How the Think Grads Rating ranks colleges

The Think Grads Rating (1.0 to 5.0) ranks colleges for one course at a time, using official data only:

Academic standing: NAAC accreditation grade and score, and NIRF rank where the college is ranked.
Student demand: closing ranks in official counselling (JoSAA, state CAP rounds and other state counselling), measured against everyone who took that exam.
Approvals and standing: AICTE or UGC approval, no appearance on any official fake-institution list, and years since the college was set up.
Outcomes and value: official placement and fee disclosures, once they are verified.
Transparency: how much official information the college publishes.

Each factor is compared with every college in India that offers the same course. A college needs at least three factors, one of them academic standing or student demand, to be rated. Lists are reviewed every month when new official data arrives. Colleges cannot pay to be listed or to change their position.