Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, was established under the Punjab Agricultural University Act, 1961, coming into existence in October 1962 as the third agricultural university in India, after Pantnagar and Bhubaneswar. Its continuing legal basis after the 1966 Punjab-Haryana reorganisation is the Haryana and Punjab Agricultural Universities Act, 1970, which formally separated it from a parallel Haryana Agricultural University.
The university is accredited under ICAR's NAEAB (National Agricultural Education Accreditation Board) framework rather than NAAC, holding Grade A+, score 3.59 out of 4.00, valid 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2029, confirmed via PAU's own announcement of its most recent accreditation. It ranked 3rd in NIRF 2025 Agriculture and Allied Sectors category (score 75.83) and 64th in University category (score 50.84), both confirmed directly against nirfindia.org.
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Established | 1961 Act, functioning from October 1962; continuing basis under the 1970 Act |
| Type | State agricultural university, Punjab |
| Accreditation | ICAR/NAEAB, Grade A+, score 3.59/4.00, valid to 31 March 2029 (not NAAC) |
| NIRF 2025 Agriculture and Allied Sectors | Rank 3 (score 75.83) |
| NIRF 2025 University | Rank 64 (score 50.84) |
| Main campus | Ludhiana, roughly 1,221 acres |
| Off-campus land | Roughly 5,463 acres across research and seed farms |
| Constituent colleges | 6: Agriculture, Agriculture (Ballowal Saunkhri), Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Basic Sciences and Humanities, Community Science, Horticulture and Forestry |
| UG admission | PAU CET, the university's own entrance test |
| PG admission | PAU MET, plus a separate Agriculture Aptitude Test for some tracks |
PAU organises its academic offerings across 6 constituent colleges: the College of Agriculture, an outstation College of Agriculture at Ballowal Saunkhri, the College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology (established 1964), the College of Basic Sciences and Humanities (established 1965), the College of Community Science (renamed from College of Home Science in 2019), and the College of Horticulture and Forestry, alongside Pre-Graduation Institutes of Agriculture at Gurdaspur and Bathinda.
Admission to undergraduate programmes runs through PAU CET, the university's own entrance test, administered as an offline exam. Postgraduate admission runs through PAU MET, the university's own postgraduate entrance test, with a separate Agriculture Aptitude Test running for some tracks. This is distinct from the national ICAR AIEEA exam and from pure merit-based selection.
| Route | Programmes |
|---|---|
| PAU CET, the university's own test | Undergraduate programmes |
| PAU MET, the university's own test | Postgraduate programmes |
| Agriculture Aptitude Test | Select postgraduate tracks |
For the 2026-27 cycle, PAU CET (undergraduate) applications closed 8 May 2026, with the exam held 14 June 2026. Postgraduate registration closed 18 May 2026. Phase-1 counselling document verification ended 26 July 2026. As of this writing, the main 2026-27 admission cycle has already run its course, and this page does not describe admissions as currently open.
Punjab Agricultural University ranked 3rd in NIRF 2025 Agriculture and Allied Sectors category (score 75.83), behind only IARI New Delhi and NDRI Karnal, and 64th in University category (score 50.84), both confirmed directly against nirfindia.org. It holds ICAR/NAEAB accreditation, Grade A+, score 3.59 out of 4.00, valid to 31 March 2029.
PAU's main campus in Ludhiana spans roughly 1,221 acres, with an additional roughly 5,463 acres across 6 Regional Research Stations, 3 Fruit Research Stations, and 4 Seed Farms, confirmed via the university's own general-information document.
Rank 3 nationally (score 75.83), verified directly against nirfindia.org
Grade A+, score 3.59/4.00, valid through March 2029
The third agricultural university established in India, functioning since 1962
Spanning Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Basic Sciences, Community Science, and Horticulture and Forestry
Roughly 1,221 acres on the main campus plus 5,463 acres across regional research and seed farms
| Framework | Category | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIRF | Agriculture | 2025 | #3 |
| NIRF | State Public University | 2025 | #28 |
| NIRF | University | 2025 | #64 |
| NIRF | Overall | 2025 | #81 |
No independently verifiable, individually sourced notable alumni could be confirmed for this institution at the time of writing. This section is left out rather than populated with unconfirmed names.
2 courses offered. Fees in INR lakhs.
| Course | Specialization | Duration | Total seats | Total fee | Avg package |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B.Sc (Bachelor of Science) | — | — | — | — | — |
| B.Tech (Bachelor of Technology) | — | — | — | — | — |
Campus size, faculty strength, hostel facilities, and academic infrastructure.
