Top 20 medical colleges of India – In India, medicine is a popular career choice amongst students for a long time now. As a result, the country has been seeing an enormous rise in the finest medical colleges. But, finding the right college for the right course is the most crucial decision students have to take at the beginning of their medical career. One easy way to figure out the best college is to consider their NIRF ranking.

NIRF ranks the colleges based on outreach, perception, teaching and learning resources, graduation outcome, and research practice. Based on this, let’s list the top 20 medical colleges of India.

Top 20 medical colleges of India

1. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi

Enjoying the first NIRF rank is AIIMS Delhi! This college is one of the most popular medical colleges in the country and is always in the news. It was established in 1953 and is a public medical college and a medical research public university. This college is under the direct control of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

There are a lot of achievements in the name of this college that includes it having the first DNA Profiling Laboratory in India, the first Medical Toxicology Laboratory in the country, and lots more. This is also one among the top 20 medical colleges of India.

2. PGIMER, Chandigarh

Second on our list of top 5 medical colleges of India is PGIMER, Chandigarh. Its NIRF ranking is second. The college was established in 1962 & four years later, the college was given the status of ‘Institute of National Importance. It is one of the leading medical colleges in the country for medical practitioners, scientists, and researchers. The college offers a lot of postgraduate courses for medical students. One of the most talked-about facts of this college is its placement structure.

3. Christian Medical College, Vellore

Christian medical college in Vellore has the 3rd NIRF ranking which means it is the third-best medical college in the country. The existence of this college dates back to more than 100 years as it was established in 1900. It makes the Christian Medical College one of the oldest medical colleges in India.

It is a private research institute that holds quite a few ‘first’ records like the first successful open-heart surgery, first reconstructive surgery for leprosy in the world, and many others. They offer 57 PG diploma courses, 14 nursing diploma courses, and 4 Allied Health Science courses. No wonder, why this institution is also one among the top 20 medical colleges of India.

4. Kasturba Medical College, Manipal

The 4th best college in this list of the top 5 medical colleges of India is Kasturba Medical college having the 4th NIRF ranking. It is India’s first self-financed medical college that was established in 1953. They offer UG, PG, diploma certificates and advanced super speciality programmes in dental and medical sciences.

They are even recognised by International medical agencies like the General Medical Council of Great Britain, the American Medical Association, and the Australian Medical Council. The facilities here for students are praiseworthy and faculty here is well qualified. All these have made this one among the top 20 medical colleges of India.

5. King George’s Medical University, Lucknow

Another one of the oldest medical colleges in India is King George’s Medical University, Lucknow. An interesting fact about this college is that it was established under the banner of King George’s Medical College whose name later changed to Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University. But, again, in 2002, the college’s name was changed to its current name. Its NIRF ranking is 5th in the country.

Listed above are the top five medical colleges of India. Selecting the right college is one of the most crucial decisions in any student’s life. We hope this blog helps you in refining the best college as per your course and liking. We wish you the best in your medical career. The career is demanding but also fulfilling. The long list of achievements have made this institution get a position among the top 20 medical colleges of India.

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6. Madras Medical College and Government General Hospital

This is one of the oldest institutions in India that commenced its innings in 1835 when British were ruling India. The institution which is also popularly known as MMC has the reputation of being the third oldest medical college in India.

Sources say, this institution was established after Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER0 and Calcutta Medical College.

The college was affiliated to University of Madras in the initial days. The degrees were awarded by Madras University till 1988. Currently the college is affiliated to Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University.

The institution has won 12th rank in NIRF rating for 2020. More information about the institute is available at ‘http://www.mmc.ac.in/mmc/’

7. Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education And Research

This institution is also one among those that has created a space for itself in the field of medical education. Students from across the nation come to this institution seeking medical education.

SRIHER (Deemed to be University) is expanded into Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education And Research.

The mission of this institution is to offer diverse educational programmes that facilitate the development of competent professionals and valuable citizens, who demonstrate excellence in the respective disciplines, while being locally and globally responsive in areas of education, healthcare delivery and research.

SRIHER was previously known as SRMC & RI (DU), ranked among the top health sciences universities in India. It had its origin as Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute which was established by Sri Ramachandra Educational and Health Trust in the year 1985 as a private not-for-profit self-financing institution and dedicated to serve the society as a centre of excellence with emphasis on medical education, research and health care.

In view of its academic excellence, the Government of India declared Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute as a Deemed University in September, 1994 under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956.

