Central Universities in India: Full List of MHRD, UGC Approved Central University

Central Universities in India: Full List of MHRD, UGC Approved Central University

Edited By Vishwas Garia | Updated on Mar 20, 2025 10:59 AM IST | #CUET

Central Universities in India - India, with an international education index of 131/191, consist a total of 54 central universities. Of these Indian central universities, 40 are centrally funded through the University Grants Commission (UGC), under the purview of the Ministry of Education (MoE) and another nine enjoy the autonomous status, directly funded by the Government of India (GoI). Every state in India has at least one central university, except Goa. In this article of central universities in India, Careers360 brings you the list of institutions established under the Central Universities Act tagged with a special status amongst the other universities in India. In this article, you can know about top 10 central universities in India.

This Story also Contains
  1. What are Central Universities?
  2. How many Central Universities are there in India?
  3. Top 10 Central Universities in India
  4. List of Central Universities in India
  5. Which are the Top 5 Universities in CUET?
  6. Best Central Universities in India
  7. What is CUET?
Central Universities in India: Full List of MHRD, UGC Approved Central University
Central Universities in India: Full List of MHRD, UGC Approved Central University

What are Central Universities?

Central universities are those universities that are established by an act of parliament and are under the purview of the Department of Higher Education in the Ministry of Education. The Central University of India have been categorised under the Center (Union Government), given that the funds are allocated by the Ministry of Education through the UGC. Central University's ranking is based on NIRF.

How many Central Universities are there in India?

There are as many as 54 central universities established in India, of which Allahabad University is the oldest of all, being established in 1887. The Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh is the youngest of all, established in 2019. But for three states/union territories of India, at least one central university has been established in every state, barring Goa. The ranking for Central Universities in India is based on the NIRF and it is done every year.

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State-wise distribution of Central Universities in India

States/Union Territories

Number of Central Universities

Andhra Pradesh

3

Arunachal Pradesh

1

Assam

2

Bihar

4

Chandigarh

0

Chhattisgarh

1

Delhi

7

Goa

0

Gujarat

1

Haryana

1

Himachal Pradesh

1

Jammu & Kashmir

2

Jharkhand

1

Karnataka

1

Kerala

1

Madhya Pradesh

2

Maharashtra

1

Manipur

3

Meghalaya

1

Mizoram

1

Nagaland

1

Odisha

1

Puducherry

1

Punjab

1

Rajasthan

1

Sikkim

1

Tamil Nadu

2

Telangana

3

Tripura

1

Uttar Pradesh

6

Uttarakhand

1

West Bengal

1

Total

54

Of all the states and union territories, New Delhi tops that chart with as many as seven, the highest number of central universities, followed closely by Uttar Pradesh with six central universities and Bihar with four central universities. Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana contribute with their three universities to the national number of central universities. The total number of central universities in India are 54.

Top 10 Central Universities in India

Here is the list of top 10 central universities in India:

  1. Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
  2. Banaras Hindu University, Uttar Pradesh
  3. Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
  4. University of Hyderabad, Telangana
  5. Aligarh Muslim University, Uttar Pradesh
  6. University of Delhi, Delhi
  7. Tezpur University, Assam
  8. Pondicherry University, Pondicherry
  9. North-Eastern Hill University, Meghalaya
  10. Visva Bharati University, West Bengal
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List of Central Universities in India

S.No.

University

State/Union Territory (Location)

Year of Establishment

1

Aligarh Muslim University

Uttar Pradesh (Aligarh)

1920

2

Assam University

Assam (Silchar)

1994

3

Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University

Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow)

1996

4

Banaras Hindu University

Uttar Pradesh (Varanasi)

1916

5

Central Agricultural University^

Manipur (Imphal)

1993

6

Central University of Gujarat*

Gujarat (Gandhinagar)

2009

7

Central University of Haryana*

Haryana (Mahendragarh)

2009

8

Central University of Himachal Pradesh*

Himachal Pradesh (Dharamshala)

2009

9

Central University of Jammu*

Jammu & Kashmir (Jammu)

