# Manipal Academy of Higher Education

> Manipal Academy of Higher Education is a private deemed-to-be university in Manipal, Karnataka, whose Institution of Eminence campus town groups health sciences, engineering, management, communication, design and liberal arts institutes in one place. International applicants are admitted through a separate Foreign/NRI category run by MAHE's own International Admissions Office.

- Canonical page: https://www.studentstraffic.com/university/manipal-academy-of-higher-education
- Last reviewed: 2026-07-12
- Publisher: Students Traffic (https://www.studentstraffic.com/)

## Key facts

- Location: Manipal, [India](https://www.studentstraffic.com/countries/india)
- Type: Private
- Established: 1953
- Official website: https://www.manipal.edu/mu.html
- Published programmes on Students Traffic: 5

## Recognition and approvals

- UGC Institution of Eminence — notified 14 October 2020
- Deemed to be University - declared by the Government of India, June 1993
- NAAC — Accredited A++, CGPA 3.65, Cycle 3 (declared May 2022)
- NBA Tier I (Washington Accord) — Manipal Institute of Technology B.Tech programmes accredited to 30 June 2028
- NBA Management PG — TAPMI MBA accredited 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2031
- NBA Pharmacy UG — Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences accredited to 30 June 2028
- UGC Graded Autonomy - Category I (UGC letter dated 4 October 2023)
- NIRF India Rankings 2025 - Rank 3 in the University category, Ministry of Education
- AACSB Accredited - T. A. Pai Management Institute, constituent unit of MAHE
- AMBA Accredited - TAPMI MBA programmes
- ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 50001:2018 certified
- Verify: [NAAC accreditation status register - A++, CGPA 3.65, Cycle 3 declared May 2022](https://naac.gov.in/index.php/en/2-uncategorised/32-accreditation-status)
- Verify: [UGC Institution of Eminence list - MAHE notified 14 October 2020](https://ioe.ugc.ac.in/Home/ListofIOE)
- Verify: [National Board of Accreditation register - Manipal Institute of Technology and TAPMI](https://www.nbaind.org/accreditationprogram)
- Verify: [NIRF India Rankings 2025 - University category list, Ministry of Education](https://www.nirfindia.org/Rankings/2025/UniversityRanking.html)
- Verify: [UGC Graded Autonomy Category I letter dated 4 October 2023](https://www.manipal.edu/content/dam/manipal/mu/documents/mahe/compliance/UGC%2004_10_2023-Graded%20autonomy%20Cat_I.pdf)
- Verify: [AACSB accreditation record - T. A. Pai Management Institute](https://www.aacsb.edu/accredited/t/t-a-pai-management-institute)
- Verify: [MAHE history and Institution of Eminence status](https://www.manipal.edu/mu/about-us/history.html)

## Programmes

| Programme | Course | Duration | Medium | Tuition per year |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [B.Tech in Computer Science & Engineering](https://www.studentstraffic.com/mahe-manipal-btech-computer-science-engineering) | B.E./B.Tech CSE | 4 years | English | $9,450 (2026-27) |
| [B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering](https://www.studentstraffic.com/mahe-manipal-btech-mechanical-engineering) | B.E./B.Tech Mechanical | 4 years | English | $4,350 (2026-27) |
| [Bachelor of Physiotherapy (B.PT)](https://www.studentstraffic.com/mahe-manipal-bachelor-of-physiotherapy) | BPT | 5 years | English | $4,350 (2026-27) |
| [B.A. Media & Communication](https://www.studentstraffic.com/mahe-manipal-ba-media-and-communication) | Bachelor's Media | 3 years | English | $2,750 (2026-27) |
| [MBA (Core), T. A. Pai Management Institute, Manipal](https://www.studentstraffic.com/mahe-tapmi-manipal-mba) | MBA | 2 years | English | $13,800 (2026-27) |

## Why students choose it

- MAHE allocates 15 per cent of seats to the Foreign/NRI category, so international applicants compete within a defined quota rather than against the open domestic merit list.
- MAHE states that Foreign/NRI admissions to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes run on first-come, merit basis from the qualifying examination with no entrance examination, apart from the NEET-governed medical and dental programmes and NATA-governed architecture.
- International-category students admitted to eligible undergraduate and postgraduate programmes receive a 20 per cent waiver on the programme fee for the full duration of the course, subject to annual academic-progress conditions.

