Regional comparison
Colleges in South India
Side-by-side view of states and UTs in the South zone — institute counts, NIRF coverage, and links to each state’s own page. 183 institutes across 6 states · 28 NIRF-ranked.
South zone — key facts
Live data| States / UTs in this zone | 6 |
|---|---|
| Tracked institutes | 183 |
| With NIRF Engineering rank | 28 |
| States with dedicated pagesEach qualifying state still has its own dedicated page | 6 |
| Largest state share | Karnataka · 66 |
Regional totals from Knwdle’s live institute list, grouped by state. This page compares states; it does not replace individual state landings.
States in South India
Primary comparison table for this region. Open a state page for the place-level view.
| State / UT | Institutes | Share | NIRF-ranked | Best rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karnataka | 66 | 36% | 6 | #59 | State page → |
| Tamil Nadu | 49 | 27% | 14 | #1 | State page → |
| Andhra Pradesh | 46 | 25% | 4 | #35 | State page → |
| Telangana | 25 | 14% | 0 | — | State page → |
| Kerala | 16 | 9% | 3 | #21 | State page → |
| Puducherry | 6 | 3% | 1 | #99 | State page → |
Overview
Knwdle's South zone groups Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The first six broadly mirror the region's informal Southern Zonal Council membership; we additionally place the Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands here since neither Union Territory has a natural home in any other zone. Institutes tracked here include IIT Madras (Tamil Nadu) and IIT Hyderabad (Telangana), plus long-established NITs — Tiruchirappalli, Surathkal (Karnataka) and Calicut (Kerala) among them.
Every state above still earns its own dedicated /colleges/state page once it clears Knwdle's three-institute threshold. This zone page doesn't replace any of those — it adds a state-by-state comparison table, so counts and NIRF coverage across the South are visible in one place before you open a specific state.
Key figure
Share with a cited NIRF rank
15%
Computed from every institute currently mapped to a South-zone state on this page — not a fixed marketing number.
FAQ
- Which IITs are located in the South zone?
- Two: IIT Madras in Tamil Nadu and IIT Hyderabad in Telangana. The zone also carries several long-running NITs, including NIT Tiruchirappalli, NIT Karnataka (Surathkal) and NIT Calicut.
- Why are Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands grouped here?
- Both are Union Territories without an obvious geographic zone of their own in Knwdle's grouping, so we place them alongside the mainland southern states for comparison purposes — not because they sit inside any official Southern Zonal Council.
- Is this the same as the official Southern Zonal Council?
- It broadly overlaps — the five southern states plus Puducherry — but this is Knwdle's own comparison grouping for browsing, not a statutory classification, and we add two island Union Territories the official council doesn't cover.
- How do JoSAA and state-level exams both feature in this zone?
- IITs and NITs here are reached through JoSAA; several state universities and private institutes admit through their own entrance exam or state counselling instead. Each institute's admission pathway is labelled on its own profile where we've sourced it.
Top NIRF ranks in South India
Best Engineering ranks across this zone (up to 20). Compare states above for geographic mix.
