The salient objectives of RUSA are to:

Improve the overall quality of state institutions by ensuring conformity to prescribed norms and standards and adopt accreditation as a mandatory quality assurance framework.

Usher transformative reforms in the state higher education system by creating a facilitating institutional structure for planning and monitoring at the state level, promoting autonomy in State Universities and improving governance in institutions.

Ensure reforms in the affiliation, academic and examination systems.

Ensure adequate availability of quality faculty in all higher educational institutions and ensure capacity building at all levels of employment.

Create an enabling atmosphere in the higher educational institutions to devote themselves to research and innovations Expand the institutional base by creating additional capacity in existing institutions and establishing new institutions, in order to achieve enrolment targets.

Correct regional imbalances in access to higher education by setting up institutions in unserved & underserved areas.

Improve equity in higher education by providing adequate opportunities of higher education to SC/STs and socially and educationally backward classes: promote inclusion of women, minorities, and differently abled persons.