Salem is one of the major cities and is also a famous tourist destination and education centre. The top colleges in Salem include Periyar University, Vinayaka Mission's Research Foundation, Government College of Engineering and Indian Institute of Handloom Technology, Salem. The courses are offered at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels by the top 10 colleges in Salem in the full-time, part-time and online modes. The entrance examinations accepted by top colleges in Salem are NEET, NEET PG, TANCET, CMAT, JEE main, GMAT, NATA, CAT and MAT. The top colleges in Salem function under the purview of both private and government bodies.
The top 10 colleges in Salem provide financial assistance to students through various Tuition Fee Waiver schemes, NGO scholarships, University Research Fellowships, and State and central government scholarships.
The top colleges in Salem include Periyar University, KIOT Salem, GCE Salem, Sona College of Technology and many more. Some of the best colleges in Tamil Nadu are located in Salem. The stream wise list of top colleges in Varanasi is mentioned below:
| Stream | Colleges |
|---|---|
Engineering and Architecture |
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Management and Business Administration |
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Medical and Allied Sciences | |
Law | |
Pharmacy |
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The top colleges in Salem offer admission to students based on scores of entrance examination and the admission process followed by the institute. The top colleges in Salem accept scores of entrance exams accepted by the best colleges in India. The list of entrance exam accepted by top colleges in India is mentioned below:
Entrance Exam | Details |
|---|---|
Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test or TANCET is a state-level exam conducted by Anna University once a year in offline mode. | |
Every Year Anna University conducts Common Engineering Entrance Test and Admission also known as CEETA PG in offline mode. | |
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering(GATE) is a national-level exam conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in online mode every year. | |
CAT | Common Admission Test (CAT) is conducted every year in online mode for admission to IIMs, IITs, NITs, MNITs and other B schools and colleges in India. |
Joint Entrance Examination (Main) is conducted by NTA twice a year in online mode. |
The top colleges in Salem provide admission to the eligible candidates based on admission criteria followed by the institute for each course. The detail of admission process followed by top colleges in Salem is mentioned below:
Admission link of the College | Admission process |
|---|---|
Based on the entrance test conducted by the University, MBA admission is based on the score of TANCET/ MAT followed by group discussion and personal interview. | |
Admission to the B.Tech courses is done through TNEA Counselling. M.Tech admission is based on GATE score and TANCA Counselling and MBA Admission is based on TANCET. | |
Admission to UG courses is based on TNEA counselling and PG courses are based on GATE/TANCET | |
BE admissions are based on merit of qualifying examinations and the TNEA counselling process and ME admissions are based on GATE/TANCET. | |
BE/B.Tech admissions are based on the merit of qualifying examinations and the TNEA counselling process and ME admissions are based on GATE/TANCET. MCA admission is based on TANCET and TANCET MCA counselling. |
The Ministry of Education, Government of India has initiated the ranking methodology to conduct a ranking of colleges and universities every year. The rankings are given to higher education institutions functioning in our country based on the parameters of Teaching, Learning and Resources, Research & Professional Practice, Graduation Outcome, Outreach and Inclusivity and Perception. The NIRF Ranking 2025 of the top colleges in Salem is mentioned below:
College Name | Category | NIRF Rank 2025 |
|---|---|---|
Periyar University, Salem | University | 94 |
Candidates can refer to the table below to know about the top colleges in India based on the NIRF ranking 2025 in the Overall category.
College Name | NIRF Ranking 2025 (overall category) |
|---|---|
IITMadras | 1 |
Indian Institute of Science Bangalore | 2 |
IIT Bombay | 3 |
IIT Delhi | 4 |
IIT Kanpur | 5 |
IIT Kharagpur | 6 |
IIT Roorkee | 7 |
AllMS New Delhi | 8 |
JNU New Delhi | 9 |
BHU Varanasi | 10 |
More than 12 government colleges in Salem offer courses at different levels to students. The fee structure of top government colleges in Salem ranges from high to low. The details of fee range of top government colleges in Salem is mentioned below:
College Name | Fee Range |
|---|---|
Rs 770 to Rs 1,99,000 | |
Rs 16,600 to Rs 28,730 | |
Rs 770 to Rs 6,840 |
The top private colleges in Salem include more than 129 colleges that offer courses with fee structure ranging from high to low. The detail of the fee structure of best private colleges in Salem is mentioned below:
College Name | Fee Range |
|---|---|
Rs 4,000 to Rs 20,000 | |
Rs 1,28,000 to Rs 2,58,000 | |
Rs 1,00,000 to Rs 2,00,000 | |
Rs 92,000 to Rs 9,47,000 |
The top colleges in Salem offer courses in different subjects with different duration of time. The popular courses offered by the best colleges in Salem include B.Tech, BBA, M.Tech, MBA, and many more. The list of top courses offered by colleges in Salem are mentioned below:
| College Name | Courses Offered |
|---|---|
Periyar University | |
Sona College of Technology, Salem | B.E / B.Tech, M.E / M.Tech |
B.E / B.Tech, M.E / M.Tech | |
B.E / B.Tech, Diploma | |
B.E / B.Tech, M.E / M.Tech |
The top colleges in Salem have their placement cell to manage the entire placement and career guidance process. The placement cell of the top 10 colleges in Salem helps in motivating and training students with technical skills and soft skills. The top 5 colleges in Salem conduct mock interviews, seminars, workshops, industrial visits and guest lectures for the development of students. The placement link of top colleges in Salem with their median salary as per NIRF 2025 is mentioned below:
College Placement Link | Median Salary UG | Median Salary PG |
|---|---|---|
Rs 1.8 LPA | Rs 2.04 LPA | |
Rs 3.25 LPA | Rs 3.5 LPA | |
Rs 3.6 LPA | Rs 4.5 LPA | |
Rs 4.5 LPA | Rs 6 LPA |
Note: The courses are offered by top colleges in Salem with different fee structure and at different levels. The cost of living in Salem is moderate and the students can avail facilities like accommodation, transportation, food and other utilities at a reasonable rate.
Q. Which are the top colleges in Salem for Engineering?
Ans: The top colleges in Salem for Engineering are Sona College of Technology, Government College of Engineering, Salem, Knowledge Institute of Technology, Salem, Dhirajlal Gandhi College of Technology and AVS Engineering College.
Q. Which engineering college is best for placement in Salem?
Ans: The engineering college in Salem that provides the best placement opportunities is Sona College of Technology, Government College of Engineering, Periyar University and KIOT Salem. The highest salary offered was Rs 19.94 lakhs per annum at Sona College of Technology, Salem in 2024.
Q. Which is the best college in Salem?
Ans: As per NIRf ranking 2024, Periyar University has been ranked at 56 among universities.
Q. What is the highest package of Government Engineering College, Salem?
Ans: The highest salary offered was Rs 13.2 LPA at Government Engineering College, Salem in 2024.
Q. How many engineering colleges are there in the Salem district?
Ans: Salem has around 50 colleges imparting courses at different levels in the stream of Engineering.
Q. What is NIRF Ranking 2025 of Periyar University, Salem?
Ans: Periyar University Salem has secured 94th rank in universities as per NIRF ranking 2025. The NIRF score 2025 for Periyar University Salem is 47.98.








