This blog takes a look at the top Kerala Nursing colleges, focusing on courses available, rankings, eligibility, fee structure, and admission pathways. It offers a summative list for students looking for the top nursing colleges in Kerala admission 2026.
Nursing has been a critical yet overlooked sector of healthcare. All successful healthcare systems rely on nurses to support their overall framework.
Why? Because nurses provide certain critical services which doctors do not. This refers to continuous monitoring, treatment, and support of patients that doctors' periodic visits can’t cover. In this way, nurses are essential in detecting health complications early and ensuring patients receive round-the-clock care.
Recognizing this, the state of Kerala has built one of the most established nursing education ecosystems in the country. It is built on decades of clinical training infrastructure with Kerala nursing colleges churning out a steady export of skilled nurses to places across the Gulf, UK, Australia, and beyond.
As of 2026, there are more than 260 institutions that offer undergraduate or postgraduate degrees in Nursing, GNM, and allied programmes. Choosing the right one is where it all matters. Affiliations, clinical exposure, fee comparisons, etc. are all factors that will weigh into your decision.
To ensure you’re on the right track, let’s take a look at the top 10 Kerala Nursing Colleges.
Government College of Nursing, Thiruvananthapuram
Formerly a department under Government Medical College Thiruvananthapuram, Government College of Nursing now functions independently as one of the oldest and most sought-after nursing colleges in the state. This is largely because of its low fees and direct access to its major teaching hospital.
Admission runs through the Kerala Entrance Exams (KEAM) merit list, and its fees are a fraction of private-college costs. Because of these reasons, it is commonly a popular choice for those looking for B.Sc Nursing admission (Kerala).
Government College of Nursing, Kozhikode
The Government College of Nursing, Kozhikode is affiliated to the Kerala University of Health Sciences as well as the University of Calicut. This institution draws applicants from Malabar and northern Kerala for the same reasons as its Thiruvananthapuram counterpart: highly subsidised fees and hospital-based clinical training.
This makes it an attractive choice for many students. Besides its high cutoff due to limited availability of seats, Kozhikode’s Government College of Nursing has emerged as a centre for nursing education.
Government College of Nursing, Kottayam
One of Kottayam's government college’s strong points is the benefit of being in close proximity to a strong network of teaching hospitals in central Kerala. Like other government institutions, it is affiliated with the Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS) for academic regulatory purposes, and admission is exclusively through the state merit list, i.e., no direct or management-quota entry.
Amrita College of Nursing, Kochi
Amrita's Kochi Nursing campus is frequently named among Kerala's best-regarded nursing colleges, largely based on the strength of its parent hospital's scale and its research-oriented M.Sc and PhD nursing programmes.
The Nursing fees at Amrita run considerably higher than government colleges (anywhere from 1 lakh to 13 lakh depending on the year and category), which may turn away some students who are looking for something that does not tear a hole in their pockets. That being said, it more than makes up for it with the vast clinical exposure it offers, along with reliable and well-regarded infrastructure within its campus.
Baby Memorial College of Nursing, Kozhikode
Attached to Baby Memorial Hospital, Baby Memorial College is one of Malabar's largest private tertiary care centres. Its clinical training volume (students get exposure across a genuinely wide case mix given the hospital's size) and accessible fees (as it is a private, self-financing institution) make Baby Memorial College of Nursing one of the private nursing colleges in Kerala with fees almost comparable to government colleges.
Little Lourdes College of Nursing, Kottayam
Little Lourdes College of Nursing (Kottayam) has built a reputation over the years with alumni placed both within India and abroad. Not to mention, Little Lourdes is also an affordable choice among B.Sc Nursing colleges in Kerala, in comparison to its other competitors.
Eligibility and the KEAM-based admission process follow the standard pattern for private self-financing nursing colleges in Kerala, with a mix of merit and management-quota seats.
Jubilee Mission College of Nursing, Thrissur
Jubilee Mission College of Nursing can boast of its attachment to Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, bolstering its academic and training rigor. It is a well-reputed institution with a full range of courses from undergraduate and postgraduate, to doctoral levels.
