What is the difference between NAAC A+ and A++?
The difference between NAAC A+ and A++ is the CGPA score band. A++ is awarded for a CGPA of 3.51 to 4.00 and is the highest grade under the legacy CGPA framework. A+ is awarded for a CGPA of 3.26 to 3.50 and is the second highest. The numeric gap at the boundary is only 0.01 CGPA, but the institutional performance behind the two grades usually differs more substantially. A++ institutions typically show exceptional performance across several of the 7 NAAC criteria simultaneously. A+ institutions typically show one or two criteria at exceptional levels balanced by others at very good levels.
The 0.01 CGPA Boundary and Why It Misleads
The most common misreading of NAAC grades is treating the A+ / A++ boundary as a knife edge. Technically it is: an institution scoring 3.50 receives A+, an institution scoring 3.51 receives A++. In practice, very few institutions cluster exactly at that line.
The more useful way to read the two bands is by their width. A+ occupies a narrow 0.24 band from 3.26 to 3.50. A++ occupies a wider 0.49 band from 3.51 to 4.00. That means the distance between a borderline A++ at 3.51 and a top A++ at 4.00 is twice the entire width of the A+ band. Two institutions both holding A++ can differ from each other more than an A++ institution differs from an A+ institution.
A+ vs A++ Side by Side
A+
CGPA 3.26 – 3.50- Second highest grade under the legacy CGPA framework
- Very Good institutional performance across the 7 criteria
- Typically one or two criteria at exceptional level, others at very good
- Common profile: strong teaching-learning and governance, developing research depth
- Valid 5 years from award date
- Typical MBGL target on expiry: Level 3 or Level 4
A++
CGPA 3.51 – 4.00- Highest grade under the legacy CGPA framework
- Exceptional institutional performance across the 7 criteria
- Typically several criteria at exceptional level simultaneously
- Common profile: research intensity, infrastructure depth, mature governance systems
- Valid 5 years from award date (NMIMS exception: 7 years to June 2032)
- Typical MBGL target on expiry: Level 4 or Level 5
Which is better? A++ is better than A+. Both are strong designations placing an institution in the upper tier of NAAC accredited institutions in India. For most external stakeholders, the practical gap between A+ and A++ is smaller than the gap between the A tier and the B tier. The distinction matters most inside the institution, where it reflects specific criterion-level performance differences that shape the next accreditation cycle.
What Actually Separates A+ from A++ at Criterion Level
CGPA is a weighted aggregate across 7 criteria totalling 1000 points. Since both A+ and A++ institutions perform well overall, the difference rarely comes from one weak area. It usually comes from how many criteria reach the top band and how well the evidence supports them.
Criterion 3: Research, Innovations and Extension
This is the single most common differentiator, particularly for universities where Criterion 3 carries a 250-point weight — the heaviest of the seven. A++ institutions typically show sustained publication output in indexed journals, external research funding, patents or consultancy revenue, and research supervision volume. A+ institutions often have respectable research activity that has not yet reached the scale or consistency the top band rewards.
Criterion 2: Teaching-Learning and Evaluation
For colleges this criterion carries a 350-point weight, making it decisive. The difference between A+ and A++ here is rarely about whether teaching happens well. It is about whether the institution can evidence student-centric methods, continuous internal evaluation, learning outcome attainment, and faculty development with documentation that withstands Peer Team scrutiny.
Criterion 7: Institutional Values and Best Practices
Frequently underestimated. A++ institutions tend to have genuinely distinctive practices documented over multiple years, not initiatives assembled shortly before submission. This criterion rewards institutional memory and consistency, which cannot be created quickly.
The evidence layer beneath all seven
In practice, many institutions that hold A+ have A++ level substance but A+ level documentation. Peer Teams score what can be evidenced, not what is true but undocumented. This is why grade movement is usually an evidence architecture problem before it is an institutional quality problem — a pattern visible across the institutions we work with. The IQAC function and disciplined AQAR practice are what convert substance into score.
Which Side of This Line Is Your Institution On?
If you are reading this from inside an institution rather than out of curiosity, the comparison above is not the useful part. The useful question is which specific criteria are holding your score below the next band.
“We hold A+ and want A++”
Under CGPA this was a next-cycle upgrade. That path closed on 10 February 2025. Your equivalent move now is MBGL Level 4 or 5 targeting when your grade expires.
See MBGL Level requirements →“We hold A++ and it expires soon”
A++ does not renew as A++. Re-accreditation is a fresh Binary + MBGL application, and the preparation window is 18–24 months.
Read the renewal timeline →“We don't know where our gaps are”
Most institutions can name their weakest criterion but cannot quantify the gap. A structured diagnostic makes that specific before you commit to a timeline.
