Education in Uttarakhand

18 major institutions — from IIT Roorkee (India’s oldest technical college, 1847) to AIIMS Rishikesh, IIM Kashipur, and the boarding schools that made Dehradun synonymous with elite education. Each entry covers programmes, how to get there, and what makes it significant.

Central Technical & Management Institutes

IIT

IIT Roorkee

Indian Institute of Technology

📍 Roorkee, Haridwar districtEst. 1847

About

India's oldest technical institution, founded as the Thomason College of Civil Engineering by the East India Company to train engineers for the Ganges Canal. Became one of the original seven IITs in 1951. The campus is a declared heritage precinct — 365 acres of colonial-era buildings, tree-lined avenues and the Solani aqueduct on its boundary.

Programmes & Admission

B.Tech (22 disciplines), M.Tech, MSc, MBA, and PhD programmes across engineering, sciences, architecture, management and humanities. The integrated dual-degree MSc programmes in physics, chemistry and mathematics are among the most competitive in the country.

How to reach

Roorkee is 110 km from Dehradun on NH-58. Frequent buses and shared cabs from Haridwar (30 km). The campus is walkable from Roorkee railway station.

Notable

Alumni include the founding engineers of the Indian Railways, IIT Delhi's founding director, and a long line of civil service officers. The Earthquake Engineering department here is among the best in Asia for Himalayan seismic research.

Medical

AIIMS Rishikesh

All India Institute of Medical Sciences

📍 Virbhadra Road, Rishikesh, Dehradun districtEst. 2012

About

Established under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana to bring AIIMS-quality healthcare to northern hill states. Serves as the region's apex tertiary referral centre — the only Level-1 trauma and super-speciality facility within 300 km. The campus borders the Rajaji National Park buffer.

Programmes & Admission

MBBS (100 seats), MD/MS across 40+ specialities, M.Sc nursing, B.Sc paramedical courses, and PhD. The MBBS admission is through NEET-UG; postgraduate seats are through INICET/NEET-PG.

How to reach

18 km from Rishikesh railway station. Frequent city buses and autos run to the campus. The Jolly Grant airport (Dehradun) is 35 km away.

Notable

The trauma centre here handles a significant proportion of pilgrimage-season medical emergencies from the Char Dham routes. The hospital runs free OPD for BPL patients and has a dedicated Disaster Medicine department for Himalayan mass-casualty events.

IIM

IIM Kashipur

Indian Institute of Management

📍 Bazpur Road, Kashipur, Udham Singh Nagar districtEst. 2011

About

One of six IIMs established in the sixth Five-Year Plan batch. Situated in the Terai-edge industrial corridor, it has developed a focus on agribusiness, rural management, and sustainability in addition to core MBA disciplines — reflecting its catchment of Kumaon's agricultural economy.

Programmes & Admission

PGP (MBA, 2 years), PGP-DM (Digital Management), Executive MBA (weekend), and Fellow Programme in Management (PhD). Admission through CAT for PGP; GMAT accepted for executive tracks.

How to reach

Kashipur is 250 km from Dehradun on the plains. Nearest railway station is Kashipur (5 km from campus). Pantnagar airport is 35 km away with flights to Delhi.

Notable

Strong corporate partnerships with FMCG and agri-sector firms. The Centre for Excellence in Sustainable Development runs field research across Kumaon villages. Placement average crosses ₹17 LPA for PGP batch.

NIT

NIT Uttarakhand

National Institute of Technology

📍 Srinagar (Garhwal), Pauri Garhwal districtEst. 2009

About

Established as part of the government's plan to set up NITs in all states. Currently runs from a government college campus in Srinagar while the permanent campus is under construction at Sumalsari near Pauri. One of the younger NITs, with a deliberately small intake to maintain faculty-to-student ratios in a hill setting.

Programmes & Admission

B.Tech in Civil, Electrical, Electronics & Communication, Computer Science, and Mechanical Engineering. M.Tech programmes in select disciplines. Admission through JEE Mains counselling (NIT+ category).

How to reach

Srinagar (Garhwal) is 105 km from Rishikesh on the Badrinath highway. Frequent buses from Rishikesh and Pauri. Do not confuse with Srinagar, Kashmir.

Notable

The campus setting in the Alaknanda valley gives it one of the most dramatic natural backdrops of any NIT in India. Research focus areas include Himalayan geotechnical engineering and hydrology.

