Top Colleges in Delhi University (DU) Based on NIRF Ranking 2023

Delhi University is one of the most prestigious educational institutions in India. It is extremely popular and highly sought-after by students all over the country. It is a public central university that was established in 1922 under the Act of the then Central Legislative Assembly.

According to NIRF 2023 rankings, Delhi University has secured the 11th position across India with a score of 61.04. Additionally, five colleges affiliated with DU have been listed among the top 10 colleges in India.

The Delhi University is known for offering its students a wide range of opportunities. From academics to co-curricular activities, the top colleges of DU have something to offer for all types of students. DU has a total of 77 colleges affiliated with it that offer a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the disciplines of commerce, science, and arts.

Top 20 Colleges of DU (As Per NIRF 2023)

NIRF is also known as the National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF). It is one of the most respected ranking systems in India. Every university and college wants to get a good score and get a higher rank by NIRF as it is evidence of its academic and co-curricular excellence.

Latest NIRF Parameters for College Rankings (2023)

The National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) utilizes five parameters to rank higher educational institutions in India. These parameters are:

1. Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR)
2. Research and Professional Practice (RP)
3. Graduation Outcomes (GO)
4. Outreach and Inclusivity (OI)
5. Perception (PR)

Take a look at the table below to find out the best colleges of DU as per the NIRF ranking 2023.

Top 20 Colleges of DU (Based on NIRF Ranking 2023)
Name of The College	Year of Establishment	NIRF Ranking 2023
Miranda House College	1948	1
Hindu College	1899	2
Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College	1959	6
Kirori Mal College	1954	9
Lady Shri Ram College For Women	1956	9
Shri Ram College of Commerce	1926	11
Hans Raj College	1948	12
Sri Venkateswara College	1961	13
St. Stephens’s College	1881	14
Deshbandhu College	1952	17
Acharya Narendra Dev College	1991	21
Lady Irwin College	1932	22
Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences	1995	23
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College	1990	24
Daulat Ram College	1960	28
Gargi College	1967	31
Shaheed Rajguru College of Applied Sciences for Women	1989	32
Maitreyi College	1967	36
Jesus & Mary College	1968	38

Best Colleges in DU

Delhi University is a brand on its own and getting admission in one of its colleges is a matter of great pride for many. However, some of its colleges are more popular than others. Colleges at Delhi University can be ranked on various factors such as academics, activities, events, faculty, placements, etc. Each college is unique in its own way. 

Below, we have mentioned the list of top colleges at DU that offer excellent academic and extracurricular opportunities to its students.

1. Hindu College, Delhi

Campus View of Hindu College, Delhi

Another popular top DU college, Hindu College is the dream college of many. It is known for its quality education and highly skilled faculty. Hindu College was founded in 1899 and has been one of the most sought-after institutions of DU. The college is especially known for its biotechnology course for which it was awarded the star status by the government of India. It was also ranked one of the best colleges for arts and commerce and the second-best overall college by NIRF.

Some Notable alumni of Hindu College

• Justice Y. K. Sabharwal – Former Chief Justice of India 
• Justice Mukul Mudgal – Former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court 
• Justice G. S. Sistani – Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India 
• Dr. Anil Kakodkar – Former Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) 
• Gautam Gambhir – Former Indian cricketer and politician 

2. Miranda House, Delhi

Campus View of Miranda House, Delhi

Miranda House is not just a college, it is a brand. Established in 1948, this is an all-girls college in DU that is known to produce some of the best female minds in our country. The college is known for its amazing faculty and beautiful campus. The college is known to focus on personality development along with academics. It is always on the list of best colleges in DU and is highly coveted by students.

Some Notable alumni of Miranda House College

• Anita Desai – Acclaimed novelist and short story writer.
• Meira Kumar – first female Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 2009 to 2014
• Sheila Dikshit – Politician and former Chief Minister of Delhi from 1998 to 2013.
• Nandita Das – Actress, filmmaker, and social activist.
• Brinda Karat – Politician and Communist Party of India (Marxist) Politburo member.

3. Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi

Campus View of Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi

Shri Ram College of Commerce or SRCC has established itself as the best college for commerce courses in the whole country. Its B.Com and Economics courses are renowned and on the list of all commerce aspirants. The college was established in 1926 and has been regularly producing industry leaders driving financial growth in the nation. The college also offers some of the best placements in the country and many of its students end up working for the best companies in the nation. NIRF ranked it the number 1 college for commerce courses in 2023.

