Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (SOA) is a private deemed-to-be university in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It began in 1996 as the Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER), an engineering institute affiliated first with Utkal University and later Biju Patnaik University of Technology. The University Grants Commission granted it deemed-university status in 2007. ITER continues today as SOA's engineering faculty, one of several constituent institutes now run under the single university umbrella: Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, Institute of Dental Sciences, SUM Nursing College, SOA National Institute of Law, Institute of Business and Computer Studies, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, and School of Hotel Management.
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private deemed-to-be university |
| Founded | 1996 (as ITER); deemed university since 2007 |
| Address | Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751030 |
| Vice-Chancellor | Prof. (Dr.) Pradipta Kumar Nanda |
| NAAC | A++ (3rd cycle), CGPA 3.88/4.00, valid from 10 May 2022 for 7 years |
| Official website | soa.ac.in |
25+ programme-specialization combinations spanning engineering, medicine, dentistry, nursing, law, management, pharmacy, agriculture and veterinary science.
| Category | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall (NIRF) | Rank 26, score 58.35 | Rank 24, score 60.73 | Rank 25, score 61.01 |
| University (NIRF) | Rank 15, score 60.33 | Rank 14, score 62.61 | Rank 15, score 63.14 |
| Engineering (NIRF) | Rank 27, score 58.92 | Rank 26, score 60.97 | Rank 22, score 62.58 |
| Medical (NIRF) | Rank 16, score 60.66 | Rank 21, score 61.28 | Rank 15, score 63.73 |
| Dental (NIRF) | Rank 9 | Rank 9 | Rank 9 |
| Law (NIRF) | Rank 8 | Rank 9 | Rank 10 |
SOA operates separate hostel accommodation for men and women with Wi-Fi and on-campus medical facilities. The university also holds recognition in Times Higher Education's World Reputation Rankings 2025.
SOA has ranked among India's top 15 universities in NIRF's University category every year from 2023 to 2025, and its Medical faculty climbed from rank 21 in 2024 to rank 15 in 2025.
Engineering, medicine, dentistry, law, management, nursing, pharmacy, agriculture and veterinary science all operate as constituent institutes of a single deemed university on one campus.
IMS and SUM Hospital is a NABH-accredited multi-specialty teaching hospital attached to the medical institute, giving students clinical exposure on the same campus.
SOA National Institute of Law and the Institute of Dental Sciences have both held single-digit NIRF category ranks across 2023-2025.
SOA holds NAAC's top A++ grade with a 3.88/4.00 CGPA from its third accreditation cycle.
| Framework | Category | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIRF | Dental | 2025 | #9 |
| NIRF | Law | 2025 | #10 |
| NIRF | Medical | 2025 | #15 |
| NIRF | University | 2025 | #15 |
| NIRF | Engineering | 2025 | #22 |
| NIRF | Overall | 2025 | #25 |
| NIRF | Dental | 2024 | #9 |
| NIRF | Law | 2024 | #9 |
| NIRF | University | 2024 | #14 |
| NIRF | Medical | 2024 | #21 |
| NIRF | Overall | 2024 | #24 |
| NIRF | Engineering | 2024 | #26 |
25 courses offered. Fees in INR lakhs.