All institutes in this zone
| Institute | State | Type | NIRF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIT Madras | Tamil Nadu | IIT | #1 | View → |
| NIT Tiruchirappalli | Tamil Nadu | NIT | #9 | View → |
| SRMIST | Tamil Nadu | PRIVATE | #14 | View → |
| VIT Vellore | Tamil Nadu | PRIVATE | #16 | View → |
| Anna University | Tamil Nadu | PRIVATE | #20 | View → |
| NIT Calicut | Kerala | NIT | #21 | View → |
| Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | Tamil Nadu | PRIVATE | #23 | View → |
| Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education | Tamil Nadu | PRIVATE | #33 | View → |
| KL University | Andhra Pradesh | PRIVATE | #35 | View → |
| Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Aca | Tamil Nadu | PRIVATE | #40 | View → |
| Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Scie | Tamil Nadu | PRIVATE | #45 | View → |
| Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering | Tamil Nadu | STATE | #47 | View → |
| IIT Tirupati | Andhra Pradesh | IIT | #57 | View → |
| Manipal Institute of Technology | Karnataka | PRIVATE | #59 | View → |
| Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology | Kerala | PRIVATE | #61 | View → |
| IIT Palakkad | Kerala | IIT | #64 | View → |
| PSG College of Technology | Tamil Nadu | STATE | #67 | View → |
| Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology | Tamil Nadu | PRIVATE | #67 | View → |
| International Institute of Information Technolog | Karnataka | PRIVATE | #69 | View → |
| M. S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology | Karnataka | STATE | #75 | View → |
| Christ University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | #76 | View → |
| IIT Dharwad | Karnataka | IIT | #77 | View → |
| Vignan's Foundation for Science | Andhra Pradesh | PRIVATE | #80 | View → |
| Jain university | Karnataka | PRIVATE | #84 | View → |
| Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R & D Institu | Tamil Nadu | PRIVATE | #87 | View → |
| A | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | #88 | View → |
| NIT Puducherry | Puducherry | NIT | #99 | View → |
| Sri Krishna College of Engineering and Technolog | Tamil Nadu | STATE | #100 | View → |
| A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University | Kerala | STATE | — | View → |
| Academy of Maritime Education and Training | Tamil Nadu | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Acharya Nagarjuna University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Adichunchanagiri University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Adikavi Nannaya University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Aditya University | Andhra Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Alagappa University | Tamil Nadu | STATE | — | View → |
| Alliance University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Andhra Pradesh Fisheries University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Andhra University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Annamacharya University | Andhra Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Annamalai University | Tamil Nadu | STATE | — | View → |
| Atria University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Audisankara (Deemed to be University) | Andhra Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Azim Premji University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| B.L.D.E. | Karnataka | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Bagalkot University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Bangalore University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Bengaluru City University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Bengaluru Dr. B. R. Ambedkar School of Economics University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Bharathiar University | Tamil Nadu | STATE | — | View → |
| Bharatiya Engineering Science and Technology Innovation University | Andhra Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| BMS University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Calicut University | Kerala | STATE | — | View → |
| Central University of Karnataka | Karnataka | CENTRAL | — | View → |
| Central University of Kerala | Kerala | CENTRAL | — | View → |
| Central University of Tamil Nadu | Tamil Nadu | CENTRAL | — | View → |
| Centurion University of Technology and Management | Andhra Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Chanakya University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Chennai Mathematical Institute | Tamil Nadu | DEEMED | — | View → |
| CHETTINAD ACADEMY OF RESEARCH AND EDUCATION | Tamil Nadu | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth | Kerala | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Cluster University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| CMR University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Davangere University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Dayananda Sagar University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Dr Y. S. R. Architecture & Fine Arts University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Dr. Abdul Haq Urdu University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Dr. B.R Ambedkar Open University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute | Tamil Nadu | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Dr. N.T.R. University of Health Sciences | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Dr. RVR NRI Institute of Technology | Andhra Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Dravidian University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| G. M. University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) | Andhra Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Garden City University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| GMR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | Andhra Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Godavari Global University | Andhra Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Gulbarga University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| HINDUSTAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE | Tamil Nadu | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) Bengaluru and Kengeri (constituent unit) | Karnataka | DEEMED | — | View → |
| IIIT Design & Manufacturing Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh | Andhra Pradesh | IIIT | — | View → |
| IIIT Tiruchirappalli | Tamil Nadu | IIIT | — | View → |
| IIIT Raichur, Karnataka | Karnataka | IIIT | — | View → |
| IIIT(IIIT) Dharwad | Karnataka | IIIT | — | View → |
| Indian Institute of Science | Karnataka | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Indian Maritime University | Tamil Nadu | CENTRAL | — | View → |
| International Institute of Information Technology | Karnataka | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Joy University | Tamil Nadu | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research | Karnataka | DEEMED | — | View → |
| JSS Science & Technology University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| K.L.E. Academy of Higher Education and Research | Karnataka | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Kannada University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Kannur University | Kerala | STATE | — | View → |