## Things to consider

- OCI and PIO card holders who secured the card before 4 March 2021 are treated as Indian nationals under the Supreme Court decision of 3 February 2023 and are not admitted under the Foreign/NRI category; those who obtained the card after that date are considered under the Foreign category only.
- The MBA at T. A. Pai Management Institute is an exception to MAHE's general no-entrance-test rule for international applicants: foreign national and PIO candidates need a valid GMAT score, and an IELTS score of 5.0 where required, then a group discussion, written ability test and personal interview.
- Foreign students admitted to health science courses such as medicine, dentistry and nursing need a No Objection Certificate from the Government of India, which MAHE applies for after enrolment; engineering, architecture, pharmacy, management and hotel management programmes are exempt, so visa timelines differ by discipline.

## Best fit for

- Foreign nationals, NRIs and NRI-sponsored candidates who want an English-taught Indian degree with a published US-dollar fee schedule and a named international admissions contact.
- Applicants holding GCE A Level or International Baccalaureate qualifications, for which MAHE publishes subject-by-subject entry equivalences programme by programme.
- Engineering applicants who want an overseas exit route, since MIT Manipal runs two-plus-two dual degrees with Monash University, the Australian National University, Macquarie University, Deakin University and the University of Auckland.

## Campus and city

The Manipal campus is a university town on a plateau in Karnataka's Udupi district, with more than 35,000 students drawn from over 60 countries, around 3,000 faculty and roughly 40 institutes, teaching departments and centres. Sport centres on MARENA, an indoor complex with five badminton courts, four squash courts, three tennis courts, a basketball court, a gymnasium and a walking track. Academic infrastructure includes one of Asia's largest health sciences libraries, an anatomy museum, a simulation laboratory using computer-driven manikins, an AICTE IDEA Lab and a business incubation centre, across a Wi-Fi-enabled campus.

Manipal sits on a plateau in Karnataka's Udupi district on India's south-west coast and works as a university town organised around MAHE rather than as a district of a large metropolitan centre; the campus postal address is Manipal 576104, Karnataka. MAHE also runs campuses at Mangaluru, Bengaluru and Jamshedpur, plus an offshore campus in Dubai, so the campus a programme is taught at matters when comparing fees and dates - every programme packaged here is taught at Manipal. Teaching and university administration are conducted in English. The regional climate is tropical coastal, with the south-west monsoon typically running June to September, which overlaps the July orientation and class-commencement window used by most Manipal undergraduate programmes. Hostel wardens for the health sciences campus, the technology and management campus and the TAPMI campus are separate offices with separate contact points, which matters when arranging accommodation from abroad.

Practical training is organised institute by institute rather than centrally. The Computer Science and Engineering department at Manipal Institute of Technology names Monash University and the Australian National University as two-plus-two dual-degree partners and State University of New York, Binghamton for a 3.5-plus-1.5 pathway, and lists teaching and research tie-ups with IBM, Cisco, Samsung, Schneider Electric, the Data Security Council of India, the Information Sharing and Analysis Center and Infosys Springboard. The mechanical engineering department runs AI labs under Intel Unnati and lists recruiters including Bosch, Daimler India, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, L&T, Maruti Suzuki, Volvo, Honeywell and Goldman Sachs. In MAHE's 2025 NIRF submission to the Ministry of Education, 1,650 of the 2,832 students who graduated from four-year undergraduate programmes in 2023-24 were placed, 591 went on to higher studies and the median annual salary of placed graduates was INR 800,000. Manipal Institute of Communication runs a newsroom set-up, podcast studios, digital editing suites and film screening rooms, and places students in internships with media houses, PR firms and advertising agencies. The Bachelor of Physiotherapy programme is taught with access to hospital facilities on the same campus for supervised clinical practice, followed by a compulsory internship after the coursework years.


