Regional comparison
Colleges in Central India
Side-by-side view of states and UTs in the Central zone — institute counts, NIRF coverage, and links to each state’s own page. 154 institutes across 3 states · 11 NIRF-ranked.
Central zone — key facts
Live data| States / UTs in this zone | 3 |
|---|---|
| Tracked institutes | 154 |
| With NIRF Engineering rank | 11 |
| States with dedicated pagesEach qualifying state still has its own dedicated page | 3 |
| Largest state share | Uttar Pradesh · 84 |
Regional totals from Knwdle’s live institute list, grouped by state. This page compares states; it does not replace individual state landings.
States in Central India
Primary comparison table for this region. Open a state page for the place-level view.
| State / UT | Institutes | Share | NIRF-ranked | Best rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh | 84 | 55% | 7 | #4 | State page → |
| Madhya Pradesh | 49 | 32% | 3 | #12 | State page → |
| Chhattisgarh | 21 | 14% | 1 | #86 | State page → |
Overview
Knwdle's Central zone groups Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh — narrower than the real, statutory Central Zonal Council, which also includes Uttarakhand (we place Uttarakhand under our North zone instead, for geographic intuitiveness rather than administrative accuracy). The zone carries two of India's oldest and best-known IITs — IIT Kanpur and IIT (BHU) Varanasi, both in Uttar Pradesh — plus IIT Indore in Madhya Pradesh and NITs including MNNIT Allahabad (UP, one of the original Regional Engineering Colleges) and NIT Raipur (Chhattisgarh).
Every state above still earns its own dedicated /colleges/state page once it clears Knwdle's three-institute threshold. This zone page adds a comparison layer — counts and NIRF coverage side by side — rather than replacing a state's own page.
Key figure
Share with a cited NIRF rank
7%
Computed from every institute currently mapped to a Central-zone state on this page — not a fixed marketing number.
FAQ
- Which IITs are located in the Central zone?
- Three: IIT Kanpur and IIT (BHU) Varanasi, both in Uttar Pradesh, and IIT Indore in Madhya Pradesh. IIT Kanpur, established in 1959, was one of the original five IITs.
- Why is Uttarakhand not part of this zone?
- India's actual Central Zonal Council includes Uttarakhand alongside Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh. We group Uttarakhand under our North zone instead, for a more geographically intuitive comparison — this page follows Knwdle's own grouping, not the statutory one.
- Is Uttar Pradesh the largest state in this zone by institute count?
- Check the state comparison table above — it's computed live from institutes currently tracked, not a fixed claim. Uttar Pradesh carries multiple long-established federally funded institutes (IIT Kanpur, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, MNNIT Allahabad among them).
- Do you show placement packages for institutes in this zone?
- No — the same rule applies here as everywhere on Knwdle. NIRF Graduation Outcomes (GO), an independent sub-score, is shown in place of self-reported placement figures.
Top NIRF ranks in Central India
Best Engineering ranks across this zone (up to 20). Compare states above for geographic mix.