| Karnatak University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Karnataka State Law University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Karnataka State Open University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Karnataka Folklore University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Karpagam Academy of Higher Education | Tamil Nadu | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences | Tamil Nadu | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agriculture and Horticultural Sciences | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Kerala Kalamandalam | Kerala | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Kerala University | Kerala | STATE | — | View → |
| Kerala University of Digital Sciences Innovation and Technology | Kerala | STATE | — | View → |
| Kerala University of Fisheries & Ocean Studies | Kerala | STATE | — | View → |
| Kerala University of Health Sciences | Kerala | STATE | — | View → |
| Kerala Veterinary & Animal Sciences University | Kerala | STATE | — | View → |
| KLE Technological University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Kodagu University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation | Andhra Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Koppal University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| KREA University | Andhra Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Krishna University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| MADANAPALLE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE | Andhra Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Madras University | Tamil Nadu | STATE | — | View → |
| Madurai Kamraj University | Tamil Nadu | STATE | — | View → |
| Maharani Cluster University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Mahatma Gandhi Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Mahatma Gandhi Unversity | Kerala | STATE | — | View → |
| Mandya University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Manipal Academy of Higher Education | Karnataka | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research | Tamil Nadu | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Mysore University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| NIT Andhra Pradesh | Andhra Pradesh | NIT | — | View → |
| NITTE | Karnataka | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Periyar Maniammai Institute of Science & Technology (PMIST) | Tamil Nadu | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Periyar University | Tamil Nadu | STATE | — | View → |
| Pondicherry Engineering College, Puducherry | Puducherry | GFTI | — | View → |
| Pondicherry University | Puducherry | CENTRAL | — | View → |
| PONNAIYAH RAMAJAYAM INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY | Tamil Nadu | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Presidency University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Puducherry Technological University | Puducherry | STATE | — | View → |
| Puducherry Technological University, Puducherry | Puducherry | GFTI | — | View → |
| Rai Technology University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Rani Channamma University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Rathinam Global | Tamil Nadu | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Rayalaseema University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Reva University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| RV University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Sai University | Tamil Nadu | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Sapthagiri NPS University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Shiv Nadar University | Tamil Nadu | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Shree Sankaracharaya University of Sanskrit | Kerala | STATE | — | View → |
| Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Siddhartha Academy of Higher Education | Andhra Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth | Puducherry | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya | Tamil Nadu | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Sri Devraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research | Karnataka | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Sri krishnadevaraya University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Sri Padmavati Mahila Vishwavidyalayam | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research | Tamil Nadu | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning | Andhra Pradesh | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Sri Siddhartha Academy of Higher Education | Karnataka | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Sri Venkateswara University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Sri Venkateswara Vedic University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| Sri Venkateswaraa University | Tamil Nadu | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Srinivas University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| SRM University | Andhra Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| St. Aloysius | Karnataka | DEEMED | — | View → |
| St. Joseph's University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| St. Peter’s Institute of Higher Education and Research | Tamil Nadu | DEEMED | — | View → |
| Takshashila University | Tamil Nadu | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University | Tamil Nadu | STATE | — | View → |
| Tamil Nadu Teacher Education University | Tamil Nadu | STATE | — | View → |
| Tamil University | Tamil Nadu | STATE | — | View → |
| Tamilnadu Agricultural University | Tamil Nadu | STATE | — | View → |
| Tamilnadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University | Tamil Nadu | STATE | — | View → |
| Tamilnadu Dr. M.G.R.Medical University | Tamil Nadu | STATE | — | View → |
| The Tamil Nadu Dr.J Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University | Tamil Nadu | STATE | — | View → |
| The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Tumkur University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| University of Horticultural Sciences | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| University of Visvesvaraya College of Engineering | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Vasireddy Venkatadri International Technological University | Andhra Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Veltech University | Andhra Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Vidyashilp University | Karnataka | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Vijayanagara Sri Krishnadevaraya University | Karnataka | STATE | — | View → |
| Vikrama Simhapuri University | Andhra Pradesh | STATE | — | View → |
| VIT-AP University | Andhra Pradesh | PRIVATE | — | View → |
| Yogi Vemana University | Andhra 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 South zone?
- 183 institutes currently match this page’s filter. 28 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, 8 institutes have a GO value; the average among those is 70.8.
- 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/south