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    The Rise of Non-Metro Colleges in NIRF 2025 Ranking
    • The Rise of Non-Metro Colleges in NIRF 2025 Ranking

    The Rise of Non-Metro Colleges in NIRF 2025 Ranking

    #CUET
    Shankha GhoshUpdated on 10 Sep 2025, 02:36 PM IST

    Ask anyone about India’s top colleges and you’ll likely hear about colleges from tier 1 cities like Delhi, or Mumbai, Bengaluru and more. Yet in 2025, a number of colleges are emerging rank-wise in the NIRF ranking system from tier 2 cities like Coimbatore, Madurai and Trichy. Apart from the two colleges in Coimbatore (PSG and PSGR Krishnammal) securing their spots in the list of top 10 NIRF list, and there are a number of tier 2 city colleges consistently appearing in the top 30 list in NIRF 2025.

    This Story also Contains

    1. Factors Affecting NIRF Ranking
    2. Tier 2 Colleges in NIRF Ranking 2025 with Steady Growth
    3. How Ranking Improved for PSG College of Arts & Science, Coimbatore
    4. P.S.G.R. Krishnammal College for Women, Coimbatore NIRF Ranking - Over the years
    5. How Ranking Improved for P.S.G.R. Krishnammal College for Women, Coimbatore
    6. Honourable Mentions for Tier-2 Colleges in NIRF Ranking 2025
    7. How Ranking Improved for Thiagarajar College, Madurai
    8. University College, Thiruvananthapuram NIRF Ranking - Over the years
    The Rise of Non-Metro Colleges in NIRF 2025 Ranking
    The Rise of Non-Metro Colleges in NIRF Ranking

    Along with that, colleges like Thiagarajar College (Madurai), St. Joseph’s College (Trichy), and University College (Thiruvananthapuram) have maintained their spot in top 30 NIRF colleges list 2025. These changes show that high quality higher education is spreading beyond India’s metros. While colleges from metro cities keep on securing their top spots, like Hindu College, Miranda House, ARSD College, the progress from non-metro city colleges are worth mentioning. Reasons for this improvement in non-metro city colleges ranking can be better faculty, governance, or it could be industry engagement.

    Also read,

    Factors Affecting NIRF Ranking

    1. Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR)

    2. Research and Professional Practices (RP)

    3. Graduation Outcomes (GO)

    4. Outreach and Inclusivity (OI)

    5. Perception (PR)

    Tier 2 Colleges in NIRF Ranking 2025 with Steady Growth

    In NIRF ranking 2025 for colleges PSG College of Arts & Science and PSGR Krishnammal College for Women from have been consistent with their ranking, with PSG college staying between 11 to 20 mark in past few years and PSGR college, though securing a 7th spot last year, has ended up with 9th rank. These two colleges from tier 2 cities set an example on the possibilities of colleges from non-metro cities to emerge.

    PSG College of Arts & Science Coimbatore NIRF Ranking - Over years

    Year

    NIRF Ranking

    2025

    10

    2024

    11

    2023

    20

    2022

    20

    2021

    19

    2020

    25

    2019

    17

    2018

    11

    2017

    11

    Also read,

    How Ranking Improved for PSG College of Arts & Science, Coimbatore

    Year

    TLR (100)

    RPC (100)

    GO (100)

    OI (100)

    PERCEPTION (100)

    2025

    73.44

    74.00

    73.56

    53.44

    89.42

    2024

    67.40

    67.37

    71.92

    53.35

    86.79

    2023

    63.20

    54.77

    70.36

    52.95

    82.19

    2022

    63.31

    49.54

    75.01

    53.08

    77.47

    2021

    65.20

    40.07

    70.32

    51.94

    80.66

    2020

    60.37

    40.51

    73.95

    51.98

    68.22

    2019

    61.75

    39.44

    74.99

    52.46

    77.99

    2018

    61.65

    38.37

    65.94

    51.89

    82.40

    2017

    55.73

    37.26

    72.04

    60.58

    43.72


    P.S.G.R. Krishnammal College for Women, Coimbatore NIRF Ranking - Over the years

    Year

    NIRF Ranking

    2025

    9

    2024

    7

    2023

    4

    2022

    6

    2021

    6

    2020

    10

    2019

    22

    2018

    16

    2017

    14

    How Ranking Improved for P.S.G.R. Krishnammal College for Women, Coimbatore

    Year

    TLR (100)

    RPC (100)

    GO (100)

    OI (100)

    PERCEPTION (100)

    2025

    79.82

    60.49

    82.49

    68.82

    70.25

    2024

    73.19

    55.22

    81.67

    66.27

    74.81

    2023

    74.13

    52.34

    80.36

    64.38

    70.16

    2022

    74.20

    48.44

    81.91

    64.34

    68.21

    2021

    74.48

    38.88

    81.34

    61.09

    50.71

    2020

    74.29

    33.44

    84.24

    62.39

    45.89

    2019

    62.37

    27.11

    80.72

    59.52

    46.23

    2018

    66.63

    21.10

    72.84

    60.93

    52.83

    2017

    68.11

    15.64

    70.73

    63.13

    32.56


    Honourable Mentions for Tier-2 Colleges in NIRF Ranking 2025

    Apart from these two colleges mentioned above, there are a few honourable mentions for collges who, may not have secured the top 10 spots, but have secured ranks in top 30 top 50 consistently. Most of these colleges are located in cities like Madurai, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Tuticorin and more. A few of the tier 2 colleges in NIRF college rankings are as follows.