## Hostel, food and safety

Hostels are allotted online through MAHE's Hostel Management System for domestic entrants, but at the MIT Manipal campus Foreign/NRI students apply by emailing the Chief Warden's office at chiefwarden.mit@manipal.edu; the allotment list is issued about 15 days before classes begin and the fee is remitted by wire transfer. Published 2026 Foreign/NRI rates at that campus are USD 1,450 a year for a deluxe air-conditioned double with attached bath and USD 2,030 for a single air-conditioned room with attached bath, plus a USD 200 refundable deposit and a USD 140 to USD 200 air-conditioning electricity advance. The annual mess advance is billed separately at INR 62,000. Hostel fees cover one academic year and are renewed before each subsequent year.

Mess membership is compulsory for all first-year undergraduates living in MAHE hostels and is charged as an annual advance of INR 62,000 for 2026 entrants, quoted in rupees even where the hostel fee itself is billed in US dollars. Campus messes are run by MAHE-approved vendors and students choose among them rather than being assigned one. Food taken outside the mess, books and personal expenses sit outside the MAHE international merit scholarship, which is a waiver on the programme fee only.

MAHE publishes an anti-ragging squad, a gender sensitisation and prevention policy and an ombudsperson channel for student grievances, and signposts Tele MANAS, India's toll-free mental-health helpline, on its admissions pages. International students need a valid Registration Certificate or Residential Permit to travel inside or outside India during the course, and must surrender it to immigration on final departure.

The International Admissions Office (intladm@manipal.edu) handles Foreign/NRI applications and eligibility checks on foreign qualifications, issues the confirmed-admission letter used for the student visa application, applies on students' behalf for the health-sciences No Objection Certificate after enrolment, and assists with e-FRRO registration, Registration Certificate collection and later visa extensions.


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Manipal Academy of Higher Education a public or a private university?

MAHE is a private, self-financing institution. It began in 1953 with a self-financing medical college set up as a public-private collaboration, was declared a Deemed to be University by the Government of India in June 1993, and was notified as an Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University by the UGC on 14 October 2020. It is not a state or central government university, and its fees are not government-subsidised outside specific scholarship and government-nominated routes.

### Who can apply under the Foreign/NRI category, and is there an entrance examination?

The Foreign/NRI category is open to foreign nationals, candidates with NRI status, candidates sponsored by an NRI relative, OCI card holders and PIO card holders, and covers 15 per cent of seats. MAHE states that Foreign/NRI admissions to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes are made on a first-come, merit basis from the 10+2 or bachelor's degree result, with no entrance examination. The named exceptions are MBBS, BDS, MD, MS, MDS, DM and MCh, which run through NEET and central or state counselling, and B.Arch, which requires NATA or JEE Main Paper II. The MBA at TAPMI separately requires GMAT for foreign national and PIO applicants.

### Does MAHE accept GCE A Levels and the International Baccalaureate?

Yes. MAHE publishes A Level and IB entry routes programme by programme in its 2026 eligibility document. Typically, undergraduate applicants need the required subjects at A Level plus English at AS Level or five passes at IGCSE, GCSE or GCE O Level including English, with an average grade of D in the required subjects. IB applicants need a Diploma or Certificate with three subjects at Higher Level and three at Standard Level, at least 3 points in any counted subject and 24 points overall. Candidates holding other foreign qualifications must submit an equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities.

### Is an English language test such as IELTS or TOEFL required?

MAHE does not publish a blanket IELTS or TOEFL requirement for undergraduate entry. Its published A Level and IB routes instead require English inside the qualifying examination - English at AS Level, or five passes at IGCSE, GCSE or GCE O Level including English, or English within the IB subject set. The exception in this set of programmes is the MBA at TAPMI, where foreign national and PIO applicants may be asked for an IELTS score of 5.0 alongside a compulsory GMAT score.

### What does a B.Tech in Computer Science cost in total for an international applicant?

For the 2026-27 Foreign/NRI schedule, B.Tech in Computer Science & Engineering at MIT Manipal is USD 9,450 tuition plus USD 5,700 other fees per year across four annual instalments, giving a published programme total of USD 60,800 including a USD 200 refundable caution deposit. Accommodation is billed separately: USD 1,450 a year for a deluxe air-conditioned double room at the MIT campus plus a USD 200 refundable deposit and a USD 140 air-conditioning advance, and an annual meal arrangements advance of INR 62,000. A 20 per cent international merit scholarship, where awarded, applies to the programme fee only.

