Top 20 Private Engineering Colleges in India For Your Study

Searching for the top private engineering college in India, or anywhere else for that matter, isn’t quite an easy decision. India is showing significant progress in various segments, one of which is in the field of education. The country is home to several recognised schools, colleges and universities that allow students as well as professional individuals to learn and polish their skills so as to find better career prospects.

Students can apply for undergraduate (UG), postgraduate (PG) or PhD engineering degree programmes in various fields, such as electronics, chemistry, physics, computer science, aerospace, automobile, mechanical etc. These degrees provide opportunities to students and therefore, can help land better jobs and career prospects in various recognised companies in India as well as overseas.

Admission to private engineering colleges in India requires candidates to fulfil certain criteria, including passing the entrance test/exam as defined by the respective institutions, etc.

Also read:

“Top 20 Engineering Colleges in India” [click the link to read]

Here, we’re going to share with you some of the top engineering institutions in India to apply for UG, PG, PhD and research programmes you might be interested in and make the best of your career prospect.

20 Best Privately Owned Engineering Institutes in India to Study UG, PG & PhD Programmes

The following list of the top private engineering colleges in India (in alphabetical order) has been ranked by the National Institute of Ranking Framework (NIRF) under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, as of 2021-22.

We have also provided links to their respective websites, so you can find more detailed information on how to get admission and apply for courses/programmes that fits you best.

1. Amity University

City: Noida (Uttar Pradesh)

Website: https://www.amity.edu/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees, Diploma programmes, Integrated Dual Degrees and Certificate courses are offered.

Admission: Through online CAT test scores.

Amity University is ranked one of the top private engineering institutions in India. The university was established and recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) through the Act of State Legislature, Government of India. The university has some of the most talented and dedicated thought leaders in the country who come from the best institutions around the world.

The university offers an array of engineering degree programmes to students, including Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Electronics & Communication Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Defence Technology, Business systems, etc.

Amity University has centres located in other cities, which include Greater Noida, Lucknow, Gurugram, Mohali, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Gwalior, Indore, Raipur, Ranchi, Patna, Bhubaneshwar, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kochi and Chennai. In addition, Amity University also has a presence in several countries with campuses located in Dubai, Singapore, South Africa, the USA, the UK, and several more.

2. Amrita Schools of Engineering

City: Amritapuri (Kerala)

Website: https://www.amrita.edu/school/engineering/amritapuri/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees, Doctoral and Research programmes are offered.

Admission: Through AEEE, JEE (Mains) and SAT scores for UG and through GATE scores for PG candidates.

Amrita Schools of Engineering was founded in 1994 in Coimbatore in the state of Kerala. The institutes are part of the privately-owned Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University. In the year of 2002, two more Schools of Engineering were established in Amritapuri and Bengaluru. All three Schools offer B. Tech, M. Tech. and PhD programmes in a large number of disciplines. The institute offers departments for Computer Science, Electrical & Electronics, Electronics & Communication, and Mechanical Engineering.

Admission to undergraduate degree programmes is done through Amrita Engineering Entrance Examination (AEEE) and JEE Main scores, while admission to postgraduate degree programmes is done through GATE scores.

3. Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University College of Engineering (BVUCOEP)

City: Pune (Maharashtra)

Website: https://bvucoepune.edu.in/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG), Diploma, Certificate, and R&D programmes are offered.

Admission: Based on Bharati Vidyapeeth’s own Common Entrance Test (BVPCET) for both UG and PG, and through JEE, MHTCET, and Management Quota for admission to UG programmes.

Bharati Vidyapeeth University College of Engineering (BVUCOEP) is one of the top private engineering colleges located in Pune in the state of Maharashtra. The institute was founded in 1983 and is part of the Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be a University). BVUCOEP is affiliated with UGC and has been accredited with Grade A+ by NAAC and NBA.

Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University College of Engineering, Pune offers several degrees and certificate courses to students, including Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.), Master of Technology (M.Tech.), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) etc. degrees in various specialisations. The institute also offers Research & Development programmes which are conducted in various fields of Technologies and Expertise in Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the key features.

4. Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS)

City: Pilani (Rajasthan)

Website: https://www.bits-pilani.ac.in/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees, and Doctoral programmes are offered.

Admission: BITS conducts the All-India computerised entrance examination, BITSAT (BITS Admission Test). Admission is purely assessed by the BITSAT examination.

Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS) is among the top private deemed university located in Pilani in the state of Rajasthan. Founded by Mr G. D. Birla in the early 1900s as a small school, the institute grew into a set of colleges for higher education, ranging from the Humanities to Engineering. BITS, Pilani is accredited by the (NAAC) National Assessment & Accreditation Council.

