(This story appeared in Outlook magazine’s August 3 issue, 'The AI Divide', which focuses on how India's AI education ambitions are colliding with the reality of inadequate digital infrastructure, undertrained teachers and AI tools that are not built around Indian students' cultural context)
Outlook-ICARE Rankings 2026: Top 100 Arts Institutes
Are you looking for the best arts institutes in India? Check out Outlook-ICARE's annual ranking of India’s top 100 arts institutes for 2026 to make an informed choice based on multiple parameters.
| RANK 2026 | TOP 100 INSTITUTES | ACADEMIC & RESEARCH EXCELLENCE 300 | INDUSTRY INTERFACE & PLACEMENT 150 | INFRASTRUCTURE & FACILITIES 150 | GOVERNANCE & ADMISSIONS 200 | DIVERSITY & OUTREACH 200 | TOTAL SCORE 1000 |
| 1 | LADY SHRI RAM COLLEGE FOR WOMEN NEW DELHI | 297.59 | 142.71 | 136.13 | 139.94 | 195 | 910.96 |
| 2 | MIRANDA HOUSE DELHI | 299.59 | 144.57 | 134.72 | 137.01 | 193.68 | 909.57 |
| 3 | HINDU COLLEGE DELHI | 297.28 | 141.11 | 136.3 | 139.04 | 194.79 | 908.53 |
| 4 | ST STEPHEN’S COLLEGE DELHI | 299.32 | 144.05 | 133.07 | 137.57 | 193.7 | 907.71 |
| 5 | MADRAS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE CHENNAI | 295.22 | 143.4 | 136.76 | 138.13 | 192.59 | 906.09 |
| 6 | GOKHALE INSTITUTE OF POLITICS AND ECONOMICS PUNE | 295.01 | 144.45 | 135.22 | 137.76 | 193.42 | 905.86 |
| 7 | HANSRAJ COLLEGE DELHI | 292.81 | 140.76 | 137.1 | 136.53 | 195 | 902.38 |
| 8 | LOYOLA COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) CHENNAI | 294.6 | 141.81 | 133.06 | 135.57 | 195.04 | 900.08 |
| 9 | PRESIDENCY COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) BANGALORE | 292.57 | 141.88 | 133.56 | 134.94 | 194.1 | 897.06 |
| 10 | DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES CHRIST (DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY) BANGALORE | 296.61 | 142.45 | 131.64 | 133.19 | 190.8 | 894.66 |
| 11 | RAMJAS COLLEGE DELHI | 295.65 | 140.6 | 132.3 | 133.56 | 191.75 | 893.86 |
| 12 | SVKM’S MITHIBAI COLLEGE OF ARTS CHAUHAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE & AMRUTBEN JIVANLAL COLLEGE OF COMMERCE & ECONOMICS (AUTONOMOUS) MUMBAI | 291.48 | 141.67 | 131.66 | 131.45 | 191.75 | 888.01 |
| 13 | INDRAPRASTHA COLLEGE FOR WOMEN DELHI | 291.8 | 136.7 | 131.36 | 133.86 | 191.2 | 884.89 |
| 14 | STELLA MARIS COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) CHENNAI | 292.45 | 135.86 | 126.7 | 131.17 | 192.23 | 878.4 |
| 15 | DAULAT RAM COLLEGE DELHI | 290.69 | 134.87 | 129.43 | 130.7 | 190.27 | 875.97 |
| 16 | WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN COLLEGE CHENNAI | 292.38 | 135.97 | 127.79 | 131.24 | 187.65 | 875.03 |
| 17 | SRM AP : EASWARI SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS AMARAVATI AP | 289.87 | 134.2 | 127.16 | 131.06 | 190.8 | 873.1 |
| 18 | ETHIRAJ COLLEGE FOR WOMEN CHENNAI | 288.22 | 133.59 | 126.58 | 129.66 | 190.21 | 868.26 |
| 19 | ST JOSEPH’S COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) BANGALORE | 289.72 | 136.19 | 124 | 126.6 | 189.88 | 866.39 |
| 20 | GARGI COLLEGE NEW DELHI | 288.86 | 135.01 | 126.92 | 127.6 | 187.97 | 866.36 |