### How does an international applicant actually apply?

Applications are made online through MAHE's admissions portal at apply.manipal.edu, choosing the international category. The applicant uploads eligibility documents, including proof of foreign national, OCI, PIO, NRI or NRI-sponsored status, receives a provisional admission offer, pays the first-year fee, then receives a provisional admission order and submits final results before the admission order is issued. MAHE states that all admissions are through its own admissions department and that it uses no agents, middlemen or consultants. Queries on foreign qualifications go to intladm@manipal.edu.

### Do international students need a No Objection Certificate from the Government of India?

It depends on the discipline. MAHE states that foreign students admitted to health science courses such as medicine, dentistry and nursing require a No Objection Certificate from the Government of India, and that its International Admissions Office applies for that certificate on their behalf after they register and classes start. Under a 2004 resolution of the then Ministry of Human Resource Development, no such certificate is needed for engineering and technology, architecture and town planning, pharmacy, applied arts, MBA, MCA or hotel management programmes.

### What visa is required, and what has to be done after arriving in India?

MAHE states that international students may be on campus only on a Student Visa and that students on a tourist visa cannot be admitted to any programme. The confirmed admission letter issued after the first-year fee is paid is what the applicant takes to an Indian embassy or consulate for the visa. After arrival, students at the Manipal, Mangalore, Bangalore and Jamshedpur campuses must register online through the e-FRRO portal within 14 days. The Residential Permit is issued for a maximum of one year or until the visa expires, whichever is earlier, and must be renewed at least a month before it lapses.

### Are OCI and PIO card holders treated as international applicants?

Only in part, and the date on the card decides it. Following the Supreme Court decision of 3 February 2023 in Writ Petition (Civil) 891 of 2021, OCI and PIO candidates who secured the card before 4 March 2021 are considered Indian nationals for MAHE admission purposes and apply in the general category. Candidates who obtained an OCI or PIO card after that date are considered under the Foreign category only. Proof required includes the OCI or PIO card and a copy of a parent's passport.

### What scholarships are available to international students?

MAHE awards a Scholar-category scholarship to students admitted under the International Students category to eligible undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, giving a 20 per cent waiver on the programme fee for the full course duration. It does not apply to B.Sc. Nursing, MBBS, BDS, MD, MS, MDS, DM, MCh or PhD programmes, and it does not cover campus logistics, daily living or book costs. Students admitted through Study in India, COMPEX or Indian Council for Cultural Relations schemes already receive a subsidised fee structure and are not eligible for this scholarship. Continuation each year depends on clearing all subjects in the previous year's university examinations.

### When are the intakes and application deadlines?

MAHE runs a single main annual intake with teaching starting in July for most Manipal undergraduate programmes. In the 2026 cycle, the last date to apply was 30 April for B.Tech programmes at MIT Manipal, with orientation on 14 and 15 July for computer science streams and 16 and 17 July for other streams and classes from 20 July; 15 July for Manipal College of Health Professions bachelor's programmes, with classes from 21 July; and 31 July for Manipal Institute of Communication programmes. The TAPMI MBA runs on its own calendar, with Term I of the 2026-28 batch listed as commencing in June or July 2026.

### What accommodation is available and what does it cost?

MAHE runs separate campus logistics systems by campus. At the MIT Manipal campus, Foreign/NRI students apply for a room by emailing the Chief Warden's office and are told their allotment about 15 days before classes begin, paying by wire transfer. Published 2026 Foreign/NRI rates are USD 1,450 a year for a deluxe air-conditioned double with attached bath, USD 1,590 for an air-conditioned double in the girls' campus logistics and USD 2,030 for a single air-conditioned room, plus a USD 200 refundable deposit and an air-conditioning electricity advance. meal arrangements membership is compulsory for first-year undergraduates and is charged as an INR 62,000 annual advance.