    Thiagarajar College Madurai NIRF Ranking

    Year

    NIRF Ranking

    2025

    20

    2024

    15

    2023

    18

    2022

    22

    2021

    23

    2020

    22

    2019

    32

    2018

    44

    How Ranking Improved for Thiagarajar College, Madurai

    Year

    TLR (100)

    RPC (100)

    GO (100)

    OI (100)

    PERCEPTION (100)

    2025

    75.68

    70.21

    78.00

    53.52

    32.83

    2024

    68.38

    79.31

    75.35

    53.46

    33.76

    2023

    67.70

    74.55

    73.60

    53.49

    30.74

    2022

    65.50

    69.56

    71.49

    53.47

    37.44

    2021

    66.45

    67.80

    64.64

    53.35

    23.56

    2020

    64.55

    63.75

    67.57

    53.85

    36.27

    2019

    60.63

    55.71

    66.30

    48.48

    30.75

    2018

    61.85

    33.16

    56.70

    41.19

    39.19

    University College, Thiruvananthapuram NIRF Ranking - Over the years

    Year

    NIRF Rank

    2025

    23

    2024

    22

    2023

    26

    2022

    24

    2021

    25

    2020

    23

    2019

    23

    2018

    18

    How Ranking Improved for University College, Thiruvananthapuram

    Year

    TLR (100)

    RPC (100)

    GO (100)

    OI (100)

    PERCEPTION (100)

    2025

    76.56

    63.30

    75.09

    54.83

    28.12

    2024

    73.69

    56.71

    73.94

    54.44

    17.45

    2023

    77.58

    42.88

    73.06

    54.79

    10.52

    2022

    75.61

    38.15

    73.57

    55.72

    19.92

    2021

    75.09

    31.83

    70.63

    56.68

    14.37

    2020

    75.74

    30.22

    77.15

    54.24

    15.37

    2019

    73.60

    20.35

    79.06

    53.62

    17.63

    2018

    75.58

    16.82

    71.68

    48.35

    20.09

    St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchirappalli NIRF Ranking - Over years

    Year

    NIRF Rank

    2025

    25

    2024

    25

    2023

    25

    2022

    26

    2021

    27

    2020

    31

    2019

    39

    2018

    28

    How Ranking Improved for St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchirappalli

    Year

    TLR (100)

    RPC (100)

    GO (100)

    OI (100)

    PERCEPTION (100)

    2025

    71.45

    60.69

    77.83

    49.39

    45.09

    2024

    63.84

    61.55

    75.46

    48.61

    42.43

    2023

    68.13

    48.92

    73.59

    46.72

    48.24

    2022

    67.51

    49.77

    73.08

    46.59

    41.96

    2021

    66.72

    47.17

    64.61

    46.08

    45.73

    2020

    64.14

    43.88

    65.15

    44.31

    53.12

    2019

    61.85

    36.07

    61.43

    42.01

    49.94

    2018

    62.67

    32.48

    55.65

    38.20

    67.41

    V. O. Chidambaram College, Thoothukudi NIRF Ranking - Over years

    Year

    NIRF Rank

    2025

    22

    2024

    28

    How Ranking Improved for V. O. Chidambaram College, Thoothukudi

    Year

    TLR (100)

    RPC (100)

    GO (100)

    OI (100)

    PERCEPTION (100)

    2025

    75.91

    71.90

    77.17

    57.75

    10.35

    2024

    62.25

    65.44

    77.46

    57.48

    9.63

    Holy Cross College Tiruchirappalli NIRF Ranking - Over the years

    Year

    NIRF Rank

    2025

    52

    NIRF Ranking Scores for Holy Cross College, Tiruchirappalli

    Year

    TLR (100)

    RPC (100)

    GO (100)

    OI (100)

    PERCEPTION (100)

    2025

    69.11

    32.88

    78.78

    54.64

    17.36

    American College Madurai NIRF Ranking - Overthe years

    Year

    NIRF Rank

    2025

    56

    2024

    53

    How Ranking Improved for American College Madurai

    Year

    TLR (100)

    RPC (100)

    GO (100)

    OI (100)

    PERCEPTION (100)

    2025

    72.24

    43.05

    57.30

    45.77

    38.64

    2024

    67.64

    43.74

    58.12

    45.83

    29.71


    Note: Students are also advised to check the NIRF colleges list 2025 for an overall understanding of the top colleges.

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