| 21 | SYMBIOSIS COLLEGE OF ARTS & COMMERCE PUNE | 291.06 | 131.37 | 126.66 | 128.55 | 188.19 | 865.83 |
| 22 | SOPHIA COLLEGE FOR WOMEN MUMBAI | 291.65 | 134.05 | 125.4 | 126.27 | 187.34 | 864.69 |
| 23 | DELHI COLLEGE OF ARTS & COMMERCE NEW DELHI | 289.19 | 132.54 | 123.46 | 130.31 | 189.18 | 864.68 |
| 24 | SACRED HEART COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) THEVARA KOCHI | 287.72 | 132.04 | 123.2 | 126.88 | 186.28 | 856.12 |
| 25 | MOUNT CARMEL COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) BANGALORE | 288.89 | 133.35 | 122.85 | 126.6 | 184.1 | 855.8 |
| 26 | ST XAVIER’S COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) AHMEDABAD | 286.78 | 133.15 | 124.09 | 125.42 | 186.02 | 855.46 |
| 27 | MAHARAJA AGRASEN COLLEGE DELHI | 285.6 | 130.93 | 121.5 | 126.06 | 187.1 | 851.15 |
| 28 | DEEN DAYAL UPADHYAYA COLLEGE NEW DELHI | 284.27 | 131.36 | 120.87 | 124.69 | 182.67 | 843.86 |
| 29 | ST XAVIER’S COLLEGE RANCHI | 286.56 | 128.23 | 121.88 | 123.72 | 182.31 | 842.7 |
| 30 | GANPAT UNIVERSITY MEHSANA GUJARAT | 284.37 | 127.29 | 119.77 | 124.59 | 185.32 | 841.34 |
| 31 | KISHINCHAND CHELLARAM COLLEGE MUMBAI | 284.6 | 130.85 | 117.31 | 123.42 | 184.64 | 840.82 |
| 32 | B.K. BIRLA COLLEGE OF ARTS SCIENCE & COMMERCE (AUTONOMOUS) KALYAN MAHARASHTRA | 285.89 | 126.84 | 116.67 | 124.01 | 183.19 | 836.6 |
| 33 | SHRIMATHI DEVKUNVAR NANALAL BHATT VAISHNAV COLLEGE FOR WOMEN CHENNAI | 283.9 | 124.89 | 117.12 | 122.6 | 182.62 | 831.1 |
| 34 | S.P. MANDALI’S RAMNARAIN RUIA AUTONOMOUS COLLEGE MUMBAI | 282.5 | 125.36 | 115.66 | 121.42 | 181.52 | 826.46 |
| 35 | LAKSHMIBAI COLLEGE NEW DELHI | 280.47 | 127.58 | 116.32 | 119.71 | 181.66 | 825.74 |
| 36 | PATNA WOMEN’S COLLEGE PATNA | 279.4 | 124.9 | 116.48 | 122.15 | 180.62 | 823.59 |
| 37 | SARLA ANIL MODI SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS MUMBAI | 282.02 | 123.7 | 116.35 | 120.95 | 178.7 | 821.72 |
| 38 | SHIVAJI COLLEGE NEW DELHI | 280.92 | 124.76 | 114.8 | 122.16 | 178.6 | 821.25 |
| 39 | KRUPANIDHI DEGREE COLLEGE BANGALORE | 281.2 | 123.4 | 114 | 119.79 | 177.66 | 816.03 |
| 40 | ISABELLA THOBURN COLLEGE LUCKNOW | 280.86 | 126.52 | 113.33 | 115.83 | 175.03 | 811.57 |
| 41 | THE OXFORD COLLEGE OF ARTS BANGALORE | 279.4 | 122.39 | 112.91 | 116.16 | 175.36 | 806.22 |
| 42 | ST FRANCIS COLLEGE FOR WOMEN HYDERABAD | 276.99 | 126.51 | 114.14 | 114.18 | 173.73 | 805.55 |
| 43 | GOSWAMI GANESH DUTTA SD COLLEGE CHANDIGARH | 279.83 | 122.22 | 113.84 | 114.31 | 173.5 | 803.7 |
| 44 | DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCESSIKKIM MANIPAL UNIVERSITY MAJITAR SIKKIM | 276.52 | 121.22 | 111.2 | 117.18 | 175.26 | 801.4 |
| 45 | ST MIRA’S COLLEGE FOR GIRLS PUNE | 278.5 | 121.79 | 109.9 | 116.1 | 172.33 | 798.58 |
| 46 | AMITY SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS NOIDA | 276.12 | 122.82 | 109.1 | 116.12 | 174.3 | 798.46 |
| 47 | NEHRU ARTS AND SCIENCE COLLEGE COIMBATORE | 277.35 | 120.23 | 110.97 | 112.67 | 171.38 | 792.6 |
| 48 | AMITY SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS GURUGRAM | 275.33 | 118.77 | 109.34 | 115.06 | 173.86 | 792.36 |