| Rank | Institute | Type | State | GO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #4 | IIT Kanpur | IIT | Uttar Pradesh | 88.1 |
| #10 | IIT (BHU) Varanasi | IIT | Uttar Pradesh | 86.0 |
| #12 | IIT Indore | IIT | Madhya Pradesh | 76.5 |
| #34 | Aligarh Muslim UniversityAligarh | PRIVATE | Uttar Pradesh | — |
| #37 | Amity UniversityGautam Budh Nagar | PRIVATE | Uttar Pradesh | — |
| #60 | Madan Mohan Malaviya University of TechnologyGorakhpur | PRIVATE | Uttar Pradesh | — |
| #62 | Motilal Nehru NIT Allahabad | NIT | Uttar Pradesh | 74.4 |
| #78 | Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum TechnologyAmethi | PRIVATE | Uttar Pradesh | — |
| #81 | Maulana Azad NIT Bhopal | NIT | Madhya Pradesh | 73.3 |
| #86 | NIT Raipur | NIT | Chhattisgarh | 66.3 |
| #96 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee IIIT & Management Gwalior | IIIT | Madhya Pradesh | 77.2 |
All institutes in this zone
| Institute | State | Type | NIRF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIT Kanpur | Uttar Pradesh | IIT | #4 | View → |
| IIT (BHU) Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh | IIT | #10 | View → |
| IIT Indore | Madhya Pradesh | IIT | #12 | View → |
| Aligarh Muslim University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | #34 | View → |
| Amity University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | #37 | View → |
| Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | #60 | View → |
| Motilal Nehru NIT Allahabad | Uttar Pradesh | NIT | #62 | View → |
| Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | #78 | View → |
| Maulana Azad NIT Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | NIT | #81 | View → |
| NIT Raipur | Chhattisgarh | NIT | #86 | View → |
| Atal Bihari Vajpayee IIIT & Management Gwalior | Madhya Pradesh | IIIT | #96 | View → |
| A.K.S. University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| AAFT University of Media and Arts | Chhattisgarh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Abhyuday University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Anjaneya University | Chhattisgarh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University | Uttar Pradesh | CENTRAL | — | View → |
| Babu Banarasi Das University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Banaras Hindu University | Uttar Pradesh | CENTRAL | — | View → |
| Banda University of Agriculture & Technology | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Bareilly International University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Bennett University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Bhabha University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Bundelkhand University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies | Uttar Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Chaudhary Charan Singh University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanad Technical Universty | Chhattisgarh | STATE | — | View → |
| Chirayu University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Dayalbagh Educational Institute | Uttar Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya | Chhattisgarh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya | Madhya Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya | Madhya Pradesh | CENTRAL | — | View → |
| Dr. K. N. Modi University, Modinagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Dr. Rajendra Prasad National Law University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Eklavya University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Era University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| F.S. University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Future University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| G L A University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| G. S. University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| G.H Raisoni University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Galgotias University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Gautam Buddha University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya | Chhattisgarh | CENTRAL | — | View → |
| Guru Jambheshwar University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Gyanodaya University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Gyanveer University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Harcourt Butler Technical University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Hidayatullah National Law University | Chhattisgarh | STATE | — | View → |
| I.E.S. University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| ICFAI University | Chhattisgarh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| IFTM University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| IIMT University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF FOREST MANAGEMENT | Madhya Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Indian Institute of Handloom Technology(IIHT), Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh | GFTI | — | View → |
| IIIT Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | IIIT | — | View → |
| IIIT Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh | IIIT | — | View → |
| IIIT Allahabad | Uttar Pradesh | IIIT | — | View → |
| Indian Veterinary Research Institute | Uttar Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya | Chhattisgarh | STATE | — | View → |
| Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya | Chhattisgarh | STATE | — | View → |
| Integral University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| International Institute of Information Technology, Naya Raipur | Chhattisgarh | GFTI | — | View → |
| Invertis University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| ISBM University | Chhattisgarh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| ITM University | Chhattisgarh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| J. N. C. T professional University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| J.K. Institute of Applied Physics & Technology, Department of Electronics & Communication, University of Allahabad- Allahabad | Uttar Pradesh | GFTI | — | View → |
| J.S. University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Divyang State University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Jagran Lakecity University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Jaypee Institute of Information Technology | Uttar Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Jaypee University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Jiwaji University | Madhya Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| JSS University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| K. K. Modi University | Chhattisgarh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| K.M. (Krishna Mohan) University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Kalinga University | Chhattisgarh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Kendriya Hindi Sansthan | Uttar Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| King Georges Medical University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Krantisurya Tantya Bhil Vishwavidyalaya | Madhya Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Krantivir Tatya Tope Vishwavidyalaya | Madhya Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Krishna Institute of Engineering & Technology (KIET) | Uttar Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Kushabhau Thakre Patrakarita Avam Jansanchar Vishwavidyalaya | Chhattisgarh | STATE | — | View → |
| Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education | Madhya Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| LNCT University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| LNCT Vidhyapeeth University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| M.P.Bhoj (open) University | Madhya Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Maa Pateswari University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Maa Vindhyavasini University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Madhav Institute of Technology and Science | Madhya Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University | Madhya Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Mahakaushal University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Maharaja Chhatrasal Bundelkhand Vishwavidyalaya | Madhya Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Maharaja Suhel Dev State University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ramayan University, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Maharishi University of Information Technology | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Mahatam Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot Gramodaya Vishwavidyalaya | Madhya Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Mahaveer University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Major Dhyanchand Sports University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Major S. D. Singh University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism & Communication | Madhya Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Prestige Institute of Management and Research (PIMR) | Madhya Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Prestige University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Pt. Dwarka Prasad Mishra IIIT Design & Manufacture Jabalpur | Madhya Pradesh | IIIT | — | View → |
| Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University | Chhattisgarh | STATE | — | View → |
| Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh State University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Raja Shankar Shah University, Chhindwara | Madhya Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University | Uttar Pradesh | CENTRAL | — | View → |
| Rajiv Gandhi Prodoyogiki Vishwavidyalaya | Madhya Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Rama University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya | Madhya Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University | Uttar Pradesh | CENTRAL | — | View → |
| Renaissance University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Rungta International Skills University | Chhattisgarh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| S. K. S. International University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Sage University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| SAM Global University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology & Sciences | Uttar Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Sant Gahira Guru Vishwavidyalaya (formerly Sarguja University) | Chhattisgarh | STATE | — | View → |
| Santosh | Uttar Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Saroj International University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| School of Planning & Architecture, Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | GFTI | — | View → |
| Scope Global Skills University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Sharda University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Sharda University Agra | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Shobhit Institute of Engineering & Technology | Uttar Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Shri G. S. Institute of Technology and Science Indore | Madhya Pradesh | GFTI | — | View → |
| Shri Krishna University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Shri Rawatpura Sarkar University | Chhattisgarh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Shri Shankaracharya Professional University | Chhattisgarh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Siddharth University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Sri Aurobindo University | Madhya Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Swami Vivekananda Subharti University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| The Indira Gandhi National Tribal University | Madhya Pradesh | CENTRAL | — | View → |
| United University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| University of Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Varun Arjun University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University | Uttar Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Vidya University | Uttar Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Vikram University | Madhya Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
How to use this page
- 1Start with the state comparison table — counts, NIRF coverage, and best rank per state.
- 2Open a state page for the place-level view, or a profile for scorecards and sourced content.
- 3Use Rankings for the national table, or Compare for a neutral side-by-side of 2–3 colleges.
Frequently asked questions
Answers use counts from this page's live institute list.
- How many institutes appear for Central zone?
- 154 institutes currently match this page’s filter. 11 of them have a numeric NIRF Engineering rank in our database.
- Is “best” based on editorial opinion?
- No. Where we sort or headline by rank, the order follows published NIRF Engineering ranks (nirfindia.org). Unranked institutes are not given a fabricated Knwdle rank.
- What is Graduation Outcomes (GO)?
- GO is an NIRF sub-score (independent of self-reported packages). On this page, 7 institutes have a GO value; the average among those is 77.4.
- How is this different from a state page?
- This is a multi-state comparison for the geographic zone. Every state that clears the institute threshold still has its own /colleges/state page — this layer puts their counts and NIRF coverage side by side.
What we publish — and what we don't
Included when sourced
- NIRF Engineering ranks & sub-scores (nirfindia.org)
- JoSAA closing ranks already in our database
- Programmes from AICTE EOA / institute official catalogues
- Fees & admissions copy only from the institute's own site
- Campus images from Wikimedia Commons or official media
Deliberately excluded
- Star reviews and self-reported placement packages
- Fees estimated or copied from aggregator directories
- Facts that appear only on compiled third-party college directories
NIRF Graduation Outcomes (GO) is the honest substitute for placement-intent browsing — an independent metric, not a package figure.
Explore the directory
Zone id: /colleges/region/central