Central & State Universities

University

HNB Garhwal University

Central University

📍 Srinagar (main), Pauri, Bhikiyasain campuses — Pauri Garhwal districtEst. 1973

About

Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University — named after Uttarakhand's defining political figure — is the largest central university in the hill states by student enrolment. The Srinagar campus sits on the right bank of the Alaknanda with a forest-backed hillside. The university has 186 affiliated colleges spread across Garhwal.

Programmes & Admission

Undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across arts, science, commerce, law, education, social work, and engineering. PhD across 60+ departments. The geology and botany departments have long track records of Himalayan research. The MBA and MCA programmes at the Birla campus (Bhikiyasain) are intake-limited.

How to reach

Srinagar campus is 105 km from Rishikesh. Hourly buses from Rishikesh and Pauri town. The campus is visible from the main highway — the main gate is at the 105 km marker on NH-58A.

Notable

One of the few universities with a dedicated Disaster Management department — a practical necessity given the university's location in a high seismic and landslide zone. The Birbal Sahni Institute of Paleosciences has collaborative research here.

University

Kumaon University

State University

📍 Nainital (main), with campuses in Almora, Bhimtal, Ranikhet, PithoragarhEst. 1973

About

The apex affiliating university for Kumaon division, established the same year as HNBGU to serve the eastern hill districts. The DSB campus in Nainital sits on the ridge above the lake — the setting is arguably the most scenic of any university campus in India. Around 150 affiliated colleges across Almora, Nainital, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar and Champawat districts.

Programmes & Admission

Arts, commerce, science, law, education and management at UG and PG levels. The botany, zoology, and geography departments run active Himalayan field research. MBA and MCA at select campuses. Admission to UG courses through state merit lists; PG through entrance tests.

How to reach

DSB campus is 2 km from Nainital bus stand, on Mallital side. Taxis available. Almora campus is in the town centre.

Notable

The Botanical Survey of India has long collaborated with the Nainital botany department on Kumaon flora documentation. The geography department operates a GIS lab focused on glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) risk mapping.

Deemed

Gurukul Kangri (Deemed) University

Deemed University

📍 Kangri, Haridwar district (6 km from Haridwar city)Est. 1902

About

Founded by Swami Shraddhanand in the Gurukul tradition — students were originally required to live on campus in the brahmacharya lifestyle, study Sanskrit alongside sciences, and address teachers in Sanskrit. The model has evolved but Sanskrit remains compulsory across programmes. The campus is a 125-acre riverside settlement on the upper Ganga with its own ghat.

Programmes & Admission

Vedic Studies, Sanskrit, Yoga, Ayurveda, Agriculture, Sciences and modern disciplines (engineering, management, pharmacy). A unique combination not found at any other deemed university in North India.

How to reach

6 km from Haridwar railway station by auto or city bus (Kangri route). The campus gate is on the Haridwar–Roorkee highway.

Notable

The Gurukul Museum holds one of the largest collections of Vedic manuscripts in private institutional custody. The Sanskrit grammar and Vedic phonetics programmes draw students from across India and from overseas.

Deemed

Patanjali University

Deemed University

📍 Patanjali Yogpeeth campus, HaridwarEst. 2006

About

Founded by Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna as the academic arm of the Patanjali Yogpeeth movement. The campus is shared with the Patanjali research labs, FMCG production units and the yoga ashram — making it one of the most unusual university settings in India. Enrolment has grown rapidly on the back of the brand's national reach.

Programmes & Admission

Yoga (B.Sc, M.Sc, PhD), Ayurveda (BAMS, MD Ayurveda), Agriculture, Pharmacy, and Humanities. The Yoga Science programme is the largest of its kind in any Indian university by enrolment.

How to reach

On the Haridwar–Delhi NH-58, 5 km from Haridwar railway station. Well-signed from the highway.

Notable

The adjacent Patanjali Research Institute is independently accredited and publishes peer-reviewed research on Ayurvedic formulations. The university's herbal garden maintains over 1,000 medicinal plant species.

Deemed

UPES (University of Petroleum and Energy Studies)

Deemed University

📍 Bidholi, DehradunEst. 2003

About

Established by the government of Uttarakhand to create specialised petroleum and energy sector talent. Has since expanded into law, business, design, and liberal arts while retaining its core energy-sector identity. The Bidholi campus sits on a hill above the Dehradun valley with a purpose-built facility including simulation labs for upstream oil and gas operations.