BITS Pilani offers degree and doctoral programmes in Engineering, Sciences, Technology, Pharmacy, Management and Humanities. Offered at the first tier, these degrees have nomenclatures like B.E., B.Pharm., M.M.S (Master of Management Studies), and M.Sc. The degrees are modular in structure and academic requirements are spelt out in terms of the number of courses studied rather than the number of years.

The institute also has campuses located in Hyderabad, Goa and Dubai. BITS Pilani works with and provides consultancy to the Government as well as Industry through its many R&D centres.

5. Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering (DSCE)

City: Bengaluru (Karnataka)

Website: https://www.dsce.edu.in/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees, Doctoral and Research programmes are offered.

Admission: Based on CET and COMEDK scores.

Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering (DSCE) is a private autonomous engineering college located in the city of Bengaluru in the state of Karnataka. The institute was founded in 1970 and is affiliated with Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU). The institution is also approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and UGC and accredited with Grade A by NAAC and NBA.

DSCE provides a wide selection of branches in Engineering, offering 160 Under Graduate and 16 Post Graduate programmes. In addition, the institute provides 21 Research Centres in different branches of Engineering catering to research scholars for obtaining PhD degrees under VTU affiliation.

6. GMR Institute of Technology (GMRIT)

City: Rajam (Andhra Pradesh)

Website: http://www.gmrit.org/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees, Doctoral and Research programmes are offered.

Admission: On the basis of merit scores of EMACET (UG) and GATE/PGCET (PG) through the common window of counselling for category ‘A’’ seats for category ‘B’ seats.

GMR Institute of Technology (GMRIT) is a private engineering college located in Rajam, Vizianagaram district of the state of Andhra Pradesh. The institute was founded in 1997 by the GMR Varalakshmi Foundation of the GMR Group. GMRIT is affiliated with Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University and is accredited with Grade A by the NAAC and NBA.

GMRIT offers seven UG (B.Tech) and seven PG (M.Tech) programmes in specialised areas of Engineering.

7. ICFAI University

City: Hyderabad (Telangana)

Website: https://www.icfaiuniversity.in/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG), Doctoral, Diploma and Certificate programmes are offered.

Admission: On the basis of a minimum of 50% aggregate marks in 10+2 (UG) and with 60% and above aggregate marks (PG).

ICFAI was established in 1984 as a not-for-profit society and part of the ICFAI Group of educational institutions with the broad objective of empowering citizens through world-class quality education. The institute offers world-class, innovative, career-oriented professional undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes through inclusive technology.

ICFAI University institute operates educational programs at three tiers of education, namely, integrated first-degree programmes, higher degree programmes and doctoral programmes. The institute follows a semester system with continuous and Internal Evaluation. The educational programmes are modular, flexible, and interdisciplinary in nature.

ICFAI has several campuses located in India. These include IFHE Hyderabad, and The ICFAI University campuses in Himachal Pradesh, Dehradun, Jaipur, Jharkhand, Raipur, Sikkim, Shillong, Tura, Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura.

8. Jaypee Institute of Information Technology (JIIT)

City: Noida (Uttar Pradesh)

Website: https://www.jiit.ac.in/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees, Doctoral and Research programmes are offered.

Admission: Through SAT scores for UG and GATE scores for PG.

Jaypee Institute of Information Technology (JIIT) is a private engineering college and is deemed to be a university located in Noida in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The institute was founded in 2001 by Jaypee Group and is affiliated with the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). JIIT is accredited by UGC and AICTE.

The institute offers undergraduate (B.Tech, BBA) degrees and postgraduate (M.Tech, MBA) degree programmes. In addition, JIIT also offers a five-year dual degree and doctorate research programme. The BBA and MBA degree programmes are offered under its constituent Jaypee Business School(JBS), which offers specialisation in various major and minor subjects, like digital marketing, business analytics, and more.

9. Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT)

City: Bhubaneshwar (Odisha)

Website: https://kiit.ac.in/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees, Doctoral and Research programmes are offered.

Admission: UG and PG are based on merit as per the results in KIITEE (KIIT Entrance Examination) test. Admission to the M.Tech programme is based on a GATE score.

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) is a private engineering college and is deemed to be a university located in Bhubaneshwar in the state of Odisha. It is affiliated with the University Grants Commission (UGC), National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), and Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). The institute mainly emphasizes higher education and research in engineering and science.

KIIT offers 34 Undergraduate (UG), 32 Postgraduate (PG), 10 Integrated, 11 PhD and 7 Postdoctoral research programmes in the fields of Science and Engineering, Medical Science, Management, Law, Film and Media, Humanities Yoga and Sports.

