MCA Colleges in Kerala Based on 2024 Ranking

The top MCA colleges in Kerala include colleges like NIT Calicut, Cochin University of Science & Technology, and Calicut University, among many others. There are a total of 60 colleges in Kerala offering MCA in both full-time and part-time. 

  • NIT Calicut is the best MCA college in India, per NIRF ranking 2023. The institute is ranked 23rd among the top MCA colleges in India.
  • Out of the total, 43 colleges are private while 17 are top government MCA colleges in Kerala. 
  • Admission to the top MCA colleges in Kerala is made through various entrance exams like CUSAT, NIMCET, Kerala MCA, and many more. 
  • Calicut University and Nirmala College have the lowest fees among the top MCA colleges in Kerala. 
  • Divine College of Management is the only college in Kerala that offers MCA in distance mode. 

Top MCA Colleges in Kerala: Ranking

Kerala is a state with the highest literacy rate and it has many colleges and universities ranked by top-ranking agencies of India like Outlook, QS ranking, NIRF, etc. These ranking agencies release a list of top colleges and universities under various categories like management, engineering, medicine, and law, among many others. 

Top MCA Colleges in Kerala: NIRF Ranking 2023

NIRF stands for National Institutional Ranking Framework.  NIRF ranks the colleges and universities of India. The NIRF ranking parameters include Teaching and Learning Resources, Research and Professional Practice, Graduation Outcomes, Outreach and Inclusivity, and Peer Perception. 

nirf ranking

Source: Official Website

The following table shows the top MCA colleges in Kerala, per NIRF ranking 2023.

NIRF Ranking 2023 College/Institute Name NIRF Score
23 National Institute of Technology Calicut 60.28
101-150 College of Engineering Trivandrum -

Top MCA Colleges in Kerala: Outlook Ranking

The Outlook is an all-in-one magazine that has a section called “Opinions” in which the top colleges of India are ranked on 5 major factors. According to Outlook Ranking, the following are the top MCA colleges/universities in Kerala.

College Name Outlook Ranking 2019 Average Annual Fees
University of Calicut 40 INR 3,570
University of Kerala 56 INR 25,000
Cochin University of Science and Technology 72 INR 33,530
  • Outlook India has ranked Calicut University (formerly the University of Calicut) as the best MCA College in Kerala. It has got All India Rank 40 among the top universities in India. 
  • Other top MCA colleges in Kerala ranked by Outlook India include the University of Kerala and CUSAT, Kochi.

Top MCA Colleges in Kerala: QS India University Rankings

QS is a global ranking agency that ranks educational institutions(location-wise, course-wise, and on many other bases). According to this year's ranking, the following are the top colleges in Kerala appearing in the QS ranking and providing MCA degrees:

College Name QS Ranking 2020 QS Ranking 2019 Change Average Annual Fees
University of Calicut 45 39 -6 INR 3,570
University of Kerala 49 47 -2 INR 25,000
Cochin University of Science and Technology 51-55 51-55 - INR 33,530
  • There are two top MCA colleges in Kerala appearing in QS India Ranking.
  • The University of Calicut is the best MCA university in Kerala as per QS ranking and has been ranked 45 among the top universities in India. 

Top MCA Colleges in Kerala: ROI (Return on Investment) 

In this era of digital marketing, MCA is a degree offering a great Return on Investment (ROI) as all of the MNCs and industries are recruiting IT graduates at various levels. The table below gives a comparison between the ROI offered by top MCA colleges in Kerala:

College Name Average Annual Fees Average Salary Offered ROI Rank*
Calicut University INR 3,570 INR 1,20,000 1
Cochin University of Science and Technology INR 33,530 INR 4,82,000 2
University of Kerala INR 25,000 INR 3,50,000 3
National Institute of Technology, Calicut INR 90,250 INR 9,78,000 4

*ROI Percentgae={(Average Salary)/(Average Course Fees)}*100%

  • Calicut University is the top MCA college in Kerala providing the highest ROI. The college offers an average package of only INR 1,20,000 but also charges very low fees, just INR 3,570 for 1 year.
  • NIT Calicut offers the best package, but it also charges comparatively high fees.

