 | Our 2005 survey cover | Our annual survey of India's best colleges has come at a time when the issue of higher education has been submerged under the volatile reservation issue. It was certainly not planned that way. Our survey, now in its 10th year, is always released in May-end, to coincide with the period when college admissions have opened across the country. It is the time when parents and students are desperately searching for the right institution, a choice that will eventually determine their future in an increasingly competitive world. Good education is the key to success in today's knowledge-driven world and picking where you get it can make all the difference. It is important to know which colleges offer the best courses in areas of specialisation since the decision will determine the careers and future prospects of lakhs of students. Choosing a college or institution is a mindboggling task. India has over 17,625 colleges and 342 universities offering general and specialised education that is impossible for individual families to benchmark. Some, like the IITs and IIMs, have become synonymous with quality and excellence but finding the best of the rest can be like negotiating an educational minefield. There are no credible guides, which is why India Today took the initiative of compiling a ranking of India's best colleges way back in 1997. Our survey has come to be acknowledged as the Gold Standard in terms of rating India's top colleges. The ranking, done in collaboration with AC Nielsen-ORG-MARG is based on an elaborate methodology involving perception and factual ratings. The process involves close to 500 academic experts at the level of principals, heads of departments and deans across 10 major cities who rank colleges in the streams of art, science, commerce, engineering, medicine and law. After a shortlist of 200 colleges is obtained, factual data is collected about infrastructure, budgets, leadership, student-faculty ratio and the quality of teaching staff, among other factors. The final ranking is based on a weightage of 70:30 for perceptual and factual scores. This year, we expanded our survey to include experts in two new cities, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh. Since the rankings are closely fought, we have provided not just the top 10 but also the best colleges up to the 20th rank. What is encouraging is that the results have not remained static, a sign that individual institutions are constantly striving to improve. This year too, the survey has thrown up some major surprises. It is a sign of the fierce competitiveness in education that staying on top is never easy. In its 10-year history, the India Today-AC Nielsen-ORG-MARG survey has become one of the magazine's most widely-read issues. It has become a familiar axiom that the search for excellence never ends. Our survey, we believe, proves the point. Index
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