Higher education in India

Higher education system in India includes both public and private universities. Public universities are supported by the union government and the state governments, while private universities are mostly supported by various bodies and societies. Universities in India are recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC), which draws its power from the University Grants Commission Act, 1956. The main governing body is the University Grants Commission, which enforces its standards, advises the government, and helps coordinate between the center and the state. Accreditation for higher learning is overseen by various autonomous institutions established by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

As of 2025, India has over 1000 universities, with 54 central universities, 416 state universities, 147 deemed universities, 361 state private universities and 159 Institutes of National Importance which include AIIMS, IIMs, IIITs, IISERs, IITs and NITs among others. The country also has 53,354 colleges, including government degree colleges, private colleges, standalone institutes and post-graduate research institutions, functioning under these universities as reported by the Department of Higher Education in 2026. Colleges may be autonomous, i.e., empowered to examine their own degrees, upto PhD level in some cases, or non-autonomous, in which case their examinations are under the supervision of the university to which they are affiliated; in either case, however, degrees are awarded in the name of the university rather than the college.

Apart from these institutions, there are several parallel, state, and nationally accredited bodies that provide professional and vocational educational programs, like the National Skill Development Corporation, Gramin Skill Development Mission, and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing. Open education and distance learning are overseen by the Distance Education Council. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is the oldest distance education university in the country, transitioning from correspondence to online delivery of education, and has the largest number of student enrollments.

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