As notified by the UGC, the nomenclature of the institution was changed to Sri Ramachandra University in 2006 and reverted to SRMC&RI (DU) from December 2017.

Now, as per the Notification (dt.08.08.2018) by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, the name of the DU has been changed to Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (Deemed to be University).

The consistent quest for excellence in medical education, health care and research has earned the Deemed University many notable accreditations, recognitions and awards. The NIRF ranking for 2020 for SRIHER is 13.

This is also one among the top 20 medical colleges of India. The website to know more is ‘https://www.sriramachandra.edu.in/university/’

8. St. Johns’s Medical College

This is also one of the finest institutions located in Bengaluru in the southern part of India. From its inception, the institution also popularly known as SJMC has been a truly National Medical College drawing faculty and students from all across the country.

During the formative years the college benefitted immensely from the efforts of early pioneers with illustrious professional careers who gave up jobs in established medical institutions to join a fledgling medical college.

This institution is an apex body of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) which is the largest non-governmental contributor to health care in India.

The corner stone of the medical college was blessed by Pope Paul VI in Bombay during the Eucharist Congress in 1964 and was laid at the project site on 27 July 1965 by V.V. Giri, the Governor of Karnataka who later became the President of India.

The college offers graduate (MBBS), postgraduate (MD/MS), superspecialty (DM/MCh) and various diploma courses- all of which are recognized by the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in Bengaluru.

The NIRF rating (2020) for this one among the top 20 medical colleges of India is 14. The website to know more is ‘https://www.stjohns.in/medicalcollege/’

9. Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences & Research

This institute too has created a name for itself in the field of medical education. Situated in Kochi in Kerala, the popularity of the organization has crossed the boundaries of India long ago.

The courses in medicine and dentistry are offered here along with Nursing (undergraduate and postgraduate). Amrita School of Medicine was established in September 2002, the Amrita School of Medicine has achieved great academic recognition from the students, community and educational fraternity as an institution providing not only world-class training but also the right perspective on life.

The BDS course offered by Amrita School of Dentistry commenced in September 2003 and was inaugurated by Sushma Swaraj, the then Minister for Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India.

The School is housed in a self – contained four – storey building, having a built – up area of 154,000 square feet and is one of the biggest dental colleges in Asia.

The NIRF rating for 2020 for this institute is 7. This is also one among the top 20 medical colleges of India. The website to know more is ‘https://www.amrita.edu/campus/healthscience’

10. Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences

This institution is also popularly known as SGPGIMS and is located in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) and is a university established under State Act in 1983.

It is located on a sprawling 550 acres residential campus at Raebareli Road, about 15 kilometres away from the main city. The institute offers its own degrees, which are duly recognized by the Medical Council of India.

The institute is ranked among the top medical institutions in the country that deliver state-of-art tertiary medical care, super-specialty teaching, training and research.

Dedicated faculty members endeavor to provide quality education, patient care and research and strive to meet the challenges and needs of the society.

Institute offers DM, MCh, MD, PhD, Post Doctoral Fellowships (PDF) and Post Doctoral Certificate Courses (PDCC) and Senior Residency in various specialties.

The peers in the field have recognized the courses offered by the Institute and the candidates obtaining degrees from SGPGIMS have been highly placed both within the country and abroad.

The NIRF rank for 2020 for this institution is 5. This is also one among the top 20 medical colleges of India. The website to know more is ‘http://www.sgpgi.ac.in/academic.html’

11. National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences

This institution has earned name and fame which spread to all corners of this country. The institution is also popularly known as NIMHANS and it is the apex body centre for mental health and neuroscience education in the country.

This is also an institute of national importance operates autonomously under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It also features among the top ranking institutions in this country

The NIRF rank of NIMHANS for 2020 is 4. It has five campuses, spread over an area of 174 acres of urban establishments, which includes 30 acres of an under-construction Bangalore North campus.

The main campuses of the institute are located in Byrasandra (hospital wing) and Lakkasandra (academic and administrative wing) localities on either side of the Hosur Road.

The ‘Community Mental Health Center’ is located in the Sakalawara area on Bannerghatta Road. The ‘NIMHANS Centre for Well Being’ is situated in a residential area in BTM Layout.
A state-of-the-art convention centre located in the main campus frequently hosts international conferences, seminars, trade shows, expositions and media events.

