Bihar has been a major centre of learning and home to the universities of Nalanda (one of the earliest universities of India dating back to the fifth century) and Vikramashila. Patna has emerged as one of the major center of learning in India. In Bihar there are seventeen state universities (Patliputra University, Bihar Animal Science University, Purnea university and Munger University opened in 2016), nine (seven working and two proposed) central universities, two deemed universities, and five private university proposed.

Here is the top universities list in Patna, Bihar:

• Indian Institute of Technology, Patna
• National Institute of Technology, Patna
• Patna University, Patna
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences Patna
• Nalanda University, Rajgir
• Central University of South Bihar, Patna
• Magadh University , Bodh Gaya
• Lalit Narayan Mithila University, Darbhanga
• Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University, Muzaffarpur
• Aryabhatta Knowledge University , Patna
• Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University , Bhagalpur
• Rajendra Agricultural University , Samastipur
• Jai Prakash Vishwavidyalaya, Chapra
• Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sheikhpura, Patna
• Chanakya National Law University , Patna
• Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari
• Bihar Agricultural University , Bhagalpur
• Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Bargaon
• Veer Kunwar Singh University, Arrah
• Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian University, Patna
• Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University , Darbhanga
• Bhupendra Narayan Mandal University , Madhepura
• National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur