Kozhikode Medical College Tops Kerala, Ranks 20th Nationally in IIRF 2026

Government Medical College (GMC), Kozhikode, has achieved the highest ranking in Kerala and secured the 20th position nationally among 144 government medical institutions in the 2026 Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) report. The IIRF, a private organization established in 2015, annually assesses higher education institutions across nine key areas.

These assessment criteria include academic reputation, graduate outcomes and employability, research performance, student profile and demand, employer perception, international outlook, institutional development, peer and public perception, and value addition. GMC, Kozhikode, achieved an overall weighted index of 926.74 out of 1,000.

Other medical colleges in Kerala also received national recognition. Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, was ranked 41st nationally and second within the state. Government Medical College, Kottayam, placed 66th nationally and third in Kerala, followed by T.D. Medical College, Alappuzha, at 86th nationally and fourth in the state. No private medical colleges were listed among the top performers.

The recognition coincides with GMC, Kozhikode's nearing 70th anniversary. Established on August 5, 1957, it was the second medical college in Kerala and the first to be led by a communist government. The institution has expanded significantly from its initial 200-bed capacity to a 3,000-bed hospital. It performs approximately 30,000 deliveries annually, among the highest in Asia, and admits 250 graduate students per batch. Specialized institutes, including the Institute for Maternal and Child Health, Savithri Saboo Memorial Cancer Institute, and Institute of Chest Diseases, have been established over the years. The college is currently affiliated with the Kerala University of Health Sciences.