The institute also grants scholarships to meritorious and needy students each year. Among them, the Pradyumna Bal Memorial Scholarship is awarded to two economically challenged but meritorious students who are provided with complete cost-free education along with ancillary expenses.

10. Lovely Professional University (LPU)

City: Phagwara (Punjab)

Website: https://www.lpu.in/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees, and Doctoral programmes are offered.

Admission: Basis of aggregate marks obtained in 10+2. LPUNEST (Lovely Professional University National Entrance and Scholarship Test) is also available.

Lovely Professional University (LPU) is a private engineering college and university located in the Phagwara district in the state of Punjab. The institute was founded in 2005 and is affiliated with UGC, AIU, PCI, NCTE, COA, ACBSP, ACU, ICAR, and BCI. The institute is approved by the Pharmacy Council of India and is also a member of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

LPU offers more than 360 programmes in various undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate degrees specialised in various disciplines, including Engineering and other fields.

11. MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology (MSRIT)

City: Bengaluru (Karnataka)

Website: http://www.msrit.edu/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees, Doctoral and Research programmes are offered.

Admission: Through 10 + 2 pattern of examination (equivalent to the two-year Pre-university in Karnataka) for UG and through GATE scores or PGCET of Karnataka for PG candidates.

MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology (MSRIT)  is an autonomous private engineering college located in Bengaluru in the state of Karnataka. The institute was founded in 1962 by Dr M.S. Ramaiah and is now called the Ramaiah Institute of Technology (RIT). It is affiliated with Visvesvaraya Technological University, while also being an institutional member of the ISTE and is recognised by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

MSRIT, or RIT, is a part of the Gokula Education Foundation (GEF) which owns and manages several educational institutions across various streams. The foundation also runs a Multi Speciality Hospital in the country. RIT was the first institute that was started by the Gokula Education Foundation.

RIT offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and research studies, including Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Architecture, Master of Technology, and Master of Business Administration. It also offers programmes leading to the award of PhD in various disciplines. The institute is also a research centre in 12 areas including engineering and management disciplines.

12. Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT Manipal)

City: Manipal (Karnataka)

Website: https://manipal.edu/mit.html

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees, Doctoral and Research programmes are offered.

Admission: Through the Manipal Entrance Test (MET) entrance exam or the performance in an undergraduate degree program.

Manipal Institute of Technology, also known as MIT Manipal, is one of the first self-financing engineering colleges in India. The institute was founded in 1957 and is located in the state of Karnataka.

MIT Manipal is a constituent college of and affiliated with the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), a deemed university that awards undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate degrees. MAHE is accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Government of India.

MIT Manipal offers full-time, four and five-year undergraduate programmes in various disciplines. as well as Master of Technology degrees and several other postgraduate programmes awarding Master of Science (M.S.) in Software Engineering, Master of Computer Applications (M.C.A.) and an integrated M.B.A. programme (in conjunction with other programmes in MAHE).

13. Nirma University (NU)

City: Ahmedabad (Gujarat)

Website: https://nirmauni.ac.in/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees, Doctoral and Research programmes are offered.

Admission: Basis of scores obtained in JEE Mains, GUJCET and GATE or equivalent examination.

Nirma University (NU) is a private university located in Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat. The institute was founded by the Nirma Education and Research Foundation (NERF) in 2003. NU is accredited with Grade A status by the NAAC.

The institute offers undergraduate (B.Tech), postgraduate (M.Tech) and doctoral programmes in various specialisations, including Science, Technology, Management, Commerce, Law, Pharmacy, and more.

14. PES University (PESU)

City: Bengaluru (Karnataka)

Website: https://pes.edu/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees, Doctoral and Research programmes are offered.

Admission: On the basis of PESSAT – an All India Online Entrance Exam.

PES University (PESU) is a private university located in Bengaluru in the state of Karnataka. The institute was founded in 1988 as PES Institute of Technology, however, the name was later changed. The institute is managed by the People‘s Education Society (PES) Group of institutions and is affiliated with Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU).

PESU is focused on five main educational areas: Engineering, Management, Law and Life Sciences. The institution offers both foundation courses in these areas as well as specialisations with Bachelor’s, Master and PhD degree programmes.

15. R.V. College of Engineering (RVCE)

City: Bengaluru (Karnataka)

Website: https://rvce.edu.in/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees and Research programmes are offered.

Admission: On the basis of performance in either Karnataka Common Entrance Test (CET) or the COMED-K test for UG, and through GATE as well as Post Graduate Karnataka CET scores for PG candidates.