Programmes & Admission

Engineering (Petroleum, Chemical, Computer Science, Mechatronics, Fire & Safety), Law (BBA-LLB, LLM), MBA, Design (B.Des, M.Des), and Liberal Arts. Admission through UPESEAT or national entrance scores. Strong lateral placement into Cairn India, ONGC, Reliance and similar firms.

How to reach

18 km from Dehradun city centre by road. Campus buses run from the clock tower and Rajpur Road.

Notable

India's only university with an accredited offshore petroleum engineering simulation lab. Law school is among Uttarakhand's highest-ranked. The design school runs active industry collaborations with automotive firms.

Deemed

Graphic Era University

Deemed University

📍 Clement Town, DehradunEst. 1993

About

Started as a computer institute in 1993, gained deemed university status in 2008. One of Uttarakhand's largest private universities by student count (50,000+), with a second campus at Bhimtal (Graphic Era Hill University). Known for its engineering and technology programmes with strong corporate placement infrastructure.

Programmes & Admission

B.Tech (15+ specialisations), MBA, MCA, BCA, B.Sc, B.Pharm, Agriculture, Law and Liberal Arts. Graphic Era Hill University at Bhimtal focuses on hospitality, tourism, and hill-region development programmes.

How to reach

Clement Town campus is 8 km from Dehradun railway station. Frequent buses and shared autos from the clock tower.

Notable

Placement partners include Microsoft, TCS, Infosys, Wipro and over 300 companies. The Bhimtal campus's hospitality school runs live industry training at affiliated resorts in Kumaon.

Research Institutes

Research

Forest Research Institute (FRI)

Autonomous Research Institute — Ministry of Environment

📍 New Forest, DehradunEst. 1906

About

India's premier forestry research institution and a Grade I UNESCO World Heritage candidate for its colonial architecture. The 456-acre campus — originally the Imperial Forest School — is itself a curated forest with a deodar arboretum, bamboo groves and medicinal plant gardens. The main building is a masterpiece of Indo-Saracenic architecture with six museums inside it.

Programmes & Admission

PhD in forestry sciences (joint with HNBGU). Short-term training programmes for forest officers and rangers. The FRI museum is open to the public and is one of Dehradun's most underrated attractions — covering wood technology, silviculture, pathology, social forestry and soil science.

How to reach

5 km from Dehradun railway station on the New Forest road. Rickshaws and shared autos from Bindal Bridge. Museum open Tuesday–Sunday, 9:30 am–5 pm.

Notable

FRI developed the teak plantation systems used across India and Southeast Asia. The herbarium holds over 350,000 specimens — one of the largest in South Asia. The eucalyptus oil extraction process commercialised in India was developed here.

Research

Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology

Autonomous Institute — Department of Science & Technology

📍 DehradunEst. 1968

About

Named after D.N. Wadia, the father of Indian geology. The institute's entire research focus is the Himalayan mountain belt — plate tectonics, seismicity, glaciology, mineral resources, and geomorphology. Maintains field stations in Spiti, Ladakh and Uttarkashi for continuous monitoring.

Programmes & Admission

Research positions (JRF, SRF, PDF) and PhD (joint with universities). Not an undergraduate teaching institution. The institute's seismic network covers the entirety of Uttarakhand and feeds into the national earthquake early warning system.

How to reach

On Garhwal Terraces, near Survey of India colony. About 3 km from Dehradun clock tower.

Notable

Produced the most comprehensive geological map of the Himalaya. Research on the 1991 Uttarkashi and 1999 Chamoli earthquakes defined the current understanding of Himalayan seismicity. The institute's glacier mass balance data is cited by the IPCC.

Research

Survey of India — Headquarters

Government Agency — Principal Mapping Authority

📍 Hathibarkala Estate, DehradunEst. 1767

About

The national mapping agency of India and one of the oldest survey organisations in the world. Dehradun has been its headquarters since 1815 — the Survey School here trained the pundits who mapped Tibet and Afghanistan in disguise in the 19th century. All topographic maps of India originate here.

Programmes & Admission

The Survey Training Institute conducts programmes for government survey officers. Historical and current topographic maps of Uttarakhand are available for purchase at the SoI sales counter at the Hathibarkala campus.

How to reach

Hathibarkala Estate is 3 km from Dehradun railway station. Maps can be purchased at the survey sales office on weekdays.

Notable

The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India — which measured the height of Everest and established the prime meridian of India — was coordinated from this campus. The pundit explorers Nain Singh Rawat and Kishen Singh Rawat were trained here.