2011

10

Central University of Jharkhand*

Jharkhand (Ranchi)

2009

11

Central University of Karnataka*

Karnataka (Gulbarga)

2009

12

Central University of Kashmir*

Jammu & Kashmir (Srinagar)

2009

13

Central University of Kerala*

Kerala (Kasaragod)

2009

14

Central University of Orissa*

Odisha (Koraput)

2009

15

Central University of Punjab*

Punjab (Bhatinda)

2009

16

Central University of Rajasthan*

Rajasthan (Ajmer)

2009

17

Central University of South Bihar

Bihar (Gaya)

2009

18

Central University of Tamil Nadu*

Tamil Nadu (Tiruvarur)

2009

19

Dr. Hari Singh Gour University

Madhya Pradesh (Sagar)

1946 (2009)+

20

Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University^

Bihar (Pusa, Samastipur)

1905 (2016)+

21

English and Foreign Languages University

Telangana (Hyderabad)

1958 (2007)+

22

Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya

Chhattisgarh (Bilaspur)

1983 (2009)+

23

Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University

Uttarakhand (Srinagar)

1973 (2009)+

24

Indian Maritime University^

Tamil Nadu (Chennai)

2008

25

Indira Gandhi National Open University^

Delhi (New Delhi)

1985

26

Indira Gandhi National Tribal University

Madhya Pradesh (Amarkantak)

2007

27

Jamia Millia Islamia

Delhi (New Delhi)

1920 (1988)+

28

Jawaharlal Nehru University

Delhi (New Delhi)

1969

29

Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

Maharashtra (Wardha)

1997

30

Mahatma Gandhi Central University

Bihar (Motihari)

2016

31

Manipur University

Manipur (Imphal)

1985 (2005)+

32

Maulana Azad National Urdu University

Telangana (Hyderabad)

1998

33

Mizoram University

Mizoram (Aizawl)

2000

34

Nagaland University

Nagaland (Lumami)

1994

35

Nalanda University^

Bihar (Rajgir, Nalanda)

2010

36

National Sports University^

Manipur (Imphal)

2018

37

North Eastern Hill University

Meghalaya (Shillong)

1973

38

Pondicherry University

Puducherry (Pondicherry)

1985

39

Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University^

Uttar Pradesh (Raebareily)

2013

40

Rajiv Gandhi University

Arunachal Pradesh (Itanagar)

1985 (2007)+

41

Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University^

Uttar Pradesh (Jhansi)

2014

42

Sikkim University

Sikkim (Gangtok)

2007

43

South Asian University^

Delhi (New Delhi)

2010

44

Tezpur University

Assam (Tezpur)

1994

45

Tripura University

Tripura (Agartala)

1987

46

University of Allahabad

Uttar Pradesh (Allahabad)

1887

47

University of Delhi

Delhi (New Delhi)

1922

48

University of Hyderabad

Telangana (Hyderabad)

1974

49

Visva Bharati University

West Bengal (Shantiniketan)

1921

50

Central University of Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

2018

51

The National Sanskrit University

Andhra Pradesh

1956

52

Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

2019

53

Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University

Delhi (New Delhi)

1962

54

The Central Sanskrit University

Delhi (New Delhi)

1970

+Granted Central University Status
*Established by Central Universities Act, 2009
^Directly funded by Ministry of Education, GoI and not through UGC

Which are the Top 5 Universities in CUET?

There are number of universities in India that provides CUET courses. Various central, state, deemed and private universities has taken part in the CUET every year. Some of the central universities are BHU, JNU, JMI, Central Universities of Andhra and many others. Willing candidates can check the full list of the universities through the website of NTA.

Best Central Universities in India

Given below are the few top central universities in India list based on the NIRF 2023 ranking published by Ministry of Education. These universities are included in the five top universities in India, according to the NIRF ranking 2023. Jawaharlal Nehru University is the top central university in India according to NIRF 2024 ranking. Here is a list of the top central university in India rank wise.

