Best Ayurvedic Degree for Foreign Students - #34466

HELLO SANJANA,

The Degree You’d Be Looking At BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine & Surgery) – this is the standard, recognized Ayurvedic medical degree in India. Duration: About 5½ years (4½ years of classes + 1 year of internship). Curriculum: Mix of Ayurveda foundations (Sanskrit, Ayurvedic texts, herbal pharmacology), modern sciences (anatomy, physiology, pathology), and practical/clinical training.

Requirements for a Foreign Student Education: Same as Indian “12th grade” with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. US high school qualifications typically require official equivalence certification in India. Entrance Exam: NEET-UG is typically mandatory for admission, even for foreign nationals.

Age: As low as 17 years. Some institutions have no age limit; others are up to 45 years for foreign quotas. You are bang at that limit, so still in the running.

Language: All teaching is done in English, although some Sanskrit and Hindi vocabulary will be included in the curriculum.

Visa: Student visa for the full tenure (renewable), along with medical insurance, police registration, etc.

Time & Money Commitment Time: Entire 5½ years of course, in-class, with regular classes and practicals.

Tuition Fees: Government colleges (if you have a foreign quota seat): might be very minimal, a few thousand rupees per annum. Private colleges / specialized foreign student batches: significantly higher, approx. ₹3–12 lakh per annum. Overall cost for the entire degree as a foreign student may be between USD 25,000–35,000 in lower-cost government institutions, and as much as USD 60,000+ in private arrangements. Living Expenses (Delhi NCR or Jaipur): If you have a house already, this will be significantly lower. If not, ₹1–2.5 lakh per annum for hostel/food. Best Colleges (Close to Delhi or Highly Reputed)

Ayurvedic & Unani Tibbia College, Delhi Located in central Delhi. Has specific reserved seats for foreign nationals. One of the oldest Ayurvedic colleges in India, very low tuition compared to private colleges. If you already have housing in Delhi, this is the most convenient option. National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA), Jaipur A national-level institute, highly reputed. Seats available for foreign students through government/ICCR nomination. Approximately 5–6 hours by road from Delhi. Adequate fees in relation to private colleges, good academic standing. Institute of Teaching & Research in Ayurveda (ITRA), Jamnagar Global-recognized Ayurvedic research institution. Operates a special “Foreign Nationals Only” BAMS course with about 10 seats. Fee system is uniform for foreign students (in USD), usually about USD 25–30k overall. Good practical and research exposure, although it’s quite far from Delhi (in Gujarat). Special Notes for Your Case (45-year-old, US citizen, home in Delhi) Your age: Just fit the cut-off for some colleges. For others with no cut-off, you’re good. Staying in Delhi: Makes Tibbia College the most obvious choice. Foreign quota: Competitive since there aren’t many seats available, so apply early and also consider Jaipur and Jamnagar as fall-back options. Scholarship: The government of India (through the AYUSH Ministry and ICCR) occasionally provides scholarships to foreign students for pursuing Ayurveda – this may decrease your tuition costs to a great extent. Step-by-Step Path Gather and get certified your educational documents for equivalence. Register and appear for NEET-UG (in most situations, it’s compulsory). Apply under Foreign Nationals / NRI / ICCR quota at the institutions. Obtain your student visa and long-term stay permits. Budget realistically for 5½ years, even if your tuition is low.

Recommendation for you: First choice: Ayurvedic & Unani Tibbia College, Delhi (low fees, close to home). Second choice: National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur (prestige + accessibility). Third choice: ITRA Jamnagar if you’re open to relocating for a stronger research-oriented program.

THANK YOU

DR. MAITRI ACHARYA

That’s a great choice, as Delhi and the NCR region offer several well-regarded institutions for the Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) degree.

The BAMS is the professional undergraduate course for becoming an Ayurvedic practitioner in India. As a US citizen, you’ll generally be considered a Foreign National or may apply under the NRI (Non-Resident Indian) quota, which affects the admission process and fee structure.