MCA Colleges in Kerala under Calicut University

Calicut University provides affiliation with various government and private colleges providing MCA degrees in Kerala. According to the NIRF ranking, Calicut University is ranked 54th in University Ranking and 76th in other verall category. 

The following is the list of MCA Colleges in Kerala under Calicut University along with the fee structure.

MCA Colleges Under Kerala University

Kerala University MCA colleges include several governments as well as private colleges. The university is responsible for setting the syllabus, setting up the exam papers as well as publishing the results. The following is the list of Kerala University MCA colleges.

Top MCA Colleges in Kerala: Admission Process

There are a total of 60 colleges in Kerala offering MCA in both full-time as well as part-time. Admission to the course is done based on entrance exams conducted by the colleges separately. 

List of public/private mca collehes in kerala

Source: Official Survey

National Institute of Technology, Calicut (NIT Calicut)

Master in Computer Application (MCA) is a six-semester postgraduate degree at NIT Calicut which is one of the most prestigious NITs in India.

  • NIT Calicut has 46 seats for the MCA course which are filled through the common entrance exam NIMCET.
  • NIMCET or NIT MCA Common Entrance Test is conducted every year for admissions to NIT Calicut. 
  • The student has to get at least 60% marks in graduation and appear in the NIMCET exam to take admitted to the MCA course of NIT Calicut.
  • Out of 28 eligible students, 22 were placed with an average annual package of INR 9.78 LPA. 
  • The highest package offered to MCA students is INR 25.91 LPA. 

The following graph shows the placement percentage of MCA students at NIT Calicut.

NIT Calicut MCA Placement Percentage


Source: Official Website

Cochin University of Science and Technology

CUSAT is another renowned organization in Kerala that provides a master’s degree in Computer Application. It offers various undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs in several streams. 

  • To take admission to the MCA course at CUSAT, one has to get at least 55% marks in graduation.
  • The eligible undergraduate courses for MCA admissions are:

    • Any graduate course having Mathematics as  one of the primary subjects

    • Graduation in Electronics

    • Graduation in computer applications

    • Graduation in Engineering technology takes admission to MCA, one has to appear in the aptitude test conducted by CUSAT which has 150 objective-type questions

  • There are 80 MCA seats in CUSAT and 20% of the total seats are eligible for lateral entry in the 3rd semester.
  • Nearly 25 companies visited the campus for MCA placements and the average package offered was INR 4,82,000.

Calicut University

Calicut University is another top MCA institute in Kerala offering a 3-year postgraduate degree in Computer Application.

  • The Centre for Computer Science and Information Technology (CCSIT) is the department of Calicut University that offers an MCA degree.
  • The minimum requirement to take admitted to the MCA course at Calicut University is a graduate degree with a minimum of 50% marks.
  • The entrance exam for admission to MCA at Calicut University is conducted by the university itself. There are 30 seats for the MCA course at every CCSIT center.
  • Calicut University has only two professional courses i.e. MCA and MBA; therefore, the on-campus placement at Calicut University, as compared to other top MCA colleges in Kerala, is much lower than average.  
  • However, almost 100% of students are placed in off-campus placement drives.

Top MCA Colleges in Kerala: Entrance Exam Wise

Similar to other post-graduate courses, admissions to MCA are also subjected to various entrance exams. Some of the most popular entrance exams for admissions to MCA are NIMCET, Kerala CEE MCA, etc.

Most of the MCA colleges in Kerala conduct their entrance exam for admission to MCA. The admission is given based on the score obtained in the entrance exam conducted by the college/university. Some of the top MCA colleges conducting entrance exams are the following:

  • Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT CAT MCA)
  • Calicut University (Calicut University CET)

Top MCA Colleges in Kerala Accepting Kerala MCA 

Every year Kerala government conducts a common entrance examination for MCA admissions in various private and public MCA colleges in Kerala. The exam is conducted by the Commissioner for Entrance Examination. The exam consists of 150 questions from Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, General Knowledge, Reasoning, General English, and Fundamentals of Computer Awareness. 