Some Notable Alumni of SRCC College

• Arundhati Bhattacharya: Former Chairperson of State Bank of India (SBI), the first woman to head a major Indian bank.
• Arun Jaitley: Former Finance Minister of India.
• Rajiv Bajaj: Managing Director of Bajaj Auto.
• Ajay Piramal: Chairman of Piramal Group.
• Harsh Mariwala: Founder and Chairman of Marico.

4. St. Stephen’s College, Delhi

Campus View of St. Stephen’s College, Delhi

St. Stephen’s College is one of the most sought-after colleges in Delhi University with a stellar reputation. It was established in 1881 and since then has been one of the most reputed colleges in the nation with a great history behind it. The college offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Science, Commerce, and Arts streams. This is one of the only colleges in DU that requires you to clear an interview to get admission to it. The cut-offs for this college are quite high but the college is worth every effort you will put in for it!

Some Notable Alumni of St. Stephen’s College

• Manmohan Singh – 14th Prime Minister of India (2004-2014).
• Arun Jaitley – Former Finance Minister of India (2014-2019), former Minister of Defense (2014-2019).
• Harivansh Narayan Singh – Chief Justice of India (2019-present).
• Shashi Tharoor – Indian politician, diplomat, and author.
• Chetan Bhagat – Indian author, screenwriter, and film producer.

5. Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi

Established in 1956, LSR has a status of its own. It is one of the top colleges of DU for women. It is known for its high-quality arts and commerce courses. The college is also known for its lively campus and various activities. There are many short-term courses that students can take to develop their skills. The competition to get admission to this college is very high and the cut-offs are often sky-high. However, the college offers great opportunities to its students that are hard to find anywhere else.

Some Notable alumni of Lady Shri Ram College for Women

• Abhilasha Bisht, IPS Officer
• Sakshi Tanwar, Television Actress
• Sandhya Mridul, Indian Actress
• Sanjana Sanghi, Indian Actress
• Sayani Gupta, Indian Film Actress

6. Gargi College

Gargi College is another one of the top colleges in DU for women. It was founded in 1967 and is part of the south campus area. The college is very popular and highly reputed. Its offerings include more than 20 undergraduate and postgraduate courses in many streams. The college is also popular for its various fests and other activities throughout the year. It is definitely one of the best colleges for girls to develop their skills and personality.

Some Notable alumni of Gargi College

• Kiran Bedi: Former Governor of Puducherry and Indian Police Service officer.
• Arundhati Roy: Author, activist, and recipient of the Man Booker Prize for her novel “The God of Small Things”.
• Shovana Narayan: Journalist, author, and anchor of the BBC World News program “The World Tonight”.
• Shekhar Gupta: Journalist, author, and editor-in-chief of ThePrint.
• Pritam Rani: Former Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court.

7. Kirori Mal College, Delhi

Campus View of Kirori Mal College, Delhi

Kirori Mal College or KMC is one of the oldest and most respected colleges in Delhi University. No list of top colleges of DU is complete without the mention of its own. It was established in 1954 and is known for its excellent academics. In 2023, Kirori Mal College was ranked the 2nd best college for political science courses and the 6th best college for chemistry courses.

Some Notable alumni of Kirori Mal College

• Arundhati Bhattacharya: Former Chairperson of State Bank of India (SBI).
• Chetan Bhagat: Author, screenwriter, and motivational speaker.
• Manoj Tiwari: Indian politician and singer.
• Naveen Jindal: Entrepreneur and politician.
• Pradeep Kumar: Former Chief Justice of India (CJI).

8. Sri Venkateswara College, New Delhi

When it comes to science courses, Sri Venkateswara College is second to none. The college was established in 1961 and is very reputed. It is known for its state-of-the-art facilities and highly skilled faculty. The college offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Arts and Commerce as well. The college is also known for its placement cell and beautiful campus located at the heart of the south campus. NIRF ranked it the 13th-best college in India in 2023.

Some Notable alumni of Sri Venkateswara College are:

• R. Madhavan: Actor, producer, and writer. He is known for his films such as “Rang De Basanti”, “3 Idiots”, and “Tanu Weds Manu”.
• Shikhar Dhawan: Cricketer. He is the opening batsman of the Indian cricket team and is known for his aggressive batting style.
• Rajdeep Sardesai: Journalist and author. He is the editor-in-chief of the website and news channel India Today.
• Harish Salve: Advocate and former Solicitor General of India.
• Javed Akhtar: Lyricist, screenwriter, and poet. 

9. Hansraj College, Delhi

Hansraj College is another one of the north campus gems. It was established in 1948 and is a dream college for many. It was ranked 12th best college by NIRF this year 2023 and rightly so, considering its excellent history and facilities. The college also offers various courses in science, commerce, and arts stream taught by the best faculty in the country. the college is also known well for sports and co-curricular activities.