| 49 | ST JOSEPH’S COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) TIRUCHIRAPPALLI | 275.37 | 119.36 | 109.33 | 113.89 | 171.65 | 789.6 |
| 50 | FACULTY OF ARTS ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH | 272.79 | 120.67 | 111.55 | 113.1 | 171.25 | 789.37 |
| 51 | SDM COLLEGE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT MANGALURU | 272.38 | 120.75 | 109.52 | 110.94 | 173.35 | 786.94 |
| 52 | ST ALOYSIUS COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) MANGALURU | 271.7 | 119 | 109.41 | 110.1 | 171.46 | 781.62 |
| 53 | AMITY SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION JAIPUR (JAIPUR) | 273.43 | 117.86 | 109.06 | 110.61 | 169.49 | 780 |
| 54 | LOYOLA ACADEMY PG & DEGREE COLLEGE SECUNDERABAD | 271.43 | 120.73 | 107.91 | 110.75 | 169.15 | 779.97 |
| 55 | KASTURBA GANDHI DEGREE & PG COLLEGE FOR WOMEN SECUNDERABAD | 274.03 | 118.66 | 106.54 | 107 | 171.91 | 778.31 |
| 56 | MAITREYI COLLEGE NEW DELHI | 272.33 | 115.3 | 107.47 | 109.41 | 171.23 | 775.7 |
| 57 | DNYANPRASSARAK MANDAL’S COLLEGE AND RESEARCH CENTRE MAPUSA GOA | 270.4 | 116.48 | 107.55 | 107.74 | 169.71 | 771.89 |
| 58 | SRI RAMAKRISHNA COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCE (AUTONOMOUS) NAVA INDIA COIMBATORE | 270.55 | 114.83 | 107.37 | 108.29 | 170.12 | 771.2 |
| 59 | BHARATI COLLEGE NEW DELHI | 272.48 | 115.17 | 108.77 | 105.09 | 168.47 | 769.98 |
| 60 | NAGINDAS KHANDWALA COLLEGE OF COMMERCE ARTS AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES MUMBAI | 269.87 | 116.92 | 106.38 | 107 | 169.02 | 769.19 |
| 61 | VIMALA COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) THRISSUR | 271.21 | 116.19 | 104.79 | 105.83 | 168.78 | 766.8 |
| 62 | PRAMUKH SWAMI SCIENCE & H.D. PATEL ARTS COLLEGE KADI GUJARAT | 268.07 | 112.21 | 102.58 | 104.86 | 169.79 | 757.51 |
| 63 | AMITY SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES LUCKNOW | 270.7 | 113.16 | 101.64 | 103.04 | 168.86 | 757.4 |
| 64 | ST JOSEPH’S DEGREE & PG COLLEGE HYDERABAD | 266.06 | 113.32 | 103.62 | 105.61 | 166.81 | 755.42 |
| 65 | SRI DHARMASTHALA MANJUNATHESHWARA COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) UJIRE KARNATAKA | 268.39 | 113.38 | 101.5 | 105.74 | 165.25 | 754.26 |
| 66 | RAMAIAH COLLEGE OF ARTS SCIENCE & COMMERCE BANGALORE | 267.42 | 110.57 | 102.73 | 101.15 | 164.92 | 746.79 |
| 67 | DR N.G.P. ARTS AND SCIENCE COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) COIMBATORE | 267.6 | 109.19 | 100.87 | 104.33 | 164.79 | 746.78 |
| 68 | AMITY UNIVERSITY MUMBAI NAVI MUMBAI | 267.18 | 110.08 | 99.56 | 105.21 | 163.92 | 745.95 |
| 69 | THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES BHOPAL | 264.78 | 110.61 | 101.84 | 100 | 161.82 | 739.51 |
| 70 | AMITY INSTITUTE OF PSYCHOLOGY & ALLIED SCIENCES KOLKATA | 263.77 | 108.11 | 101.44 | 99.88 | 164.82 | 738.02 |
| 71 | KANYA MAHA VIDYALAYA JALANDHAR | 263.1 | 109.25 | 100.91 | 98.27 | 162.09 | 733.62 |
| 72 | DAV COLLEGE ABOHAR PUNJAB | 263.39 | 108.77 | 100.29 | 98.84 | 160.1 | 731.39 |
| 73 | BHARATA MATA COLLEGE KOCHI | 262.5 | 107.41 | 97.82 | 98.89 | 161.65 | 728.27 |
| 74 | STANI MEMORIAL PG COLLEGE JAIPUR | 264.41 | 106.1 | 100.32 | 94.42 | 159.89 | 725.14 |
