| RANK 2026 | INSTITUTES NAME | STATE | ACADEMIC & RESEARCH EXCELLENCE 400 | INDUSTRY INTERFACE & PLACEMENT 200 | INFRASTRUCTURE & FACILITIES 150 | GOVERNANCE & EXTENSION 150 | DIVERSITY & OUTREACH 100 | TOTAL SCORE 1000 |
| 1 | THE TAMIL NADU DR. J JAYALALITHAA MUSIC AND FINE ARTS UNIVERSITY CHENNAI | Tamil Nadu | 391.91 | 196.09 | 139.17 | 134.63 | 79.88 | 941.68 |
| 2 | FACULTY OF PERFORMING ARTS BANARAS HINDU UNIVERSITY (BHU) VARANASI | Uttar Pradesh | 393.14 | 193.2 | 136.18 | 134.44 | 81.72 | 938.68 |
| 3 | KM MUSIC CONSERVATORY CHENNAI | Tamil Nadu | 390.48 | 193.63 | 139.16 | 132.99 | 78.12 | 934.38 |
| 4 | INDIRA KALA SANGEET VISHWAVIDYALAYA KHAIRAGARH | Chhattisgarh | 394.48 | 196.06 | 136.19 | 131.2 | 76.08 | 934.01 |
| 5 | FACULTY OF MUSIC AND FINE ARTS UNIVERSITY OF DELHI DELHI | Delhi | 391.54 | 190.99 | 140.76 | 130.23 | 74.76 | 928.28 |
| 6 | DEPARTMENT OF VOCAL MUSIC AND INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC RABINDRA BHARATI UNIVERSITY KOLKATA | West Bengal | 391.75 | 189.49 | 140.27 | 129.26 | 72.43 | 923.2 |
| 7 | KARNATAKA STATE DR. GANGUBHAI HANGAL MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS UNIVERSITY MYSURU | Karnataka | 390.79 | 190.99 | 138.68 | 129.84 | 72.79 | 923.09 |
| 8 | SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI NEW DELHI | Delhi | 386.72 | 184.79 | 138.3 | 131.37 | 70.74 | 911.92 |
| 9 | SWATHI THIRUNAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC THIRUVANANTHAPURAM | Kerala | 384.89 | 189 | 133.9 | 128.31 | 74.09 | 910.19 |
| 10 | SWARNABHOOMI ACADEMY OF MUSIC CHENNAI | Tamil Nadu | 387.25 | 186.07 | 131.54 | 127.31 | 69.12 | 901.29 |
| 11 | SHANKAR MAHADEVAN ACADEMY MUMBAI | Maharashtra | 375.7 | 191.36 | 119.26 | 106.85 | 80.2 | 873.37 |
| 12 | TAMIL NADU GOVERNMENT MUSIC COLLEGE CHENNAI | Tamil Nadu | 376.14 | 169.38 | 107.23 | 133.77 | 85.13 | 871.65 |
| 13 | THE TRUE SCHOOL OF MUSIC MUMBAI | Maharashtra | 381.04 | 160.7 | 146.7 | 108.18 | 73.48 | 870.1 |
| 14 | SCHOOL OF MUSIC WHISTLING WOODS INTERNATIONAL MUMBAI | Maharashtra | 356.83 | 180.68 | 140.68 | 101.97 | 86 | 866.16 |
| 15 | CALCUTTA SCHOOL OF MUSIC KOLKATA | West Bengal | 362.11 | 165.23 | 125.42 | 130.42 | 76 | 859.18 |
| 16 | RAJA MANSINGH TOMAR MUSIC & ARTS UNIVERSITY GWALIOR | Madhya Pradesh | 381.73 | 173.42 | 107.38 | 109.79 | 81.85 | 854.17 |
| 17 | EASTERN FARE MUSIC FOUNDATION BANGALORE | Karnataka | 343.28 | 163.54 | 130.31 | 138.13 | 77.28 | 852.54 |
| 18 | DELHI SCHOOL OF MUSIC NEW DELHI | Delhi | 350.29 | 186.02 | 127.81 | 108.13 | 78.71 | 850.96 |
| 19 | BANGALORE SCHOOL OF MUSIC BANGALORE | Karnataka | 380.64 | 151.21 | 96.94 | 141.35 | 69.13 | 839.27 |
| 20 | GLOBAL MUSIC INSTITUTE NOIDA | Uttar Pradesh | 371.98 | 165.83 | 118.4 | 104.84 | 77.7 | 838.75 |
| 21 | MUSICIANS INSTITUTE BANGALORE | Karnataka | 370.03 | 162.43 | 113.75 | 113.89 | 76 | 836.1 |
| 22 | NATHANIEL SCHOOL OF MUSIC BANGALORE | Karnataka | 352.09 | 154.97 | 129.8 | 118.54 | 78.98 | 834.38 |
| 23 | SURESH WADKAR'S AJIVASAN MUSIC ACADEMY MUMBAI | Maharashtra | 349.36 | 164.21 | 127.21 | 111.38 | 80.38 | 832.54 |
| 24 | TANSEN SANGEET MAHAVIDYALAYA DELHI | Delhi | 358.12 | 175.52 | 105.67 | 107.5 | 78.31 | 825.12 |
| 25 | FURTADOS SCHOOL OF MUSIC MUMBAI | Maharashtra | 359.28 | 167.09 | 103.21 | 109.24 | 83.35 | 822.17 |
(This story appeared in Outlook magazine’s August 17 issue, 'Parliament on Street', which takes an incisive look at the student protests against recurring examination paper leaks, the zing of Gen-Z politics and the Jantar Mantar protest at Delhi which triggered a strong response all across India, sending out a clear reminder that while governments are formed in Parliament, democracies remain alive on the streets)
MORE FROM THIS ISSUE
