Best Ph.D in English Universities in India
A PhD in English is a doctoral-level degree programme for advanced scholarly research in the English language and literature. There are a total of 417 universities in India that offer a PhD in English programme. 212 universities of them are government universities, and the other 205 universities are private universities that offer a PhD in English programme. Some of the top universities in India that offer a PhD in English programme are Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, University of Delhi, Banaras Hindu University, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, and more. The top universities in India provide admission to a PhD in English based on some entrance tests, like UGC NET and university-specific tests. To get more detailed information about these top universities in India that offer a PhD in English programme, go through the complete article.
Top 5 PhD in English Universities in India
The top 5 universities in India that offer a PhD in English programme are mentioned in the table below, along with their NIRF Ranks 2025.
University | NIRF Rank 2025 | Ownership |
2 | Public | |
4 | Public | |
5 | Public | |
6 | Public | |
8 | Private |
Top Private PhD English Universities in India
Some of the top private universities in India that offer a PhD in English programme are mentioned in the table below.
University | NIRF Rank 2025 |
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | 8 |
17 | |
22 | |
28 | |
SASTRA University Thanjavur - Shanmugha Arts Science Technology Research and Academy | 29 |
Top Government PhD English Universities in India
In this section, we have mentioned some of the top government universities in India that offer a PhD in English programme.
University | NIRF Rank 2025 |
JNU Delhi - Jawaharlal Nehru University | 2 |
JMI New Delhi - Jamia Millia Islamia | 4 |
DU Delhi - University of Delhi | 5 |
BHU Varanasi - Banaras Hindu University | 6 |
9 |
Top PhD in English Universities Fees in India
The fee for the PhD in English programme at these top universities in India is mentioned in the table below.
University | Fees |
JNU Delhi - Jawaharlal Nehru University | - |
JMI New Delhi - Jamia Millia Islamia | - |
DU Delhi - University of Delhi | - |
BHU Varanasi - Banaras Hindu University | - |
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | - |
Top PhD English Universities Eligibility Criteria in India
The eligibility criteria for a PhD in English at the top universities in India are mentioned in this section. Before proceeding to take admission into one of these top universities in India for a PhD in English programme, students are advised to read the eligibility criteria once.
Students must have completed a Master’s degree in a relevant domain or a BE/B.Tech programme with at least 55% marks from a recognised university or equivalent. Relaxations will be provided to SC/ST/OBC (Non-Creamy Layer)/Differently Abled students as per UGC regulations 2016.
Note: Students are advised to check the university-specific eligibility criteria for the PhD in English programme of the particular university they want to be admitted to.
Top PhD English Universities Entrance Exams in India
These top universities in India offer admission to a PhD in English at them based on some national-level or university-specific entrance exams. Some of the popular entrance exams based on which these universities provide admissions are listed below.
University-specific tests
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the top universities in India that offer a PhD in English?
Ans: The top universities in India that offer a PhD in English programme are:
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jamia Millia Islamia
University of Delhi
Banaras Hindu University
What are the eligibility criteria for a PhD in English at top universities in India?
Ans: For a PhD in English at top universities in India, students should have completed a postgraduate degree in a relevant field with at least 55% marks from a recognised university.
How many seats are available at JNU Delhi for a PhD in English programme?
Ans: At JNU Delhi, there are a total of 11 seats available for the PhD in English programme.
What is the duration of the PhD in English programme?
Ans: A PhD in English is a minimum 3-year degree programme and a maximum of 6 years.
What after a PhD in English?
Ans: After completing a PhD in English, students can work in various sectors, like academia, publishing, writing, content creation, public relations, communication, government jobs, and other sectors.
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore
NIRF Ranking:
8Careers360
: 3SRM University Chennai - SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai
NIRF Ranking:
11Careers360
: 5JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru
NIRF Ranking:
21Careers360
: 7BHU Varanasi - Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
NIRF Ranking:
6Careers360
: 8Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida
NIRF Ranking:
57Careers360
: 8JNU Delhi - Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
NIRF Ranking:
2Careers360
: 10Amity University, Noida
Anna University, Chennai
NIRF Ranking:
20Careers360
: 11AMU Aligarh - Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
NIRF Ranking:
10Careers360
: 13DU Delhi - University of Delhi, Delhi
NIRF Ranking:
5Careers360
: 14Manipal University, Jaipur
NIRF Ranking:
58Careers360
: 14Panjab University - Panjab University, Chandigarh
NIRF Ranking:
35Careers360
: 15Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai
NIRF Ranking:
12Careers360
: 17SASTRA University Thanjavur - Shanmugha Arts Science Technology Research and Academy, Thanjavur
NIRF Ranking:
29Careers360
: 17Jadavpur University, Kolkata
NIRF Ranking:
9Careers360
: 18Sathyabama University - Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai
NIRF Ranking:
53Careers360
: 18Ashoka University Sonipat - Ashoka University, Sonepat
NIRF Ranking:
101-150Careers360
: 23University of Hyderabad - University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad
NIRF Ranking:
18Careers360
: 24Jain Deemed to be University, Bangalore - Jain Deemed to be University, Bangalore
NIRF Ranking:
62Careers360
: 24IIT Indore - Indian Institute of Technology Indore
Careers360
: 25GITAM University - GITAM University, Visakhapatnam
NIRF Ranking:
88Careers360
: 26IIT ISM Dhanbad - Indian Institute of Technology Indian School of Mines Dhanbad
Careers360
: 26SPPU (UNIPUNE) - Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune
NIRF Ranking:
56Careers360
: 27Calcutta University - University of Calcutta, Kolkata
NIRF Ranking:
39Careers360
: 28Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai
Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU) - Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar
NIRF Ranking:
151-200Careers360
: 29Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune
NIRF Ranking:
59Careers360
: 30Sharda University - Sharda University, Greater Noida
NIRF Ranking:
87Careers360
: 35Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
NIRF Ranking:
23Careers360
: 38Bharathiar University - Bharathiar University, Coimbatore
NIRF Ranking:
46Careers360
: 40Alagappa University - Alagappa University, Karaikudi
NIRF Ranking:
44Careers360
: 42IIT Bhubaneswar - Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar
Careers360
: 43ISI Kolkata - Indian Statistical Institute Kolkata
Careers360
: 51SCTIMST Trivandrum - Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology Trivandrum
Careers360
: 55JNCASR Bangalore - Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore
Careers360
: 59Punjabi University - Punjabi University, Patiala
NIRF Ranking:
151-200Careers360
: 60NIT Calicut - National Institute of Technology Calicut
Careers360
: 63GJU Hisar - Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar
NIRF Ranking:
101-150Careers360
: 65Bharathidasan University - Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli
NIRF Ranking:
36Careers360
: 69Jammu University - University of Jammu, Jammu
NIRF Ranking:
51Careers360
: 71KGMU Lucknow - King George's Medical University, Lucknow
NIRF Ranking:
50Careers360
: 72GGSIPU Delhi - Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi
NIRF Ranking:
93Careers360
: 73Madras University - University of Madras, Chennai
NIRF Ranking:
38Careers360
: 77NIT Delhi - National Institute of Technology Delhi
Careers360
: 83Lucknow University - University of Lucknow, Lucknow
NIRF Ranking:
98Careers360
: 84NDRI Karnal - National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal
Careers360
: 92TNAU Coimbatore - Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore
NIRF Ranking:
73Careers360
: 93SVNIT Surat - Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology Surat
Careers360
: 95NIPER Hyderabad - National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Hyderabad
Careers360
: 97NIT Durgapur - National Institute of Technology Durgapur
Careers360
: 99