In recent years, India has seen a major spike in the number of new universities. Unsurprisingly, this has made life difficult for students and their parents as they must distinguish between accredited and unaccredited universities (i.e., fake universities).

To make such decisions easier, the University Grants Commission (UGC), a statutory organization under the Central Government, has identified 32 universities as fake! It warned that students and parents should avoid these institutions, as these fake universities have no legal authority to award valid degrees under the UGC Act, 1956. Furthermore, the degrees already conferred by these fake universities have been deemed invalid for higher education, employment, and government services.

According to the University Grants Commission, only universities set up under a state legislature or by an act of Parliament or deemed to be universities under Section 3 of the UGC Act are considered legitimate and can award valid degrees.

Fake universities have had a strong uptick during the 2024–26 period (from 20 to 32). In the 2026 fake university list, Delhi tops the list with 12 fake universities.

The University Grants Commission has advised students to verify the accreditation lists provided on its website. This simple background check can help students stay clear of fake universities, avoid financial loss, and save their academic careers.

State-Wise List of Institutions Declared Fake by UGC
(As of February 2026)