Top Central Universities in India

Universities
NIRF Ranking (2023)

Jawaharlal Nehru University

2
Jamia Millia Islamia
3
Banaras Hindu University
5
Aligarh Muslim University
9
University of Hyderabad
10
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What is CUET?

The Common University Entrance Test, or CUET, is a common entrance test for admission to UG courses at all central universities. The scores of CUET entrance test are used for admission to state, private, and deemed-to-be universities in the case of UG admissions.

Also Read,

CUET Score College Predictor

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How many central universities are in India?

There are a total of 54 central universities in India.

2. Which is the no.1 central university in India?

Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi is the no.1 ranking central university in India.

3. Which central university is best under CUCET?

Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Banaras Hindu University are the best central universities under CUET.

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Questions related to CUET

Have a question related to CUET ?

Hello there,

You can access the CUET PG 2023 Physics answer key through the official National Testing Agency (NTA) website. The answer key is available for download in PDF format, detailing the correct options for each question ID.

To download the answer key:

  1. Visit the official NTA CUET PG website: https://cuet.nta.nic.in/

  2. Navigate to the "Answer Key" section.

  3. Select the 2023 examination year and the Physics subject.

  4. Download the PDF file containing the answer key.

Please note that the answer key is typically released after the examination and may be subject to updates or corrections. It's advisable to regularly check the official website for the most current information.


I hope this answer helps you. If you have more queries, feel free to share your questions with us, and we will be happy to assist you.

Thank you, and I wish you all the best in your bright future.

If you have mistakenly selected "Bachelor of Engineering CS - Lateral Entry" while filling the CUCET (Chandigarh University) form but you do not want lateral entry, then there is no need to worry. You can follow the following steps to correct this mistake:

  • Contact the University Helpline or Admission Cell immediately. Explain your problem in detail on the helpline number or email (admissions@cumail.in) given on the official website of Chandigarh University.
  • Tell them that it was a genuine mistake during form-filling and you want to apply for regular B.E./B.Tech CS.
  • In most cases, the university allows correction or manually edits your application.
  • Also, you can fill a new form if required, but it is better to confirm with the university first.

Important Tip: Always check all the details carefully once before final submission, so that such mistake does not happen again.

Hello there,

Yes, you can apply for Hindi Honours or B.A. with Hindi, History, and Political Science through CUET even if you got RT in English but your overall result is Pass . CUET eligibility depends on your overall pass status and the specific requirements of the university you are applying to.

Since you are interested in Hindi and related subjects, focus on preparing well for the Hindi , History , and Political Science sections in CUET. Some universities may not consider RT in a particular subject if your overall result is pass, but it's better to check the detailed eligibility criteria of the specific university you are applying to.


I hope this answer helps you. If you have more queries, then feel free to share your questions with us, we will be happy to assist you.

Thank you, and I wish you all the best in your bright future.

If you didn’t have Maths in Class 12 , you generally can’t choose it as a subject in CUET . The exam usually requires you to pick subjects you studied in 12th grade for the domain-specific tests.

However, you can still apply for many courses that don’t require Maths —just check the eligibility criteria for the universities you’re interested in. It’s always a good idea to review the specific requirements before selecting your subjects.

You should check on the official site for more information. CUET (https://cuet.nta.nic.in/)

Hello Anil,

For B.Sc. in Computer Science through CUET , you should select the following domain subjects :

  1. Mathematics (Mandatory for Computer Science courses)
  2. Computer Science/Informatics Practices (Preferred but not mandatory)
  3. English (Language requirement)

    Recommended Combination:
  • Mathematics – Mandatory
  • Computer Science – If available
  • General Test – Some universities may require it

    Notes:
  • Mathematics is essential for B.Sc. CS admission in most universities.
  • Some universities may accept Physics or General Test as an alternative to Computer Science if it’s not available.

  • Check the specific subject requirements for the universities you are targeting in the CUET information bulletin.

I hope this answer helps you. If you have more queries, then feel free to share your questions with us, we will be happy to assist you.

Thank you, and I wish you all the best in your bright future.

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