Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) is the state owned Public agricultural university of Tamil Nadu headquartered in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. It is the first State Agriculture University (SAU) of India to be recognised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Academics The university offers 14 undergraduate programs across 19 Government Agriculture Colleges and 28 Affiliated Private agriculture colleges throughout the state. Out of 14 UG programmes, only B.Sc. (Hons) Agriculture and B.Sc. (Hons.,) Horticulture are offered by private colleges. Rest are fully offered by TNAU constituent campuses only.
Undergraduate Programmes
Government Aided B.Sc (Hons) Agriculture, B.Sc Agriculture (Tamil), B.Sc (Hons) Horticulture, B.Sc Horticulture (Tamil), B.Sc (Hons) Sericulture, B.Sc (Hons) Forestry, B.Sc (Hons) Food Nutrition & Dietetics, B.Sc (Hons) Agri Business Management.
Self-Financed B.Tech Agricultural Engineering, Energy & Environmental Engineering, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Agriculture Information Technology, Food Technology.
Postgraduate Programmes
Agriculture Stream M.Sc in Agricultural Economics, Extension Education, Agribusiness, Agronomy, Plant Physiology, Meteorology, Soil Science, Microbiology, Nanoscience, Environmental Science, Remote Sensing & GIS, Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Genetics & Plant Breeding, Seed Science, Entomology, Bioinformatics, Plant Pathology, Nematology, Agricultural Statistics.
Horticulture M.Sc in Fruit Science, Vegetable Science, Floriculture & Landscaping, Plantation/Spices/Medicinal & Aromatic Crops.
Forestry M.Sc in Forest Biology, Silviculture & Agroforestry, Forest Products & Utilization.
Sericulture M.Sc Sericulture.
Food Science M.Sc Food & Nutrition.
Engineering M.Tech in Farm Machinery & Power, Renewable Energy, Processing & Food Engineering, Soil Conservation Engineering.
Doctoral Programmes Ph.D offered in all major agricultural, horticultural, forestry, sericulture, food science, and agricultural engineering disciplines, including Agronomy, Soil Science, Genetics & Breeding, Plant Pathology, Entomology, Environmental Science, Nanoscience, Remote Sensing & GIS, Agricultural Statistics, Food & Nutrition, and various engineering specializations.
Rankings
Internationally, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University was ranked 301–350 in Asia by the QS World University Rankings of 2023. It was ranked 1501+ in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings of 2023, 501+ in Asia in 2022 and the same among emerging economies.
It was ranked 6th in the Agriculture and allied sector institutions of India by the National Institutional Ranking Framework for 2025 and an overall university ranking of 88th all over India.
University Constituent Campuses The university has 19 constituent colleges across the state. The below furnished list is of 2024 status.
No. Name Short Name Location District Estd StatusImage Website 1 Agricultural College and Research Institute, Coimbatore AC & RI, CBE TNAU, Coimbatore Coimbatore 1908 University Main Campushttps://tnau.ac.in/site/acri-coimbatore/ 2 School of Post Graduate Studies, Coimbatore SPGS, CBE TNAU, Coimbatore Coimbatore 1965 University Main Campushttps://tnau.ac.in/site/pgschooltnau/ 3 Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai AC & RI, MDU Othakadai, Madurai Madurai 1965 University Constituent Collegehttps://tnau.ac.in/site/college-acrimadurai/ 4 V.O. Chidambaranar Agricultural College and Research Institute, Killikulam VOC AC &RI, KKM Killikulam, Valanaadu Thoothukudi 1985 University Constituent Collegehttps://tnau.ac.in/site/college-acri-killikulam/ 5 Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute ADACRI, TRICHY Navalur Kuttapattu Tiruchirappalli 1989 University Constituent Collegehttps://tnau.ac.in/site/adcri-trichy/ 6 Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute, Coimbatore AEC & RI, CBE TNAU, Coimbatore Coimbatore 1972 University Main Campushttps://tnau.ac.in/site/aecri-cbe/ 7 Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute, Kumulur AEC & RI, KMLR Kumulur, Lalgudi Tiruchirapalli 1992 University Constituent Collegehttps://tnau.ac.in/site/aecri-kumulur/ 