| 75 | BETHUNE COLLEGE KOLKATA | 263.61 | 106.32 | 98.79 | 94.65 | 161.25 | 724.62 |
| 76 | AMITY INSTITUTE OF LIBERAL ARTS LUCKNOW (LUCKNOW) | 259.5 | 108.02 | 98.82 | 93.56 | 162.82 | 722.75 |
| 77 | HINDUSTAN COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCE CHENNAI | 261.92 | 106.28 | 97.95 | 96.13 | 159.27 | 721.55 |
| 78 | DR S.N.S. RAJALAKSHMI COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE COIMBATORE | 260.01 | 104.99 | 99.09 | 95.06 | 160.96 | 720.11 |
| 79 | T. JOHN COLLEGE BANGALORE | 258.46 | 102.99 | 98.82 | 95 | 160.15 | 715.26 |
| 80 | AMITY SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES RAIPUR (RAIPUR) | 258.58 | 101.48 | 96.51 | 95 | 160.46 | 712.06 |
| 81 | AMITY INSTITUTE OF ENGLISH STUDIES AND RESEARCH RANCHI | 255.61 | 104.25 | 94.56 | 94.89 | 159.1 | 708.41 |
| 82 | RAJ NARAIN COLLEGE HAJIPUR | 258.09 | 103.13 | 95.09 | 92.5 | 158.5 | 707.3 |
| 83 | AMITY INSTITUTE OF ENGLISH STUDIES AND RESEARCH PATNA | 255.4 | 103.69 | 96.36 | 92.13 | 158.21 | 705.79 |
| 84 | SACRED HEART COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) TIRUPATTUR TN | 257.24 | 100.06 | 97.64 | 92.57 | 156.48 | 703.99 |
| 85 | KALINDI COLLEGE NEW DELHI | 255.63 | 104.32 | 95.35 | 92.13 | 154.15 | 701.58 |
| 86 | CHEVALIER T. THOMAS ELIZABETH COLLEGE FOR WOMEN CHENNAI | 254.4 | 101.44 | 95.82 | 88.88 | 154.58 | 695.12 |
| 87 | DEMPO CHARITIES TRUST’S DHEMPE COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCE PANAJI | 255.23 | 99.35 | 93.98 | 90.69 | 153.61 | 692.86 |
| 88 | ROSARY COLLEGE OF COMMERCE & ARTS SALCETE GOA | 255.34 | 101.32 | 96.5 | 87.46 | 152.11 | 692.8 |
| 89 | ANNA ADARSH COLLEGE FOR WOMEN CHENNAI | 253.97 | 101.88 | 94.11 | 89.26 | 152.06 | 691.28 |
| 90 | V.O. CHIDAMBARAM COLLEGE THOOTHUKUDI TAMIL NADU | 255.4 | 100.23 | 91.92 | 87.31 | 153.97 | 688.84 |
| 91 | ST. CLARET COLLEGE BANGALORE | 254.34 | 95.92 | 95.01 | 88.13 | 153.26 | 686.66 |
| 92 | GURU NANAK COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) CHENNAI | 251.05 | 98.6 | 93.64 | 86.89 | 151.47 | 681.69 |
| 93 | SRINATH UNIVERSITY JAMSHEDPUR | 251.22 | 95.18 | 94.99 | 86.82 | 149.96 | 678.17 |
| 94 | RATHINAM COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCE (AUTONOMOUS) COIMBATORE | 252 | 93.9 | 93.47 | 85.21 | 152.59 | 677.17 |
| 95 | FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES VIVEKANANDA GLOBAL UNIVERSITY JAIPUR | 252.29 | 95.52 | 91.79 | 84.5 | 151.71 | 675.81 |
| 96 | FACULTY OF LIBERAL ARTS DR VISHWANATH KARAD MIT-WORLD PEACE UNIVERSITY PUNE | 251.78 | 95.1 | 90.93 | 87.06 | 150.3 | 675.2 |
| 97 | AVADH GIRLS PG COLLEGE LUCKNOW | 251.97 | 93.58 | 90.23 | 85.89 | 151.91 | 673.58 |
| 98 | KONGU ARTS & SCIENCE COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) ERODE TN | 249.75 | 93.22 | 91.78 | 85.4 | 151.66 | 671.81 |
| 99 | SREE NARAYANA GURU COLLEGE COIMBATORE | 252 | 91.83 | 90.5 | 81.69 | 151.82 | 667.84 |
| 100 | GOBI ARTS & SCIENCE COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) ERODE | 251.1 | 95.5 | 87.5 | 81.66 | 148.72 | 664.48 |
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