Top MA Colleges in India 2024
The Master of Arts (MA) is a postgraduate course offering a master’s in subjects that come under the discipline of Humanities and Social Sciences. MA implies Magister Artium in Latin, translated as Master of Arts in English. In India, the duration of a Master’s degree is two years. It is among the oldest qualifications granted in academia. Going by the name, it provides mastery in the chosen subject.
Master of Arts is a much broader study in comparison to that of Master of Science. Several ranking agencies, like The Week, India Today and Outlook, have ranked MA colleges in India that offer varied options for students to choose from.
Top 10 MA Colleges in India by IndiaToday
Following are the Top 10 MA Colleges in India by IndiaToday 2020 rankings:
|
IndiaToday Ranking 2020 |
Name of the College |
MA Total Tuition Fees (INR) |
|
1 |
Hindu College, Delhi |
432 |
|
2 |
St. Stephen’s College, Delhi |
10,299 |
|
3 |
Miranda House, Delhi |
26,385 |
|
4 |
Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi |
35,832 |
|
5 |
Madras Christian College, Chennai |
56,914 |
|
6 |
Hansraj College, Delhi |
31,678 |
|
7 |
Loyola College, Chennai |
10,020 |
|
8 |
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Christ (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru |
1,16,615 |
|
9 |
Gargi College, New Delhi |
17,922 |
|
10 |
Ramjas College, New Delhi |
21,883 |
Top 10 MA Colleges in India by Outlook
Following is the list of Top 10 MA Colleges ranked by Outlook ranking 2021:
|
Outlook Ranking 2021 |
Name of the College |
MA Total Tuition Fees (INR) |
|
1 |
Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi |
35,832 |
|
2 |
Miranda House, Delhi |
26,385 |
|
3 |
Hindu College, New Delhi |
432 |
|
4 |
St. Stephen’s College, Delhi |
10,299 |
|
5 |
Madras Christian College, Chennai |
56,914 |
|
6 |
Sri Venkateswara College, Chennai |
24,067 |
|
7 |
Hansraj College, Delhi |
31,678 |
|
8 |
Loyola College, Chennai |
10,020 |
|
9 |
Gargi College, New Delhi |
17,922 |
|
10 |
Christ University, Bengaluru |
1,16,615 |
Top MA Colleges in India based on Zones
The top MA Colleges are distributed all across the country. For convenience, they have been divided into zones. Outlook, IndiaToday and The Week ranking agency release their rankings of the top MA Colleges in India. These are the zone-wise rankings of the top MA Colleges:
Top MA Colleges in North India
Enumerated below are the top MA colleges in North India as per Outlook rankings:
- Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi
- Miranda House, Delhi
- Hindu College, New Delhi
- St. Stephen’s College, Delhi
Top MA Colleges in South India
Mentioned below are the top MA colleges of South India as ranked by outlook:
- Madras Christian College, Chennai
- Sri Venkateswara College, Chennai
- Loyola College, Chennai
- Christ University, Bengaluru
Top MA Colleges in East India
Listed below are the top MA colleges in East India:
- Presidency College, Kolkata
- Jadavpur University, Kolkata
- Calcutta University, Kolkata
- St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi
Top MA Colleges in West India
Following are the top MA colleges in West India:
- Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
- Fergusson College, Pune
- University of Rajasthan, Jaipur
- Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune
Specialisation-wise MA Colleges in India
MA courses are often offered with various specialisations like English, History, Psychology, Philosophy, Hindi, etc. Thus, there are several options to choose from based on interest and scope.
Listed below are some subjects in which aspirants can specialise:
Top MA English Colleges in India
English Literature is one of the most popular choices for MA. MA in English not only focuses on the study of works by English writers but also on international Literature. At the postgraduate level, it is more research-based and in-depth. Since the course is vast, some colleges require students to select electives to specialise in. The students get to contextualise Literature politically and culturally by studying all the periods in the history of English Literature.
Following are some of the top MA English colleges in India:
- Arts Faculty - Delhi University (DU), Delhi
- Centre of English Studies - Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi
- Department of English - Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi
- School of Letters - Ambedkar University, Delhi
- School of English Language Education - EFLU (English And Foreign Languages), Hyderabad
Top MA History Colleges in India
MA in History covers both national and international events. It is an option for the students who have studied it as a subject in their undergraduate programme. Job opportunities include Research Associate, Lecturer, Historian, Editor, etc.
These are some of the top MA History colleges in India:
- Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi
- Jadavpur University, Kolkata
- Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
- University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad
- Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi
Top MA Political Science Colleges in India
MA in Political Science accomplishes an advanced understanding of Indian and International political structures and how they came to be. Job opportunities lie in the field of Public Administration and governance.
Enumerated below are some of the top MA Political Science colleges in India:
- Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR), Delhi
- Presidency College, Chennai
- Madras Christian College (MCC), Chennai
- Hindu College, New Delhi
- Jain University (JU), Bengaluru
Fee Structure for Top MA Colleges in India
The fee structure varies greatly based on the affiliation of the college. Colleges affiliated with Government universities tend to have lower Tuition fees than private institutes.
Let us have a look at the fees structure for top MA Colleges in India.