This is also one among the top 20 medical colleges of India. The website to know more about the institution is ‘https://nimhans.ac.in/’

12. Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences

The vision of this institution is to become an international centre of excellence for the advance competency based training and cutting edge research in liver, biliary and allied sciences.

The Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) has been established by the Government of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi as an Autonomous Super-speciality Institute, under the Societies Registration Act – 1860, New Delhi.

The Institute of Liver & Biliary Sciences has been granted Deemed-to-be-University status by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956 under de-novo category through the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.

ILBS is a ‘de-novo institute with a promise for excellence’ in Hepatobiliary Medicine, Surgery and Research and is a unique institute that is dedicated to patient management, teaching and research.

This is also among the top 20 medical colleges of India. NIRF ranking for this institute for 2020 is 11. The website to know more is ‘https://www.ilbs.in/?page=internal&itemid=6’

13. Christian Medical College Ludhiana

There is no dearth of great educational institutions in India. This is also one of those that created a space for itself in the field of medical education.

The vision of this institution is to impart high quality medical education and research, and offer holistic health care services to the nation, primarily to unreached communities.

Christian Medical College Ludhiana has consistently been ranked among the top colleges in the country. The students of this institution have spread across the globe and proved their mettle.

Individuals join this institute to learn nuances of medical science and come out of the institution compeletely moulded into highly qualified graduates who can contribute towards the progress of the nation.

This is also one of the top 20 medical colleges of India. The NIRF rating for this institution for 2020 is 18. The website to know more about this institution is ‘https://www.cmcludhiana.in/medical-college/#’

14. Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (Aligarh Muslim University)

Striving for excellence in the field of medical education has always been a norm at this institution that began its innings in 1962. There are lot of factors that attract students to this institution every year in large numbers.

Well qualified faculty, excellent teaching, good amenities for students are the reasons why individuals wish to study here. The College has an intake of 150 MBBS and 146 postgraduate students and is successfully running undergraduate and post graduate programmes in almost all specialities as well as Diploma in Nursing and Para Medical Courses.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College consists of 25 departments and 3 Centres. The College also has one of the oldest Institute of Ophthalmology in the country. The various departments of the college have adequate teaching faculty.

The NIRF rating for this institution for 2020 is 15. This is also one among the top 20 medical colleges of India. The website to know more is ‘https://www.amu.ac.in/colleges/jawaharlal-nehru-medical-college’

15. Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital

The search for high worth institutions for medical education in India will always yield good results. For, theire is no shortage of good educational institutions.

This organisation, needless to say, is one of those educational institutions whose name and fame has crossed the boundaries of this nation. The achievements of this organisation have brought it all the glory.

It is a hub for high quality education, well-qualified faculty and world class facilities for students. No wonder, why many medical education aspirants prefer to study here.

It is a matter of pride that the college began its innings after inauguration by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vaajpayee on 17 December 2001.

The first batch of MBBS students was admitted in February, 2002. Post-graduate courses (MD/MS) in clinical subjects were running at Safdarjung Hospital even before the establishment of VMMC.

The (MD/MS) course in Pre and Para clinical subjects were started in year 2011. Over the period of time, the numbers of MD/MS seats have been increased. The College also is running super specialization (Mch/DM).

This is also one among the top 20 medical colleges in India. The NIRF rating for this institution in India is 16. The website to know more is ‘http://www.vmmc-sjh.nic.in/Default_College.aspx’

16. Institute of Medical Sciences (Banaras Hindu University)

Excellence has become a norm here in this institute long ago. Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) is also known as IMS-BHU (Banaras Hindu University).

This (IMS) is one of the six institutes of BHU and has three units – Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry and Faculty of Ayurveda. The Institute of Medical Sciences is the medical school of the university. Like other institutions forming BHU, it is residential and co-educational.

IMS began its innings in 1960 when it started working as College of Medical Sciences with nine departments for modern medicine and eight departments for Ayurveda.

It was in 1971 that College of Medical Sciences was elevated to Institute of Medical Sciences. There are 33 departments for modern medicine that includes 10 departments for super-specialty in various branches of medicine.

That is not all there are four departments of dentistry, 11 departments of Ayurveda and also a school of nursing currently. IMS is affiliated to BHU and offers medical and para medical courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

This is also one among the top 20 medical colleges of India. The NIRF rating for 2020 for IMS is 6. The website to know more is ‘https://www.bhu.ac.in/ims/’

17. Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research

The institution is also known as JIPMER and is one of the top ranking institutions from union territory of Puducherry. This is also among those organisations that does not need any introduction as it created a space for itself in the field of medical education.

