University of Madras

What is the fee structure at University of Madras?

The fee structure at University of Madras is among the most affordable for a government university in Tamil Nadu, with total programme fees in 2026 ranging from roughly Rs 9,822 for an arts master's to about Rs 1.78 Lakh for the priciest professional specialisations. For its flagship professional courses, the University of Madras charges a total course fee of around Rs 53,482 for the 2-year MBA and Rs 42,172 for the 2-year MCA in 2026, both admitted through TANCET. Undergraduate tuition at University of Madras typically falls between Rs 3,200 and the higher end of the UG band, while postgraduate (PG) courses span Rs 9,822 to Rs 1.78 Lakh depending on the discipline. Because University of Madras is a state university, these fees are a fraction of what comparable private institutions in Chennai charge, and SC/ST and differently-abled students benefit from substantial state-funded waivers described later on this page.

The University of Madras also levies a one-time registration fee of about Rs 120 at the time of entry for Indian students, over and above tuition and other charges. The figures below are drawn from the University of Madras course pages and are subject to revision each academic session, so always confirm the exact head-wise breakup on the department admission notice before paying.

Course-Wise Fee Structure (2026)

The table below sets out the total course fee at University of Madras for its most-applied-for UG and PG programmes in 2026, alongside the standard duration and eligibility. It answers the single most common question an aspirant asks: "how much will my degree at University of Madras actually cost?" Read each row as the full-programme cost (not per year) unless stated; where the University of Madras has published a confirmed total fee in our records, the exact figure is shown, and where only a published range exists for the programme, that range is noted. Professional courses such as the MBA and MCA carry the highest confirmed fees because they are TANCET-admitted, while arts and science degrees remain the cheapest.

The clear takeaway for 2026 is that University of Madras keeps professional-course fees low by national standards: an MBA at Rs 53,482 and an MCA at Rs 42,172 cost less than a single year at most private B-schools in Chennai. Arts and commerce master's programmes start near Rs 9,822, making University of Madras one of the cheapest routes to a PG qualification in Tamil Nadu, though science specialisations and self-financed courses sit at the upper end of the published range.

Year-Wise Fee Changes

This section answers "has University of Madras raised its fees recently?" Below is how the confirmed professional-course fees have tracked across 2024, 2025 and 2026, so an applicant can judge whether to budget for an increase. University of Madras fees are revised by the syndicate from time to time, and the small movements seen in published figures generally reflect changes in examination, registration and miscellaneous heads rather than a sharp tuition hike.

The trend at University of Madras is reassuring for 2026 applicants: MCA fees have stayed almost unchanged at around Rs 42,000 across 2024-2026, and the MBA has moved only modestly to Rs 53,482. There has been no steep fee hike, so a student planning to join in 2026 can budget against these figures with confidence, while keeping a small buffer for annual registration and examination charges.

Scholarships & Fee Waivers at University of Madras

University of Madras offers several state-backed and endowment scholarships that materially reduce the effective fee. The most significant is the concession for SC/ST students, who receive substantial fee waivers under Tamil Nadu state schemes, and differently-abled students, for whom full scholarship support is provided. These waivers can bring the net tuition for an eligible SC/ST student well below the headline figures listed above.

Beyond category-based support, University of Madras administers SC/ST/MBC and Government Merit Scholarships along with a number of endowment scholarships, including awards funded by the Rotary Club of Madras, the Lions International endowment and the Periyar Endowment Scholarship. Merit-based aid of up to around Rs 5,000 per year is available to top-performing students in several departments, such as M.Sc programmes. University of Madras also does not charge an application fee from SC/ST/SCA/SCC candidates of Tamil Nadu for their first application, an additional saving at the admission stage. Students should apply for these scholarships through their department office and the Tamil Nadu e-scholarship portal soon after admission, since most are disbursed against verified category and income certificates.