Page 58 - EW may 2026

Cover Story

INDIA’S MOST ADMIRED GOVERNMENT

AUTONOMOUS COLLEGES

undergraduate education to students
from low-income households.
Therefore, to acknowledge their
nation-building role and encourage
them to improve and excel, since
2021, in the annual EW India Higher
Education Rankings, when Arts, Sci-
ence and Commerce (ASC) colleges
were segregated into autonomous
and non-autonomous categories,
government autonomous colleges are
also ranked and assessed separately
inter se.
To compile this year’s rankings
of India’s Top Government Autono-
mous ASC Colleges, field representa-
tives of the Bengaluru-based AZ Re-
search Partners Pvt. Ltd interviewed
2,175 sample respondents compris-
ing college/university faculty, college
GDCW, Begumpet’s Dr. Padmavathi (centre): #1 third consecutive year students, and industry representa-
tives and persuaded them to rate
Though the overwhelming majority of the 1,788 undergrad sufficiently well-known colleges on
colleges granted autonomous status by UGC are privately six parameters of tertiary education
promoted, a small number (234) of colleges established by excellence, viz, competence of facul-
ty, faculty welfare and development,
state governments have also met the qualifying standards curriculum and pedagogy, career
set by UGC readiness/placement record, infra-
structure and quality of leadership/
governance. Low-profile institutions
f the 1,788 undergraduate These 234 state government rated by less than 25 respondents are
colleges (out of 53,000) autonomous colleges have been not ranked.
granted autonomous awarded an ‘A’ grade or higher by the In the 2026-27 league table of
Ostatus by the Delhi-based National Assessment and Accredita- India’s best government autonomous
University Grants Commission tion Council (NAAC), accreditation colleges, there’s no change at the top.
(UGC), the overwhelming majority for a minimum of three programmes Government Degree College for
— 1,554 — are privately promoted. from the National Board of Accredi- Women (GDCW), Begumpet,
Private colleges awarded autono- tation (NBA), or an equivalent rating Hyderabad (estb.1971) has main-
mous status include high-profile from a UGC-approved accrediting tained its #1 rank for a record third
institutions such as St. Xavier’s agency. While admittedly there’s a consecutive year with highest scores
College, Mumbai and Kolkata, St. quality difference between private under three of the six parameters
Joseph’s and Mount Carmel, Ben- and government autonomous col- of collegiate education excellence
galuru, Narsee Monjee and Mithibai leges — evident in the total scores — faculty welfare and develop-
colleges, Mumbai and Loyola Col- awarded by this year’s sample ment, curriculum and pedagogy
lege, Chennai, among others (see respondents to top-ranked colleges and leadership/governance quality.
p.46). However, a small number in the two categories — the latter Presidency College, Chennai is
(234) of colleges established by serve the important social purpose of again ranked #2, Maharaja’s Col-
state governments have also met the advancing equity in higher educa- lege, Kochi, Ernakulam #3, and
qualifying standards set by UGC. tion by providing heavily subsidised Maharani’s Science College for

58 EDUCATIONWORLD MAY 2026