India's top Commerce colleges

The results of the 14th India Today annual survey of the top colleges in India were declared last week. The poll ranked 1,500 colleges in the streams of science, arts, commerce, medicine, engineering and law.

Today we take a look at the top 10 commerce colleges in the country and what sets them apart from the hundreds of others.

Moving up one slot to take top spot is St Xavier's College, Kolkata.

The college's commerce department opened in 1946 and has since then grown into one of the most well-recognised courses, catering to nearly 3,000 students.

The institution offers three undergrad courses in the commerce stream -- accounting and finance, marketing management and e-commerce, all with the option of an honours programme.

The college has a rich history dotted with students who have gone on to achieve much in their chosen fields. These include steel magnate LN Mittal, actor Utpal Dutt, businessman Vijay Mallya and tennis player Leander Paes.

After 12 years of dominating the rankings, Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi, finally slides down to number 2 on the list.

Spread across a sprawling 17-acre campus with robust infrastructure and superlative teaching staff, the college offers a bachelor's programme (honours) with subjects including enterprise research planning, rural finance, business data processing and HR management.

Some of the well-known personalities that have studied here include MP Arun Jaitley and diplomat and author Navtej Sarna.

Staying put at number 3 is the 85-year-old Loyola College, Chennai.

The college has a long standing tradition of excellence in teaching and education, one that has ensured that it remains one of the most well-recognised names in commerce education.

It runs two shifts (aided and non-aided) for its B.Com. programme offering subjects such as marketing research, entrepreneurship, banking and business law.

This college too has a long list of students who have gone on to illustrious careers. Some of them include former president R Venkataraman, home minister P Chidambaram, late management guru CK Prahalad, chess champion Vishwanathan Anand and actor Arvind Swamy.

Moving up one spot from last year is Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi.

Established in 1956, the college had humble beginnings. It has since then grown into one of the country's premier educational institutions with nearly 2,000 students and over 150 staff.

The commerce programme is well supported by able staff, an exhaustive library and a number of societies to assist students.

Some of the college's notable alumni include Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, politician Maneka Gandhi, HSBC India head Naina Lal Kidwai and actor Shriya Saran.

Moving down one slot to land at number 5 is Christ College, Bangalore.

The institution offers a comprehensive list of programmes at the bachelor's, master's, MPhil and PhD levels, all of which are well-recognised as quality courses with a balanced mix of theory and practical learning.

Some of the departments under the commerce deanery include tourism studies, management studies, hotel management and professional studies.

Spread across a 25-acre campus, it was granted deemed status in 2008 and is currently ranked an A+ institution by the NAAC.

Moving up three spots from last year is Delhi's Hans Raj College.

Admission to the college is much sought after, thanks to its comprehensive programme that offers a variety of subjects relevant to today's business environment.

The programme is also ably supported by a team of reputed authors and experienced professors.

Established in 1983, Symbiosis, Pune is the youngest college on the list, a testamenet to the quality of the education it imparts and the facilities it offers.

Symbiosis has 10 departments supporting its commerce programme, some of which include accountancy, banking, marketing and business law.

Over 2,800 students attend the college's undergrad programme and it has been accredited A grade by the NAAC.

Moving up from number 11 last year to eighth spot is KPB Hinduja College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai.

Established in 1974 with a student strength of 400, it is today one of the country's leading commerce colleges with over 4,000 students.

Accredited with B++ rating by the NAAC, the college's commerce section is supported by an experienced staff, modern infrastructure and well-planned academic programme.

Another new entrant into the top 10 is Mt Carmel, Bangalore, moving up 5 spots to number 9.

Established in 1948, this primarily women's college is rated A+ by NAAC and offers subjects such as business mathematics, financial accounting, principles of management and business economics among others as part of its commerce programme.

Some of the famous names that have studied here include Margaret Alva, diplomat Nirupama Roy, athlete Ashwini Nachappa and Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw.

Rounding off the top 10 is St Joseph's, Bangalore, slipping 3 places.

An autonomous college, it offers an integrated bachelor's in commerce programme along with four other commerce courses.

The 128-year institution is one of the oldest in Karnataka state and has over the years produced a number of achievers in fields as diverse as politics, the armed forces, business, sports and media.

Some of the distinguished names that have attended here are TV Mohandas Pai (Infosys director) and cricketer Rahul Dravid.