The top MCA Colleges in Chennai include VIT, Loyola College, Madras Christian College, Presidency College, etc. The Master of Computer Application course is a post-graduate program of 3 years duration. The course is usually divided into 6 semesters. Students who have obtained a degree in MCA are hired as computer and software engineers, programmers, application developers, database and information systems managers, and other IT-related jobs.
- Anna University and the University of Madras are the best MCA colleges in Chennai. They are ranked 18th and 65th, per NIRF Ranking 2023.
- There are many colleges in Chennai offering top-quality education in the computer applications field at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Top 10 MCA Colleges in Chennai
There are 66 MCA colleges in Chennai, of which 50 are Private and 15 are Government colleges. Listed below are the top 10 MCA colleges in Chennai with MCA course seat intake.
Top MCA Colleges in Chennai: Ranking
Ranking agencies rarely release MCA course-specific ranking lists. Mentioned below are some good colleges in India offering MCA, ranked based on the overall lists released by these agencies.
Top MCA Colleges in Chennai: NIRF Ranking 2023
Ranks are awarded to colleges and universities all over India based on their evaluation under the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), approved by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
The following diagram shows the weight given to the respective parameters in the evaluation process.

- Anna University is ranked 18th with a NIRF score of 62.36 as the best MCA college in Chennai. The University of Madras follows it at #64th place.
- Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research is ranked #101 - 150 among top colleges/ Universities by NIRF Ranking.
- Dr. M.G.R. Educational And Research Institute, HITS Chennai, and Vels Institute Of Science, Technology & Advanced Studies are ranked among the top MCA colleges in India.
- Presidency College and Loyola College Chennai were ranked earlier among the top MCA colleges in India.
Check out the table below for the top MCA colleges in Chennai according to the latest NIRF Ranking 2023 with their NIRF score.
NIRF Ranking 2023 | College/ University Name | NIRF Score |
---|---|---|
18 | Anna University, Chennai | 62.36 |
65 | University Of Madras, Chennai | 49.93 |
101-150 | Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research (BIHER), Chennai | - |
101-150 | Dr. M.G.R. Educational And Research Institute, Chennai | - |
151-200 | Hindustan Institute Of Technology And Science - [HITS], Chennai | - |
151-200 | Vels Institute Of Science, Technology & Advanced Studies, Chennai | - |
List of Government MCA Colleges in Chennai
Here is a list of the best MCA colleges in Chennai that are run by the government along with their fee structures.
College/University Name | Annual Fee Structure(INR) |
---|---|
College of Engineering, Anna University - [CEG] | 52,090 |
Anna University - [AU], Chennai | 41,000 |
Presidency College, Chennai | 1,415 |
Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai | 43,199 |
Guru Nanak College, Chennai | 99,900 |
University of Madras, Chennai | 22,780 |
Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan College of Engineering and Technology - [DSCET], Chennai | 35,000 |
Top MCA Colleges in Chennai: Return on Investment (ROI)
Most colleges in Chennai offer the MCA course for 3 years. There is a drastic difference in the tuition fee charged by the top MCA colleges in Chennai. The following list shows the annual fee charged by top MCA colleges:
College Name |
Average Annual Fee |
Average Annual Salary |
ROI Rank* |
---|---|---|---|
Presidency College |
INR 14,150 |
INR 3,40,000 |
1 |
College of Engineering, Anna University |
INR 41,000 |
INR 2,60,000 |
2 |
Loyola College |
INR 60,105 |
INR 3,25,000 |
3 |
Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai |
INR 1,37,000 |
INR 4,50,000 |
4 |
Madras Christian College |
INR 38,600 |
INR 1,20,000 |
5 |
- Presidency College in Chennai offers the lowest tuition fee and it is the most affordable college for pursuing MCA in Chennai.
- College of Engineering, Anna University, and Loyola College also offers a good option for the MCA course with a reasonable fee structure.
- College of Engineering, Anna University has the highest ROI which means the highest benefit of investing money in education here.
Top MCA Colleges in Chennai: Admission Process
69 colleges in Chennai offer postgraduate courses in MCA. Out of these, 50 colleges are private colleges and 19 colleges are government-owned. The following diagram shows the distribution of private and government MCA colleges in Chennai.
Since MCA is a postgraduate course, admission to top MCA colleges in Chennai requires minimum eligibility of undergraduate courses in computer application. It is also mandatory for admission to most colleges that the student should have appeared for TANCET (Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test).
The following are the highlights of the admission process for the top MCA colleges in Chennai.