### What do the NAAC A++ grade and Institution of Eminence status actually mean?

NAAC is the accreditation body of the University Grants Commission; its register records MAHE at A++ with a CGPA of 3.65 in Cycle 3, declared May 2022. That is an institution-wide assessment, not a statement about one programme. Institution of Eminence is a UGC designation notified on 14 October 2020, carrying greater academic autonomy. Programme-level engineering accreditation is separate: the National Board of Accreditation places MIT Manipal's B.Tech programmes in Tier I under the Washington Accord to 30 June 2028. None of these decide whether the degree is recognised for practice or further study in an applicant's home country, which that country's own regulator sets.


## Sources

- [MAHE - International Admissions: Foreign / NRI Category, Who Can Apply](https://www.manipal.edu/international.html) (checked 2026-08-22)
- [MAHE - Eligibility & Admission Process 2026: Undergraduate programs under General / Foreign / NRI category](https://www.manipal.edu/content/dam/manipal/mu/documents/Admissions/adm2026/UG%20Eligibility%202026.pdf) (checked 2026-08-22)
- [MAHE - Eligibility & Admission Process 2026: Postgraduate programs under General / Foreign / NRI category](https://www.manipal.edu/content/dam/manipal/mu/documents/Admissions/adm2026/PG%20Eligibility%202026.pdf) (checked 2026-08-22)
- [MAHE - 2026-27 Foreign / NRI Category Course Fees schedule (as on 18 June 2026)](https://www.manipal.edu/content/dam/manipal/mu/documents/Admissions/adm2026/2026-27%20NRI%20Fees%20as%20on%2018-06-2026.pdf) (checked 2026-08-22)
- [MAHE - Prospectus 2026, Section 3: Schedule of Hostel Facilities Fees](https://www.manipal.edu/content/dam/manipal/mu/documents/Admissions/adm2026/2026%20Prospectus%20File%2077_Section%203%20Hostel%20Fees_20.07.2026.pdf) (checked 2026-08-22)
- [MAHE - Admission Dates to Remember 2026](https://www.manipal.edu/mu/admission/dates-to-remember.html) (checked 2026-08-22)
- [MAHE Scholarships 2026 guidelines](https://www.manipal.edu/content/dam/manipal/mu/documents/Admissions/adm2026/mahe_scholarships_2026_v17.pdf) (checked 2026-08-22)
- [MAHE - History and institutional status](https://www.manipal.edu/mu/about-us/history.html) (checked 2026-08-22)
- [NIRF India Rankings 2025 - University category, Ministry of Education](https://www.nirfindia.org/Rankings/2025/UniversityRanking.html) (checked 2026-08-22)
- [NIRF India Rankings 2025 - data submitted by Manipal Academy of Higher Education](https://www.nirfindia.org/nirfpdfcdn/2025/pdf/University/IR-O-U-0234.pdf) (checked 2026-08-22)
- [NAAC - Accreditation Status register of institutions with valid accreditation](https://naac.gov.in/index.php/en/2-uncategorised/32-accreditation-status) (checked 2026-08-22)
- [National Board of Accreditation - accreditation programme register](https://www.nbaind.org/accreditationprogram) (checked 2026-08-22)
- [UGC Institution of Eminence - List of IoE institutions](https://ioe.ugc.ac.in/Home/ListofIOE) (checked 2026-08-22)
- [MAHE mandatory disclosure - NAAC and NBA accreditation status, Manipal campus](https://www.manipal.edu/content/dam/manipal/mu/documents/mahe/mandatory-disclosure/NAAC%20NBA%20accreditaiton%20status%20Manipal%20campus.pdf) (checked 2026-08-22)
- [TAPMI - Admissions: eligibility, NRI and foreign national criteria, fees and key dates](https://www.tapmi.edu.in/admissions/) (checked 2026-08-22)
- [Manipal Institute of Communication - B.A./B.A. (Hons) in Media and Communication](https://www.manipal.edu/soc/program-list/ba-media-and-communication.html) (checked 2026-08-22)
- [Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs - registration requirements for foreign nationals](https://www.boi.gov.in/boi/contents/registration-authority/registration-of-foreign-nationals/registration-requirements) (checked 2026-08-22)

## Free counselling

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- Contact: https://www.studentstraffic.com/contact
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