New Delhi:  There are a total 277 private universities, which are managed privately, in India as on 31 March 2016, as per All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE). These universities have a large role in higher education system in India. The university category ranking of National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2017 has given an idea where the private universities stand in the overall ranking.

Coimbatore-based Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham or Amrita University is crowned as the best private universities in India as the university has become only private university to feature among the top ten universities in India in the NIRF 2017 university category ranking. Amrita University stands at the ninth spot in the universities category; however, the university slipped to 16th position in the overall category of the NIRF 2017.

After Amrita, the next best rated private university is Vellore Institute of Technology, which stands at 14^th in the NIRF 2017 university category ranking. The Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) features at 18th spot in the university category. Only three private universities feature among the top 25 universities in India.

There are two private universities feature in the ranking range of 25-50 in NIRF 2017: Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Academy (SASTRA), Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu at 32 place and Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu at 44. The Noida-based Amity University bags 52th spot in the list while Shiv Nadar University, finds 60^th place.

The list of top private universities in India with University category rankings (NIRF 2017):

1. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (9)
2. Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu (14)
3. Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka (18)
4. Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Academy (SASTRA), Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu (32)
5. Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (44)
6. AMITY University, Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh (52)
7. Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (55)
8. Shiv Nadar University, Chithera, Uttar Pradesh (60)
9. Symbiosis International University, Pune, Maharashtra (61)
10. Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (71)
11. Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat (75)
12. PES University, Bengaluru, Karantaka (94)
13. BS Abdur Rahman Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (100)