Public MA Colleges
Listed below are some of the top public MA colleges and their fee structure:
|
Name of Public Colleges |
MA Fees Structure (Total Tuition Fees INR) |
|
Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR), Delhi |
35,832 |
|
Hindu College, Delhi |
432 |
|
Miranda House, Delhi |
26,385 |
|
St. Stephen’s College, Delhi |
10,299 |
|
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi |
733 |
Private MA Colleges
Following is the list of the top private MA colleges and their fee structure:
|
Name of Private Colleges |
MA Fees Structure (Total Tuition Fees INR) |
|
Madras Christian College, Chennai |
56,914 |
|
Christ University, Bengaluru |
1,16,615 |
|
Loyola College, Chennai |
10,020 |
|
St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata |
1,36,000 |
|
St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai |
43,206 |
Entrance Exams Accepted by Top MA Colleges
Entrance Exams are conducted by various MA colleges to ascertain the aptitude of the students seeking admission into their program. Following are some of the most sought-after entrance exams for top MA colleges:
- DUET
- IPU CET
- TISSNET
- DUCET
- JNUEE
- BHU PET
- EFLU Entrance Exam
- OUCET
- Allahabad University PGAT
Admission and Eligibility Criteria for MA Colleges
The process of admission to the top MA colleges in India is almost identical except for college-specific requirements. The minimum requirement for an MA course is the completion of one’s undergraduate programme. Seats in MA are allotted based on either undergraduate merit or results of entrance exams conducted by the colleges. The admission criteria for the top MA colleges in India are as follows:
Eligibility Criteria for Top MA Colleges
Interested candidates have to fulfil the following criteria for top MA colleges:
- Secure 50% marks in aggregate at the graduation level.
- As required by certain colleges, specialisation should be among the subjects opted for in BA.
Admission to MA Colleges
There are 3110 colleges in India offering MA in various specialisations like English, Hindi, History, Psychology, Political Science, etc. For admission, application forms are made available on the colleges websites respectively. Documents like ID proof and passport size photos have to be included in the application. Following that, admit cards are released, and exam centres are announced for the upcoming entrance exam. After the entrance exam, shortlisted students are called for the counselling process, and seats are allotted. Students are expected to get their documents verified and complete the admission fee payment at the time of counselling itself.
Cut Off for Top MA Colleges in India
MA Colleges in India release multiple merit lists to shortlist candidates for admission, declaring results of previously held entrance exams. Listed below are the cutoffs for top MA colleges:
JNUEE Cut off
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Exam (JNUEE) is conducted every year by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to select candidates for admission into their undergraduate, postgraduate, PhD and M.Phil programmes. It is conducted in two separate shifts.
Following are the closing ranks at which admission is offered into the JNU for MA programme:
|
Subjects |
Cut Off (Rank-wise) UR |
|
MA in Ancient History (ANCM) |
12 |
|
MA in Economics (ECOM) |
42 |
|
MA in English (ENGM) |
14 |
|
MA in Geography (GEOM) |
25 |
DUET Cut off
The Delhi University Entrance Test (DUET) is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). It is conducted in a total of 18 cities spread across 101 centres. The duration of the exam is 2 hours, and it is split into three shifts.
Mentioned below are the cutoffs released by Delhi University (DU) for MA program:
|
Subjects |
Cut Off (Rank-wise) UR |
|
MA in English |
203 |
|
MA in Philosophy |
57 |
|
MA in History |
114 |
|
MA in Economics |
107 |
Scope of MA
MA is a great option for students wanting to specialise in their bachelor’s subject. MA is significantly more research-based and demanding than a BA regular degree. There are some of the job prospects after completion of MA:
- Despite it being the norm, pursuing PhD after an MA can prove lucrative. Higher studies provide more specialisation and pave the way to a career in academics. One can become a lecturer or go into research.
- Through the study of Humanities in such depth, one becomes compassionate and well-suited to working in an NGO or any organisation in Social Work for that matter.
- Civil Services and Government exams are one of the most popular options because a background in humanities gives leverage to the students when preparing for the UPSC exam.
- Content Writing is another high paying option after pursuing MA. Writing content for companies or freelancing goes well with language proficiency.
- Opportunities in reporting and journalism are vast too. Whether it be news reporting or documentaries, journalism has a lot to offer in terms of different fields, mediums and salaries.
MA Placements
According to Payscale, the average salary after completing MA is 4-5 LPA. Top MA colleges offer campus placements to their students. Various companies recruit students based on their performance in the aptitude test followed by personal interviews. Here are some of the top recruiters of MA colleges:
Top MA Recruiters
Mentioned below are the top recruiters at MA colleges as per salary packages offered:
|
Name of the Colleges |
Top Recruiters |
|
Hindu College, Delhi |
Google, Deloitte, HDFC, KPMG, Maruti, Jaypee, Ernst and Young, Protiviti, DE Shaw, Essar and Royal Sundaram Alliance etc. |
|
Gargi College, Delhi |
EY INDIA, Deloitte, PWC, ITC, Josh Talks, EZ Mall (Zee Corporation start-up) etc. |
|
Ramjas College, Delhi |
Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, PwC, SP Jain, NDTV, etc. |
|
Christ University, Bengaluru |
Syscloud Inc, HPe, etc. |
|
Miranda House, Delhi |
Aam Aadmi Party, DE Shaw & Co., Eat My News, Outlook, Thomson Reuters, ED Times, The Oberoi Group, POP XO, Urban Clap, Decathlon, etc. |
FAQs
Ques 1. What is the difference between an M.Ed. and MA in Education?
Ans. MA is a research degree in Arts, while M.Ed. is a practitioner degree in Education.
Ques 2. Can one opt for a subject that they did not have in their undergraduate program?
Ans. It varies from college to college, but some colleges like IGNOU just require an undergraduate degree to apply to any of its master’s courses.
Ques 3. What are the average fees for MA?
Ans. The average fee for MA is about 50,000 per annum.
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