRF 2025, with a score of 68.14.
Is the list complete? This post lists the institutions in the NIRF 2025 table that are in Tamil Nadu and visible on the page. Check the full NIRF table for any others in lower bands.
Sources
NIRF India Rankings 2025, Engineering: https://www.nirfindia.org/Rankings/2025/EngineeringRanking.html, read on 24 October 2026. Rank, city and score are as shown in that table.
Frequently Asked Questions
IIT Madras, ranked 1 in India in the NIRF 2025 engineering table with a score of 88.72. It is the highest-ranked institution in the state.
Yes. Anna University is at rank 20 in the NIRF 2025 engineering table, with a score of 63.51.
SRM Institute of Science and Technology (rank 14), Vellore Institute of Technology (16), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (23), Kalasalingam Academy (33), SASTRA (40), Saveetha (45) and Sathyabama (67) are in the NIRF 2025 table.
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