A key feature of Jubilee is that it is host to a particularly wide range of departments and fields, some of which include anaesthesiology, audiology and speech pathology, clinical psychology, immunohaematology, orthopedics, vascular surgery, and many more- all of which make it a great choice for students aiming to apply for B.Sc Nursing in Kerala.
Al Shifa College of Nursing, Malappuram
Located in Malappuram, Al Shifa is INC and KNC approved, and another prominent nursing college in the Malabar region. Established in 2002, it is affiliated to Kerala University of Health Sciences and the University of Calicut.
It boasts a proud 5th rank in the Kerala Institutional Ranking Framework (KIRF- 2025), in addition to an all India rank of 93 according to the International Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRD- 2025)
Pushpagiri College of Nursing, Thiruvalla
Pushpagiri is an NABH-accredited medical college and hospital which, for four decades since its inception, has offered medical services and education in a wide array of fields and specialities. Recognized by KUHS, KNMC, and INC, its flagship course - B.Sc Nursing - along with its M.Sc, offers many specializations students can choose from.
Bishop Benziger College of Nursing, Kollam
One of the older private nursing colleges in southern Kerala, Bishop Benziger is affiliated with KUHS for its academic programmes. It follows the standard KEAM-linked admission route for merit seats, with management-quota seats filled separately.
The college offers e-learning classrooms and various labs such as A.V. Aid room, Anatomy, Community Health Nursing, Medical, Computer, Nutrition, and MCH labs. It is also affiliated to a number of hospitals. This includes Travancore Medical College, Kollam, Regional Cancer Center, Trivandrum, NIMHANS, Bangalore, and many more.
For nearly all Nursing colleges in Kerala admission (2026), the baseline eligibility criteria for government and private alike are consistent:
10+2 (or equivalent) with Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English as compulsory subjects
Minimum marks: Typically 45% aggregate in Science subjects for general category candidates; relaxations apply for SC/ST and other reserved categories as per state norms
Age limit: Generally 17–35 years at the time of admission, though this varies slightly by institution
Entrance route: Admission to nursing seats in Kerala is primarily through the Kerala Entrance Exams (KEAM) merit list, administered by the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE Kerala)
Government college seats and a portion of private college seats are filled through KEAM-based centralised allotment, where candidates register, appear for the relevant entrance process, and participate in online counselling rounds based on rank.
Private self-financing colleges typically also reserve a management quota, filled directly by the institution based on academic merit, outside the centralised counselling system.
Because quota splits, cutoff ranks, and fee structures change from year to year, candidates should treat any published cutoff or fee figure — including those above — as a starting reference point, not a final number, and confirm directly with CEE Kerala or the respective college before submitting an application.
Wondering what’s the right college for you? Bangalorestudy has got you covered. Our expert counsellors have guided students towards the right Kerala Nursing colleges- campuses to courses, admission eligibility to documentation procedures. You too can be one of them. Join us and kickstart your nursing career today!
To apply for B.Sc nursing admission in Kerala, register online via the LBS centre for Science and Technology or apply through the Private Nursing College Management Association of Kerala. You can register, fill the application form and pay the fees in both of these, then proceed with the counselling.
Some popular nursing colleges in Kerala with fees relatively around 1 lakh include Amala College of Nursing (Thrissur), Jubilee Mission College of Nursing (Thrissur), and any of the Government Colleges of Nursing.
To be eligible for BSc Nursing in Kerala nursing colleges, students must have cleared 10+2 with physics, chemistry, biology, and english from a recognized board with at least 50% aggregate marks. They must also be 17 years of age by 31st December of the year of admission.
The list of documents required for nursing admission include: 10+2 marksheet and certificate, birth certificate, category/reservation certificate (if applicable), government ID proof and passport sized photographs.
The government nursing college with the highest KIRF ranking, according to KIRF 2025, is Government College of Nursing, Kottayam.
