India’s best private autonomous ASC colleges 2024-25

Since 1986 when the Delhi-based University Grants Commission (UGC) introduced a ‘Scheme for Autonomous Colleges’, their number has grown to 979. Of them the majority — 786 — are privately promoted and managed Way back in 1986, the National Policy on Education (1986-92) mooted the idea of autonomous colleges under which selected highly-reputed colleges affiliated with state government universities should be conferred academic and administrative autonomy. Subsequently, while accepting that the system of universities affiliating 500-700 colleges had become too “unwieldy”, the apex Delhi-based University Grants Commission (UGC) introduced a ‘Scheme for Autonomous Colleges’. Over the next 17 years, 140 colleges, which in the commission’s opinion had a good track record of higher education delivery and had been awarded top A grading by the National Assessment & Accreditation Council (NAAC), were conferred autonomous status. Since then, the number of autonomous colleges has grown to 979 as on June 12, 2023 (2.1 percent of the 45,473 colleges countrywide). Of them, the majority — 786 — are privately promoted and managed. The award of autonomous status and associated privileges — freedom to draw up independent syllabi and curriculums; introduce new study programmes; devise independent performance evaluation systems; conduct examinations and notify results — has transformed private autonomous colleges into benchmark national role model institutions. Therefore in 2020, to avoid apples and oranges type comparisons, the broad category of Arts, Science and Commerce (ASC) colleges in EWIHER was sub-divided into private autonomous, government autonomous and non-autonomous institutions. Since this categorization, the league table of India’s best private autonomous colleges has been dominated by St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai (SXCM, estb.1869). This year is no different. The 2,100 knowledgeable sample respondents comprising higher education faculty, students and industry representatives interviewed by Bengaluru-based AZ Research Partners Pvt. Ltd have once again ranked SXCM India’s #1 private autonomous college with top scores under the parameters of faculty competence, curriculum and pedagogy, placements and leadership. “I am not surprised that SXCM is ranked India’s #1 private autonomous college for the fifth consecutive year, reinforcing our position as the country’s leading undergrad education institution. We have rich experience of recruiting and developing excellent faculty to deliver high quality globally comparable undergrad and postgrad academic and co-curricular education. That’s why your respondents have awarded us top scores on the important parameters of faculty competence, curriculum and pedagogy, placements, and leadership. Last year, we were conferred the status of Empowered Autonomous College by Mumbai University,” says Dr. Rajendra Shinde, appointed the first non-Jesuit order principal of the vintage SXCM in 2015. According to Shinde, autonomous status has enabled SXCM to contemporise curriculums, pedagogies and assessment systems. “Autonomy has enabled us to introduce new study programmes aligned with industry needs, innovative teaching, examination reforms, and provide research opportunities to students. Moreover, autonomy has proved pivotal in enabling us to align our curricula with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and effectively implement its directives. This includes the incorporation of interdisciplinary courses, skill-based learning modules, and experiential learning. We are committed to continuous…