Higher education scenario in central region promising

The region accounts for three major centrally-funded higher educational institutions: National Institute of Technology – Tiruchi, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Tiruvarur; and the Indian Institute of Management – Tiruchi.

Formerly known as Regional Engineering College, the National Institute of Technology – Tiruchi, was started as a joint and co-operative venture of the Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu in 1964 to produce technical manpower for the nation. Spread over 800 acres, the institution offers Under Graduate Courses in ten branches and Post Graduate Courses in twenty one disciplines of Science, Engineering & Technology besides Ph.D. in all the departments. The institution symbolizes cultural unity with students drawn from most of the states in the country, and is ranked within the first three among the NITS in the country.

The Indian Institute of Management – Tiruchirapalli came into being at the start of this calendar year. It is the 11 {+t} {+h} IIM in the country established as part of the 11 {+t} {+h} five-year plan. It functions from the premises of NIT-T. The IIM-T will move to the permanent location on a sprawling area of over 170 acres along the Tiruchi-Pudukkottai national highway in two to three years.

Likewise, the Central University of Tamil Nadu, Tiruvarur, which became operational since 2009, is functioning from the campus of the Tiruvarur district collectorate. The CUTN, Tiruvarur, conducted CUCET-2011 for admission to seven central universities.

The permanent campus for the central university is being developed in an area of 520 acres. Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology in Thanjavur district is another centrally funded institution, located in Thanjavur district. .

Bharathidasan University, Anna University of Technology and Tamil University constitute the State universities in Tiruchi and Thanjavur districts.

As many as 104 arts and science colleges are affiliated to the Bharathidasan University. Named after the great revolutionary poet Bharathidasan (1891-1968), the university established in 1982 is located on a sprawling campus of about 500 acres in the main campus along the Tiruchi-Pudukottai National Highway. It also has a city campus at Khajamalai, housing the Department of Educational Technology, Department of Economics, Department of Women's Studies, Institute for Entrepreneurship and Career Development, and Bharathidasan University Technology Park. Eighteen of the 104 affiliated colleges are autonomous. The student strength in the affiliated colleges exceeds 1.50 lakh.

At present, the Anna University of Technology – Tiruchi that came into existence in 2007 has over 70 engineering colleges and stand alone business schools in its fold.

The Tamil University located in the ancient capital of later Chola dynasty and the granary of the South is of a unitary type focussing on higher research in Tamilology and advanced study in various other allied branches such as Linguistics, Translation, Lexicography, Music, Drama and Manuscriptology

Bharathidasan Institute of Management (BIM) a Centre of Excellence of Bharathidasan University, enjoying a high standing in the country consistently, has become a model for many other stand-alone business schools in the region. The Department of Management Studies of NIT-T is also another institution ranked high among business schools.

Thanjavur district has the distinction of having three private universities: SASTRA University, PRIST University, and Periyar Maniammai University.

Two former presidents: late R. Venkataraman and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, had their education in National College and St. Joseph's College respectively.