R.V. College of Engineering (RVCE), also called Rashtreeya Vidyalaya College of Engineering, is an autonomous private technical co-educational college located in Bengaluru in the state of Karnataka. The institute was founded in 1963 and is affiliated with Visvesvaraya Technological University. RVCE is run by the Rashtreeya Sikshana Samithi Trust (RSST), which is a not-for-profit trust. RSST manages over 25 institutions and RVCE is their flagship institute.

RVCE offers three engineering branches, namely Civil, Mechanical and Electrical, which include 12 Under Graduate Engineering programmes, 16 Master’s Degree programmes and Doctoral Studies.

16. SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST)

City: Kattankulathur (Tamil Nadu)

Website: https://www.srmist.edu.in/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees and Research programmes are offered.

Admission: Through SRM Joint Engineering Entrance Examination.

SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) is among the top engineering colleges in India. It was previously known as SRM University. The institute was founded in 1985 in Kattankulathur, near the capital city of Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu. SRMIST is a private higher education institute deemed to be a university.

The institute has a total of eight campuses with Kattankulathur in Chennai being the main campus. The others are located in Ramapuram (Chennai), Vadapalani (Chennai), Tiruchirappalli (Chennai), Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Delhi-NCR and Haryana, respectively.

17. Siddaganga Institute of Technology (SIT)

City: Bengaluru (Karnataka)

Website: http://www.sit.ac.in/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees and Doctoral programmes are offered.

Admission: Based on scores obtained in the Common Entrance Test (CET) conducted by Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA)/COMED-K Entrance Examination (Consortium of Medical, Engineering & Dental Colleges – Karnataka).

Siddaganga Institute of Technology (SIT) is a private engineering college located in the Tumkur district of Bengaluru in the state of Karnataka. The institute was founded by the Sree Siddaganga Education Society (SSES) in 1963. The institute is affiliated with Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and is accredited with Grade A by the NAAC, NBA and AICTE.

The institute offers undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes in various specialisations including Engineering, Science, Technology, Electronics, and more.

18. Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology (TIET)

City: Patiala (Punjab)

Website: https://www.thapar.edu/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees, Doctoral and Research programmes are offered.

Admission: On the basis of the Skill Assessment Test (SAT) for UG and through GATE scores for PG candidates.

Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology (TIET) is a UGC-recognised private engineering college and deemed university located in Patiala in the state of Punjab. The institute was founded in 1956 and was called Thapar University. TIET is accredited with an ‘A+’ grade by the (NAAC) National Assessment and Accreditation Council.

The academic units of the TIET are Departments, Schools, and Centres. The Departments organise and conduct undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes in relevant engineering/technological disciplines. The Schools cater to only postgraduate and doctoral programmes. The Centres are special interdisciplinary units that serve the institute as a whole.

The institute offers a wide range of UG and PG degree programmes in disciplines such as Arts and Humanities, Computer Applications and IT, Animation and Design, Management, Business Administration and Sciences, and more.

19. Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology

City: Chennai (Tamil Nadu)

Website: https://www.veltech.edu.in/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees, Doctoral and Research programmes are offered.

Admission: Basis of marks obtained in 10+2 and VTUEEE.

Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology is a private deemed university located in Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu. The institute was founded in 1997 and is affiliated with UGC and MHRD. The institute is accredited with Grade A status by the NAAC and NBA.

Vel Tech University offers UG, PG and Doctoral programmes in various specialisations, including Engineering, Management, Media Technology, Law, and more.

20. Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT Vellore)

City: Vellore (Tamil Nadu)

Website: https://vit.ac.in/

Academics: Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG) degrees, Doctoral and Research programmes are offered.

Admission: Through VITEEE for UG. As for PG programmes, candidates are required to register for VITMEE, a Computer Based Objective test at indicated test centres.

Among the best privately-owned engineering colleges in India, the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), which used to be called Vellore Engineering College, is a popular name. The institute was opened in 1984 in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is affiliated with the (UGC) University Grants Commission.

VIT Vellore offers 66 undergraduates, 58 postgraduate, 15 Integrated, two Research and two M. Tech Industrial programmes, respectively. The institute also consolidated its disciplines into 20 Schools of Study with the addition of the VIT Law School located at its campus in Chennai. Admission to undergraduate programmes is done through the university’s VIT Engineering Entrance Examination (VITEEE).

Wrapping Up

Getting admission to any of the above-mentioned top private engineering colleges in India requires candidates to achieve certain scores/marks in the test/exam that is provided by these institutions. The type of assessment can differ from one institution to another.