8 Horticultural College and Research Institute, Coimbatore HC & RI, CBE TNAU, Coimbatore Coimbatore 1972 University Main Campushttps://tnau.ac.in/site/hcri-coimbatore/ 9 Horticultural College and Research Institute Periyakulam HC & RI, PKM Periyakulam Theni 1990 University Constituent Collegehttps://tnau.ac.in/site/college-hcriperiyakulam/ 10 Horticultural College and Research Institute for Women HCRIW, TRICHY Navalur Kuttapattu Tiruchirappalli 2012 University Constituent Collegehttps://tnau.ac.in/site/college-hrciw/ 11 Community Science College & Research Institute, Madurai CSC & RI, MDUMaduraiMadurai 1984 University Constituent Collegehttps://tnau.ac.in/site/college-cscmadurai/ 12 Forest College and Research Institute, Mettupalayam FC & RI, MTPM Mettupalayam Coimbatore 1990 University Constituent Collegehttps://tnau.ac.in/site/college-fcri-mettupalayam/ 13 Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Agricultural College & Research Institute, Eachankottai Dr. MSS AC & RI, ECK Eachankottai Thanjavur 2014 University Constituent Collegehttps://tnau.ac.in/site/college-thanjavur/ 14 Agricultural College & Research Institute, Vazhavachanur AC & RI, VVNR Vazhavachanur Thiruvannamalai 2014 University Constituent Collegehttp://tnau.ac.in/site/college-vazhavachanur/ 15 Agricultural College & Research Institute, Kudumiyanmalai AC & RI, KDMKudimiyanmalaiPudukkottai 2014 University Constituent Collegehttps://tnau.ac.in/site/college-acri-kudumiyanmalai/ 16 Horticulture College and Research Institute, Paiyur HC & RI, PYR Paiyur Krishnagiri2016University Constituent Collegehttps://tnau.ac.in/site/hcri-paiyur/ 17 Agricultural College & Research Institute, Chettinad AC & RI, CNDChettinad, Karaikudi Sivaganga 2021 University Constituent Collegehttps://tnau.ac.in/site/acri-chettinad/ 18 Agricultural College & Research Institute, Karur AC & RI, KRRKarurKarur 2021 University Constituent Collegehttp://tnau.ac.in/site/acri-karur 19 Agricultural College & Research Institute, Keezhvelur AC & RI, KLVLRKeezhvelurNagapattinam 2021 University Constituent Collegehttp://tnau.ac.in/site/acri-keezhvelur
Affiliated private colleges This is a list of 28 private colleges affiliated with Tamilnadu Agriculture University and their direct web links attached below.
+Tamil Nadu Agricultural University - Affiliated Colleges as of 2020No.College NameLocationCourses offered1Adhiparasakthi Agricultural College (APAC)VelloreB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture2Adhiparasakthi Horticultural College (APHC)RanipetB.Sc.(Hons.) Horticulture3Thanthai Roever Institute of Agriculture and Rural Development (TRIARD)PerambalurB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture4Vanavarayar Institute of Agriculture (VIA)PollachiB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture5Imayam Institute of Agriculture and Technology (IIAT)TiruchirappalliB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture6PGP College of Agricultural Sciences (PGPCAS)NamakalB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture7RVS Agricultural CollegeThanjavurB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture8College of Agricultural Technology (CAT)TheniB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture9Kumaraguru Institute of Agriculture (KIA)ErodeB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture10JKK Munirajah College of Agricultural Science (JKKMCAS)ErodeB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture11Don Bosco College of AgricultureRanipettai DistrictB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture12RVS Padmavathy College of HorticultureDindugulB.Sc.