Here is a breakdown of the time, money, and commitment requirements for the BAMS degree, along with good colleges near Delhi.

Time Commitment: BAMS Course Duration The BAMS course is a total of 5.5 years:

Academic Session: 4.5 years of theoretical and clinical study, divided into three professional phases (each approximately 1.5 years long).

Mandatory Internship: 1 year of compulsory rotating internship where you gain practical, hands-on clinical training in a hospital.

Money Commitment: Course Fees The total financial commitment varies significantly between government and private colleges, and fees for Foreign Nationals/NRI quota seats are typically higher than those for Indian residents.

College Type ) Fees (INR) Government Colleges ∼ Estimated Annual Fees (IIN) -₹10,000 to ₹1,50,000

Estimated Total Course ₹50,000 to ₹7,50,000

Estimated Annual Fees (USD) for NRI/Foreign National-N/A (Limited/No specific quota)

Private Colleges ∼ ₹2,00,000 to ₹5,00,000+ ∼ ₹10,00,000 to ₹25,00,000+ $\sim$10,000 to $20,000+

Important Notes on Fees:

Government Colleges (Low Fees): Offer the most affordable education, but securing a seat, especially as a Foreign National/NRI, is highly competitive.

Example: Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College, New Delhi, has very low fees for general category seats.

Private Colleges (Higher Fees): Often have specific NRI/Foreign National quota seats with significantly higher, sometimes dollar-denominated, annual tuition fees.

Example: Some private universities have quoted fees ranging from $16,000 USD per year for Foreign National students.

You should check the specific fee structure for Foreign Nationals/NRI quota directly with the colleges you are interested in.

Commitment: Admission Process & Eligibility As a US citizen, the commitment required for admission primarily centers on a national entrance exam and documentation.

1. Education Eligibility You must have completed the equivalent of the Indian 10+2 (high school) exam with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (PCB) as core subjects, typically with a minimum aggregate score of 50% in PCB.

2. Entrance Exam Admission to the BAMS course in India is mandatory through the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG).

You must take the NEET-UG exam and qualify by scoring above the minimum qualifying percentile set for the year.

The scores are used for counseling to allocate seats.

3. Counselling Admission is generally done through a counseling process managed by the AYUSH Admissions Central Counselling Committee (AACCC) for the All India Quota and Deemed Universities. State counselling authorities handle the state quota seats.

Foreign Nationals/NRIs usually have a separate counseling process or category. You must secure an Equivalence Certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) to confirm your US high school qualification is equivalent to the Indian 10+2 system.

Good Colleges Close to Delhi (Delhi-NCR) Since you have a house in Delhi, the following institutions are in Delhi or the National Capital Region (NCR) and are well-regarded for their BAMS programs.

College

Ch. Brahm Prakash Ayurved Charak Sansthan (CBPACS) New Delhi (Government of NCT) Government GGSIPU

Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College New Delhi (Karol Bagh) Government University of Delhi (DU)

MSM Institute of Ayurveda Sonepat, Haryana (NCR) Government Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya

Faculty of Indian Medical System, SGT University Gurugram, Haryana (NCR) Private SGT University

Gaur Brahman Ayurvedic College Rohtak, Haryana (NCR) Private

Shri Krishna AYUSH University

Recommendation: The Ch. Brahm Prakash Ayurved Charak Sansthan (CBPACS) and Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College are the premier government institutions located within New Delhi itself, but competition for seats is extremely high. Private universities like SGT University in Gurugram are popular choices in the NCR and are more likely to have specific NRI/Foreign National quota seats.

Hi Sanjana If you want thorough study of Ayurveda, then BAMS degree is best wher you can understand go internship to get practical experience. Most of the universities have NRI quta where you can apply. If short term course then in Delhi there is AIIA where also you can apply. Ayurveda is a vast science and through knowledge will be more beneficial.