The campus is spread over 195 acres and has over 300 faculty members, over 700 resident physicians and over 800 nursing, administrative and support staff. Sources say, every year, over 300 students become a part of the institute to learn medical courses at graduate and postgraduate level.

Earlier this institute was affiliated to Pondicherry University. After its designation as Institute of National Importance, JIPMER is a university by itself and awards its own degrees.

This is also one among the top 20 medical colleges of India. NIRF rating for 2020 for this institution is 8. The website to know more about the institute is ‘https://jipmer.edu.in/’

18. Maulana Azad Medical College

There is lot to talk about this institution when it comes to medical education. Excellence has become a norm here long ago. Many aspire to become a part of this college to learn various nuances of medicine.

The foundation stone of this institution was laid on 24 October 1959 by then Union Home Minister Gobind Ballabh Pant. One can never forget that this institution is among the top ranking institutions as far as medical education is concerned.

It is located in the national capital of India and is spread over 122 acres. The faculty here are highly qualified and amenities for students are world class.

Every year over 290 students join undergraduate course and 200 students join postgraduate courses here. There are 426 faculty members and 810 resident doctors who leave no stone unturned in ensuring students learn all nuances of medical science well.

This is also one among the top 20 medical colleges of India. The NIRF rating 2020 for this institution is 17. The website to know more is ‘https://www.mamc.ac.in/’

19. University College of Medical Sciences

This is another of the finest institutions located in the national capital of India and is affiliated to University of Delhi and is attached to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital.

The institution began its innings in 1971 to ensure medical education becomes available for all those students who have the required qualification. It offers various medical and paramedical courses.

The annual admission for MBBS is 150, MD/MS is 71. The institution is known for its quality research. It is ranked 7th on the national level based on the number of publications in PubMed indexed journals.

There are twenty-one departments at the college – Anaesthesiology, Anatomy, Biochemistry, Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Community Medicine, Dentistry, Dermatology, Forensic Medicine, Medicine, Microbiology and Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, Otorhinolaryngology, Paediatrics, Pathology, Pharmacology, Physiology, Psychiatry, Radiology, Surgery.

This is also one among the top 20 medical colleges of India. The NIRF rating for 2020 for this institution is 19. The website to know more is ‘https://ucms.ac.in/’

20. JSS Medical College

Southern part of India too is in no dearth of high worth institutions as far as medical education is concerned. This is one among those institution which features among high ranking organisations.

The graduate and postgraduate programmes offered by this college are well-recognised and students of this institution have proved their mettle. The courses of this college have the recognition from General Medical Council of UK and Sri Lanka Medical Council and World Health Organisation (WHO).

JSS Medical College, Mysuru, was started in 1984-85 and is imparting education in medical sciences (MBBS) course. It is recognized by the Medical Council of India and was affiliated to the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka, Bangalore from 1995-1996.

This institution has 23 specialty departments like Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, General Medicine, Paediatrics and others. There are about 13 super specialty departments like Nephrology, Urology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery and others.

This is also one among the top 20 medical colleges of India. The NIRF rating for 2020 of this college is 20. Website to know more about this institution is ‘https://www.jssuni.edu.in/JSSWeb/WebShowFromDB.aspx?MODE=SSMD&PID=10002&CID=4&MID=0&SMID=10400’

Conclusion (Top 20 medical colleges of India)

Top 20 medical colleges of India is not about simply studying medicine. But it is also about working hard to gain entry into them.

Students have to remember that gaining a seat in these top 20 medical colleges of India is not be an easy task.

Getting a seat in these top 20 medical colleges of may require students to write tough written tests and get a good score. The exam to gain entry into undergraduate medical science is NEET UG, postgraduate medical science is NEET PG and super specialty medical science is NEET SS.

Candidates targeting a seat in these top 20 medical colleges of India must be prepared to pass the written test and go through the next phases of admission like counselling. Initial written test is considered to be very tough.

Post a pass in the written test with good score, candidates get to take part in the counselling where they get to choose their preferred course and college.

Top 20 medical colleges of India – Medicine study aspirants have to remember that working hard to get a seat in these top 20 medical colleges of India is worth it. For study in these top 20 medical colleges of India will brighten life by opening the gate for greener pastures.

Pooja Singh

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