Some Notable alumni of Hansraj College are:

• Shah Rukh Khan
• Anurag Kashyap: Film director, screenwriter, and producer.
• Anindo Mazumdar: IAS officer and former Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh.
• Deepak Agarwal: IAS officer and former Chief Secretary of Rajasthan.

10. Indraprastha College for Women

Campus view of Indraprastha College for Women

Indraprastha College for Women was established in 1924 and is one of the oldest and most popular colleges for women. The college is known for its lush campus, activities, and excellent faculty. The college is known for producing many women leaders who are ruling their respective fields. The college offers multiple undergraduate and postgraduate courses in various streams. The college is especially popular for its English course.

Some Notable alumni of Indraprastha College for Women are:

• Ms. Adarsh Mishra – Former IAS Officer, Member Secretary, Delhi Commission for Women
• Ms. Nilita – Vachani Filmmaker
• Dr. Nirmala Jain – Retd. Prof. of Hindi, University of Delhi
• Ms. Raj Mitroo – First female glider pilot and first ‘A’ licence holder

11. Atama Ram Sanatan Dharma College, Delhi

Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, popularly known as ARSD is a popular DU college situated in the south campus area. The college was established in 1958 and was earlier named Sanatan Dharma College. The college offers 21 undergraduate and postgraduate courses in various streams. It was ranked the 6th best college by NIRF in 2023. Throughout the years, the college has produced great minds who are excelling in multiple fields.

Some Notable alumni of Atama Ram Sanatan Dharma College are:

Name	Batch	Designation
Deepak Rathee	2012-15	Captain, Indian Army
Abhay Sharma	1989-92	Senior Counsel, Mumbai
Siddhant Yadav	2010-13	Addl. Civil judge, UP
Dr. Amrit Kumar	2004-07	Central University of Jharkhand

12. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College was established in 1990 and is a relatively new college. It has gradually gained the status of one of the best colleges in DU. It offers excellent faculty and facilities to its students. The college is located in the Dwarka area and offers many courses in various streams. It is known most for its management courses which are some of the best in the university. The college is popular for offering its students excellent placement opportunities that help them get great packages in renowned companies.

Some Notable alumni of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College are:

• Vinod Rai: Former Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). He is known for his role in the 2G spectrum scam and the coal mining scam.
• Ashok Kumar Pandey: Former Chief Justice of India. He was the 44th CJI and served from 2015 to 2017.
• Abhishek Bachchan: Actor. He is the son of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan.
• Atul Kulkarni: Actor. He is known for his roles in films such as “Maqbool”, “Gangs of Wasseypur”, and “Talvar”.

Summary- Best DU Colleges

Delhi University is certainly one of the best universities in the country. The colleges in it are excellent and each college offers its students a unique and refreshing experience. The journey from becoming a student to a professional certainly becomes easy with the help of the multiple benefits that DU colleges provide. Different colleges of DU are known for having different qualities that help in creating a great experience for students. Even those colleges that are not on this list have a lot to offer in terms of academics and faculty. So, if you get a chance to study at Delhi University, certainly take it up as it is an experience you will cherish forever.

Frequently Asked Questions- High-Ranking DU Colleges

Q1. Which is the best college at DU?

The Hindu College is ranked 1st in both Arts and Science, Shri Ram College of Commerce is ranked first in Commerce and Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies has topped in BBA.

Q2. Which are the top 10 colleges of North Campus DU?

According to Nirf, this is the list of top 10 colleges of DU north campus :

• St. Stephen’s College
• Miranda House
• Hindu College
• Kirori Mal College
• Hansraj College
• Sri Venkateswara College
• Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College
• Lady Shri Ram College for Women
• Ramjas College
• Delhi College of Arts and Commerce

Q3. Which are the top 10 colleges of DU South Campus?

Here is a list of the top 10 South Campus Colleges of Delhi University:

1. Lady Shri Ram College for Women
2. St. Stephen’s College
3. Hindu College
4. Jesus and Mary College
5. Gargi College
6. Sri Venkateswara College
7. Kamala Nehru College
8. Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College
9. Ramjas College
10. Delhi College of Arts and Commerce

Q4. What are Tier 1 colleges in DU?

The concept of Tier 1 does not exist in DU, but the following colleges are commonly considered as Tier 1.

• St. Stephen’s College:
• Lady Shri Ram College for Women
• Hindu College
• Sri Venkateswara College
• Hansraj College
• Miranda House
• Ramjas College
• Kirori Mal College
• Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College
• Jesus and Mary College