Get a free diagnostic →Other NAAC Grade Comparisons
A+ vs A++ is the most searched comparison, but institutions and students frequently need the adjacent ones. Here is the full set in context.
| Comparison | CGPA Bands | Tiers Apart | What It Reflects |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ vs A++ | 3.26–3.50 vs 3.51–4.00 | 1 | How many criteria reach the top band |
| A vs A+ | 3.01–3.25 vs 3.26–3.50 | 1 | Depth and consistency across criteria |
| A vs A++ | 3.01–3.25 vs 3.51–4.00 | 2 | Visible differences across multiple criteria |
| B++ vs A | 2.76–3.00 vs 3.01–3.25 | 1 | Crossing the 3.00 Good-to-Very-Good threshold |
| B+ vs A+ | 2.51–2.75 vs 3.26–3.50 | 2 | Sustained development across two or more cycles |
Is A++ a real grade?
Yes. A++ is a genuine NAAC designation, not an informal or inflated label. It is the top band of the legacy CGPA framework. The confusion arises because A++ looks unusual next to conventional academic grading, where A+ is normally the ceiling. NAAC used a plus-plus notation to create an additional tier above A+ without extending into A+++ or similar. There is no NAAC grade above A++ under the CGPA framework, and no A+++ designation exists.
How both grades map to the new framework
Neither A+ nor A++ maps cleanly to an MBGL Level, because the frameworks measure different things. CGPA measured weighted average performance. MBGL measures maturity against Level descriptors. In practice, both A+ and A++ institutions generally target MBGL Level 4 (Institutions of National Excellence) or Level 5 (Institutions of Global Excellence for Multi-Disciplinary Research and Education). The Level 5 route depends heavily on genuine multi-disciplinary structure — an A++ institution concentrated in a single domain may be a better Level 4 fit than an A+ institution with real multi-disciplinary breadth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, NAAC A+ or A++?
NAAC A++ is better than A+. A++ sits at the top of the legacy CGPA framework with a CGPA range of 3.51 to 4.00, while A+ sits one tier below at 3.26 to 3.50. Both are strong designations placing an institution in the upper tier of NAAC accredited institutions in India, and both indicate quality well above the B grades.
How much CGPA separates A+ from A++?
The boundary sits at 3.50 and 3.51, a difference of 0.01 at the threshold. But A+ covers a 0.24 band (3.26 to 3.50) while A++ covers a 0.49 band (3.51 to 4.00). The practical spread between a low A+ at 3.26 and a top A++ at 4.00 is 0.74 CGPA, which reflects substantial differences in institutional performance.
Do A+ and A++ have different validity periods?
No. Both are valid for 5 years from the date of award. Grade tier does not change validity. The one documented exception is NMIMS, which received the last A++ grade under CGPA in June 2025 with a 7-year validity to June 2032 — specific to that accreditation cycle, not a general rule for A++ grades.
Can an institution move from A+ to A++?
Under the legacy CGPA framework, yes, at the next re-accreditation cycle by raising CGPA above 3.50. Since 10 February 2025 this upgrade path no longer exists in that form, because new applications are processed under Binary + MBGL rather than CGPA. An A+ institution seeking a higher designation now targets MBGL Level 4 or Level 5 when its current grade expires.
Is there a grade above A++?
No. A++ is the highest grade under the legacy CGPA framework. There is no A+++ designation. Under the new Binary + MBGL framework, the highest designation is MBGL Level 5, Institutions of Global Excellence for Multi-Disciplinary Research and Education.
Does the A+ versus A++ difference matter for students?
For most students the practical difference is modest, since both sit in the upper tier. The larger distinction is between the A tier grades (A, A+, A++) and the B tier grades (B, B+, B++). Students are generally better served by looking at programme-specific accreditation such as NBA for engineering, NIRF rankings in the relevant category, placement records, and faculty profiles alongside the NAAC grade.
What is the difference between NAAC A+ and B+?
A+ covers CGPA 3.26 to 3.50 and B+ covers 2.51 to 2.75, separated by two full tiers with A (3.01 to 3.25) and B++ (2.76 to 3.00) in between. A+ indicates Very Good performance in the upper tier. B+ indicates Good performance meeting accreditation thresholds with substantive improvement areas. Moving from B+ to A+ typically requires sustained development across two or more accreditation cycles.
Find Out Which Criteria Are Holding Your Grade
30-minute session with our NAAC advisory team. We’ll look at your current grade, identify which criteria are capping your score, and lay out what a realistic next-band target looks like under Binary + MBGL.
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