Defence Academies

Defence

Indian Military Academy (IMA)

Defence Academy — Army Officer Training

📍 IMA Campus, DehradunEst. 1932

About

India's premier army officer training academy, established after independence of Burma severed Indian officers' access to Sandhurst. The campus occupies 2,156 acres of deodar forest in the southern Dehradun valley. The Chetwode Hall and the passing-out parade ground are nationally known — the academy has commissioned over 57,000 officers since founding.

Programmes & Admission

Gentlemen Cadets undergo 18-month basic military training before commissioning as Second Lieutenants. Entry is through UPSC Combined Defence Services exam (CDS) or NDA for pre-graduation entry. Not open to civilian visitors; the passing-out parade in June and December is open with prior registration.

How to reach

IMA Road, 6 km from Dehradun railway station. The main gate is on the Chakrata road.

Notable

Alumni include three Indian Army Chiefs and the first chiefs of army of several South Asian nations. The Chetwode motto — "The safety, honour and welfare of your country comes first, always and every time" — is inscribed above the main hall.

Defence

Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC)

Defence Residential School

📍 Garhi Cantonment, DehradunEst. 1922

About

A residential school for boys aspiring to enter the National Defence Academy, founded as the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College. Admission is through a national entrance exam for Class 8 — one of the most competitive school admissions in India. Graduates go directly to NDA, IMA or equivalent service academies.

Programmes & Admission

Secondary and senior secondary schooling (CBSE) with a compulsory military training overlay: drill, athletics, team sports, and leadership exercises. The RIMC entry exam is held twice yearly (December and June) with state-wise allocation of seats.

How to reach

Garhi Cantonment, 4 km from Dehradun railway station on the Shimla bypass road.

Notable

Alumni have headed all three Indian armed services and the Coast Guard. Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw (Sam Bahadur) was a RIMC alumnus. The school's cricket and athletics programmes feed into national service teams.

Boarding Schools

School

The Doon School

Independent Residential School (Boys)

📍 Mall Road, DehradunEst. 1935

About

India's most recognisable boarding school, founded on the Eton model by Satish Ranjan Das with the explicit goal of creating an Indian equivalent for the Indian upper class. The campus occupies 70 acres in central Dehradun with a cricket oval, swimming pool, theatre and a library of over 50,000 volumes. Admission is through a national entrance test and interview at Class 7 or Class 9 level.

Programmes & Admission

CBSE curriculum with a strong co-curricular emphasis: the school runs its own farm, print shop, electronics workshop and newspaper. IB Diploma is offered in the senior years. Fees are among the highest of any school in India (approximately ₹18 lakh per annum).

How to reach

The school is on Mall Road, Dehradun — 1 km from the city clock tower. Entry for visitors only with prior appointment.

Notable

Alumni include two Prime Ministers (Rajiv Gandhi, I.K. Gujral), the founder of Infosys (N.R. Narayana Murthy), Vikram Seth (author of A Suitable Boy), and a significant proportion of India's corporate and diplomatic elite of the last five decades.

School

Welham Girls' School

Independent Residential School (Girls)

📍 Circular Road, DehradunEst. 1957

About

Founded by Florence Naipaul (no relation to V.S. Naipaul) and Eleanor Waugh as a girls' school to complement the Doon School tradition. Shares the Doon School's emphasis on academic rigour, debate, drama and sports. The campus borders the Rispana riverbed forest on the eastern edge of Dehradun.

Programmes & Admission

CBSE curriculum for Classes 3–12, with boarding from Class 5. Music, drama, debating and community service are compulsory co-curriculars. Admission through written test and interview.

How to reach

Circular Road, 4 km from Dehradun railway station. Welham Boys' School (a separate institution) is nearby.

Notable

Alumni include Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, author Namita Gokhale, and a generation of India's senior women civil servants, journalists and academics.

School

The Doon School (Welham Boys)

Independent Residential School (Boys) — Junior Feeder

📍 DehradunEst. 1937

About

Welham Boys' School (not to be confused with Welham Girls') was founded as a preparatory school that fed students into the Doon School. It is now independently recognised and offers full schooling from Class 1 to Class 12. One of Dehradun's strongest feeder schools into national IIT/JEE preparation streams.

Programmes & Admission

CBSE curriculum, Classes 1–12. Day and boarding options. Strong science and mathematics programme with a dedicated IIT-JEE coaching block.

How to reach

Circular Road, adjacent to Welham Girls' School.

Notable

A significant proportion of Doon School senior batch students entered through the Welham Boys' junior school. The school's cricket programme has produced several Uttarakhand state-level players.

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