(Hons.) Horticulture13JSA College of Agriculture and Technology (JSACAT)CuddaloreB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture14SRS Institute of Agriculture and Technology (SRSIAT)DindugulB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture15S. Thangapazham Agricultural College (STAC)TenkasiB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture16Sethu Bhaskara Agricultural College and Research FoundationKaraikudiB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture17Nammazhvar College of Agriculture and Technology (NCAT)RamanathapuramB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture18Adhiyamman College of Agriculture and ResearchKrishnagiriB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture19Krishna College of Agriculture and Technology (KRISAT)MaduraiB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture20The Indian Agricultural College (TIAC)ThirunelveliB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture21Nalanda College of Agriculture (NCA)TiruchirappalliB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture22Aravindhar Agricultural Institute of Technology (AAIT)ThiruvannamalaiB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture23Palar Agricultural College (PAC)VelloreB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture24Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Agriculture College (DSAC)PerambalurB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture25Mother Terasa College of Agriculture (MTCA)PudukkottaiB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture26Pushkaram College of Agriculture Sciences (PCAS)PudukkottaiB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture27MIT College of Agriculture and TechnologyTiruchirappalliB.Sc.(Hons.)Agriculture
Diploma in Agriculture
Diploma in Horticulture28Jaya Agricultural CollegeTiruvallurB.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture29Indian Institute of Food Processing TechnologyThanjavurB.Tech(FPE) M.Tech(FPE)
Ph.D(FPE)
M.Tech(FS&T)
Courses and grading system All the undergraduate programs take place for four academic years. Every academic year comprises two semesters, each of 105 working days. Every semester has numerous courses of which a student can register not more than 22 credit hours including non-gradial compulsory courses.
Courses are given with Credit hours like
AGR 101 INTRODUCTION TO AGRONOMY AND AGRICULTURE HERITAGE (1+1) Here, AGR 101 is the course code, INTRODUCTION TO AGRONOMY AND AGRICULTURE HERITAGE is the course title. 1+1 is the credit hour. It represents 1 Theory class ( 60 minutes) and 1 Practical class (150 minutes) per Week.
Similarly, if a course is (0+1) like PED 102 PHYSICAL EDUCATION, no theory classes involved.
Examination system The question preparation, scheduling, and evaluation all are done by the Controllerate of Examinations - TNAU (CoE) situated within the TNAU Coimbatore campus. To maintain the confidentiality of Question Paper, CoE sometimes depends on any ICAR Institute or any deemed University to set questions for TNAU semester exams.
UG courses Any UG Degree comprises four academic years. Every academic year is divided into two semesters, odd and even. Every semester has 105 working days. A mid-semester exam is conducted for all subjects at 55th working day and the following week. Final Practical Examination conducted at the last week of semester and the semester ends when the practical ends. Then the final Theory Examination is conducted and Holidays are announced.
According to 2025 Question system, Mid-Semester exam is quantized for 20 marks. 40 Multiple Choice questions to be answered in OMR Valuation Sheet. Each question carries 0.5 marks. Final practical Examination comprises 40 marks. And Final Theory Examination contributes 40 Marks.
These 20 + 40 + 40 summed up to 100.
50 out of 100 is a pass satisfying the conditions that An aggregate of 50% should be obtained separately in Mid-Semester + Theory and Practical. A candidate should get an GPA of 5 out of 10 to pass the semester. GPA of greater than 8 is considered First Class Pass.
PG, Doctoral courses The exam question pattern is similar but only the number of academic year changes. These candidates will have only two academic years.
Timeline
19th Century 1868: Agricultural School was started at Saidapet, Chennai (Madras).
20th Century 1906: The Saidapet Agricultural School was shifted to Coimbatore and foundation stone laid for Madras Agricultural College. 1908: Students were admitted to education program leading to Licentiate in Agriculture (L. Ag.) 1909: Opening of Agricultural College and Research Institute (AC & RI) by Sir Arthur Lawley. 1920: The AC & RI was affiliated to Madras University. A new course of study leading to a three-year degree in Agriculture -B.Sc. (Ag.) was started. 1945: Second Agricultural College was started at Bapatla (Now in Andhra Pradesh).