Loyola College
Loyola College admissions 2023 is ongoing for MCA courses. Students are required to have BCA or any degree with one paper in Mathematics/Statistics as allied and Mathematics at Plus two level. The TANCET exam is mandatory for MCA admissions. TANCET 2023 exam date is February 25, 2023 (tentatively). TANCET 2023 Application Form is likely to be released in the first week of January 2023. Check TANCET Eligibility Criteria
Presidency College
Presidency College was established in the year 1840 and it is an autonomous college affiliated with the University of Madras. The college was ranked by the NIRF at #3 in 2022. The college is affiliated with the University of Madras. To pursue MCA at this college, candidates will have to take the TANCET exam and sit through the counseling as well. TANCET 2023 exam date is February 25, 2023 (tentatively). TANCET 2023 Application Form is likely to be released in the first week of January 2023. Check the Detailed TANCET 2023 Syllabus
Madras Christian College
Madras Christian College admissions 2023 to self-financed MCA courses are based on the candidate’s score in Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET), conducted by Anna University. TANCET 2023 exam date is February 25, 2023 (tentatively). TANCET 2023 Application Form is likely to be released in the first week of January 2023. Check the TANCET 2023 Exam Pattern
Top MCA Colleges in Chennai: Entrance Exam Wise
Admissions to MCA colleges in Chennai require that students should appear for entrance tests. Most government-aided and self-financed colleges accept TANCET scores, while some deemed universities conduct their independent entrance exams.
Top MCA Colleges in Chennai Through TANCET
Anna University, Chennai conducts the Tamil Nadu Central Entrance Test every year for admissions to postgraduate programs. The application commences in January and the exam is conducted at the end of February.
- Candidates with a valid GATE score with qualifying marks in the relevant discipline of Engineering /Technology, need not appear for TANCET.
- Candidates from other states excluding Tamil Nadu can also apply for the entrance.
- The application fee is INR 600 for General Category and INR 300 for SC/ST (who belong to Tamil Nadu). Possession of a Bachelor’s Degree with at least 50% marks is essential to register for general candidates and 45% for SC / SCA / ST candidates.
- It consists of 100 MCQ questions.
- The medium of the paper is English.
- The duration of the exam is 2 hours.
Top MCA Colleges in Chennai Through VITMEE
Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) conducts the VIT Masters Entrance Exam for admissions to postgraduate courses offered at various campuses of VIT. VITMEE is a national-level online test conducted at a dedicated test center in India. The application process starts in May and the exam is held in the first week of June.
- Recognized Bachelor’s Degree of minimum 3 years duration in BCA, B.Sc (IT/Computer Science) with Mathematics as a subject at 10+2 level or Graduate Level.
- Obtained at least 60% or 1st class at the qualifying examination.
The following top MCA College in Chennai selects students based on VITMEE scores:
- Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai Campus
Top MCA Colleges in Chennai: Placement Wise
Top MCA Colleges in Chennai attract top students to the course and have a very good reputation among recruiters. Most colleges in Chennai offer the MCA course for 3 years. There is a drastic difference in the tuition fee charged by the top MCA colleges in Chennai.
The following list shows the annual fee charged by top MCA colleges along with their average placement package.
College Name |
Average Annual Salary |
---|---|
Presidency College |
INR 3,40,000 |
College of Engineering, Anna University |
INR 2,60,000 |
Loyola College |
INR 3,25,000 |
Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai |
INR 4,50,000 |
Madras Christian College |
INR 1,20,000 |

- Nearly, the placement package of all the institutes is the same. However, VIT offers the highest placement package but the investment there is also high.
- Presidency College and Loyola College also offer decent placement packages.
Also Read,
Top MCA Colleges in Chennai: FAQs
Ques. Which is the best MCA college in Chennai?
Ans. Based on the NIRF rankings and NAAC accreditation status, Presidency College is the best among the top MCA colleges in Chennai.
Ques. Which is the best private college offering an MCA course in Chennai?
Ans. Loyola College is the best private college offering MCA courses in Chennai.
Ques. What is the process of admission to the top MCA colleges in Chennai?
Ans. To get admission to the top MCA colleges in Chennai, you need to apply to your respective college and appear for TANCET (Tamil Nadu Central Entrance Test)
Ques. When does admission to top MCA colleges in Chennai start?
Ans. The admission process starts after the declaration of TANCET results in March.
Ques. What are the criteria for selection in the top MCA colleges in Chennai?
Ans. Selection to the top MCA colleges in Chennai is merit-based and the performance in TANCET is considered.
Ques. What documents will be required at the time of admission to the MCA colleges in Chennai?
Ans. Basic documents required at the time of admission to the MCA colleges in Chennai include identity proof, proof of payment of application fees, TANCET or VITMEE scorecard, mark sheets of all semesters/years of an undergraduate course, qualifying degree or provisional certificate from the undergraduate college, Class X and Class XII mark sheet, transfer certificate/migration certificate from the institute last studied, passport size photograph, etc. Some colleges require specific documents about which students are intimated before the admission procedure.
Ques. Which MCA college in Chennai has the most affordable fee structure?
Ans. The top MCA college in Chennai with the most affordable fee structure is Presidency College.
Ques. Which top MCA college in Chennai has the best placements?
Ans. College of Engineering, Anna University, and Loyola College has high placement records.