Some of the top MCA colleges in Kerala accepting Kerala MCA scores are mentioned below:

  • University of Kerala
  • Mahatma Gandhi University
  • University of Calicut
  • Sree Narayana Gurukulam College of Engineering
  • SCMS School of Engineering & Technology

Top MCA Colleges in Kerala Accepting NIMCET score

NIMCET (NIT MCA Common Entrance Test) is a national-level entrance exam conducted by all the NITs nationwide. The entrance exam comprises 120 multiple-choice questions with four sections- Mathematics, Analytical ability & Logical Reasoning, Computer Awareness, and General English. 

Some of the top MCA colleges in Kerala accepting NIMCET scores are mentioned below: 

  • National Institute of Technology, Calicut
  • Government Engineering College, Thrissur
  • Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology

Top MCA Colleges in Kerala: Placement Wise

Since MCA is a professional course, placement is considered one of the basic factors when choosing any college to pursue an MCA. The chart below shows the placement data for the last academic year for top MCA colleges in Kerala:

  • As shown, the best MCA college in Kerala according to placement statistics is the National Institute of Technology, Calicut.
  • The highest package offered by NIT Calicut is INR 25.9 LPA whereas the average salary package went up to INR 9.78 LPA. 
  • Most of the top MCA colleges in Kerala offer an average annual package of more than INR 3 lakhs.

The following graph shows the top MCA colleges in Kerala with their average annual salary package: 

 CTCs offered by Top MCA Colleges in Kerala


Source: Official Website

Also, Check

Top MCA Colleges in Kerala: FAQs

Ques. What are some of the best MCA colleges in Kerala?

Ans. Some of the top MCA colleges in Kerala are the National Institute of Technology, Calicut, Cochin University of Science and Technology, and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology.

Ques. Does NIT Calicut offer an MCA degree?

Ans. Yes, NIT Calicut offers an MCA degree

Ques. What is the minimum requirement to take admission to MCA at the National Institute of Technology, Calicut?

Ans. To take admission to MCA, one has to appear in NIMCET after completing their graduation degree

Ques. Does the CUSAT accept NIMCET scores for MCA admissions?

Ans. No, CUSAT conducts the CAT exam for admission in various courses CUSAT

Ques. What is the average package students get after getting an MCA degree from NIT Calicut?

Ans. On average, NIT Calicut offers INR 9,78,000 annual packages to MCA students.

Ques. How much does MCA pass out get after completing MCA from top MCA colleges in Kerala?

Ans. On average, students from top MCA colleges in Kerala get an average annual package between 3-25 lakhs

Ques. Which college can we get after clearing Kerala CEE MCA?

Ans. One can get admission to many MCA colleges in Kerala after appearing in Kerala CEE. Some of the top MCA colleges in Kerala offering degrees after Kerala CEE MCA are:-

  • Kerala University
  • Mahatma Gandhi University
  • Calicut University
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#5
3,790MCA - Master of Computer Applications- 1st Year FeesCompare Fees--
7.6 / 10
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#6

College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 
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9.5 / 10
Based on 1 User
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#7
30,000MCA - Master of Computer Applications- 1st Year Fees--
4.7 / 10
Based on 1 User
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#8
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7.7 / 10
Based on 105 User
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#9
71,100MCA - Master of Computer Applications- 1st Year FeesCompare Fees----
#10
15,085MCA - Master of Computer Applications- 1st Year FeesCompare Fees--
8.1 / 10
Based on 4 User
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#11
9,690MCA - Master of Computer Applications- 1st Year FeesCompare Fees--
7.9 / 10
Based on 4 User
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Best in Academics
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#12
70,000MCA - Master of Computer Applications- 1st Year Fees--
3.3 / 10
Based on 2 User
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#17
54,500MCA - Master of Computer Applications- 1st Year Fees----
#18
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#19
50,000MCA - Master of Computer Applications- 1st Year Fees₹ 3,00,000Average Package₹ 6,00,000Highest Package--
#20
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#29
1,00,000MCA - Master of Computer Applications- 1st Year Fees------