India’s long history and cultural diversity make it a compelling destination for students interested in religion, art, dance, literature, languages, history, philosophy, and the social sciences. Prospective students can find a wide range of programs in the arts, humanities, and social sciences at many of the country’s leading universities.
India is also known for strong programs in science, engineering, and technology through institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology and other engineering universities in the country. Many leading universities have also expanded and updated their humanities and social sciences offerings to attract students from India and abroad.
Many Indian universities offer English-medium programs and maintain research and teaching facilities that support both domestic and international students.
Top Schools Offering Humanities Programs in India
1. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) was established in 1958 and is one of India’s leading technical universities. In the NIRF India Rankings 2025, IIT Bombay ranked third overall in the country. Its Humanities and Social Sciences department and related academic units support teaching and research in fields such as economics, English, philosophy, psychology, sociology, history, and Sanskrit studies.
IIT Bombay offers humanities and social sciences courses for students across the institute. Its Department of Economics offers a four-year Bachelor of Science in Economics program, which combines economics with quantitative, technological, and social-science training.
The Humanities and Social Sciences department also offers a PhD program in Economics, English, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, and areas related to the Cell for Indian Science and Technology in Sanskrit. It also offers a six-year dual-degree M.A.-PhD program in Philosophy, structured as a two-year M.A. with the possibility of entering a four-year PhD program.
2. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) was established as the College of Engineering in 1961 and later declared an Institution of National Importance. It is one of the 23 IITs, and in the NIRF India Rankings 2025, it ranked fourth overall in India.
The Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Delhi offers PhD research in areas such as Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy, Economics, Linguistics, Literature, and Technology in Society. The department gives students opportunities to work in interdisciplinary areas that connect social, cultural, economic, and technological questions.
For master’s-level study, the department offers a two-year full-time M.Sc. in Economics and launched a two-year full-time M.Sc. in Cognitive Science in 2020. It also introduced a two-year full-time M.A. in Culture, Society, Thought in 2024.
3. Indian Institute of Technology Madras
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is one of India’s Institutes of National Importance. It was formally inaugurated in 1959 after the first Indo-German Agreement, and it ranked first overall in the NIRF India Rankings 2025.
Despite specializing in engineering and technology, the institute’s Humanities and Social Sciences department is one of IIT Madras’s oldest departments and offers interdisciplinary teaching and research in the humanities and social sciences.
IIT Madras now offers a two-year Master of Arts program in four streams: Development Studies, Economics, English Studies, and Public Policy. The program is open to eligible GATE-qualified candidates, requires at least 200 credits, and has 25 Indian seats per stream, with supernumerary seats for foreign students. The institute’s PhD program includes research topics across literature, history, linguistics, philosophy, policy studies, sociology, economics, media studies, and technology-related social research.
4. University of Calcutta
Initially modeled after the University of London, the University of Calcutta (CU) opened on January 24, 1857, in Kolkata. Its history includes prominent alumni and faculty, including Rabindranath Tagore. In the NIRF India Rankings 2025, Calcutta University ranked 39th among universities and 47th overall.
The university is also associated with several historic educational firsts in India and South Asia, including Calcutta Medical College, described by the university as the first medical school of Asia, and Bethune College, described as the first college for women in India.
The university’s Faculty Council for Post-Graduate Studies in Arts has postgraduate departments in fields such as Ancient Indian History & Culture, Arabic & Persian, Archaeology, Bengali Language and Literature, Sanskrit, Philosophy, Economics, and many others. It is a strong option for students interested in Indian culture, languages, history, and the humanities.
Students may also pursue more globally oriented fields such as Economics, Philosophy, and Archaeology. Regardless of the program, the University of Calcutta’s historic academic reputation gives students access to a long-established center for humanities and social-science study in India.
5. Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya in cooperation with figures including Annie Besant and was established by the B.H.U. Act 1915. In the NIRF India Rankings 2025, BHU ranked 10th overall in India.
The university describes itself as the largest residential university in Asia. Its official materials state that it enrolls over 30,000 students from India and abroad, and its current university profile lists 5 institutes, 16 faculties, and 135 departments.
BHU also welcomes international students, with provision for up to 15% supernumerary seats for foreign nationals, including a portion for children of non-resident Indians.
BHU’s Faculty of Arts offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral opportunities across fields such as ancient Indian history, culture and archaeology, history of art, philosophy and religion, language, and literature. Domestic and international students can study Indian and foreign languages, literature, history, culture, and philosophy. The faculty’s history includes figures such as Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, who served as BHU’s Vice-Chancellor.
We hope that this article on the best humanities universities in India was helpful. If you are interested in knowing more, check out the Available Programs for International Students!
