Tasbiya KhanSenior Executive
Top IITs in India 2026: Ranking, Admission, Courses, Fees, Placements
The IITs are Institutes of National Importance. They are the cream of engineering education in the country that stand out in the global arena of science, tech, and innovation. That's why every year, aspirants set goals to get into the top IITs to get into this legacy. The top IITs are IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, etc.
Getting admission into any top IIT in India is through JEE Main and JEE Advanced. But they have different rankings for many different reasons. The cutoffs are different and so are the specialisations. For instance, IIT Goa will have a much lower cutoff than IIT Madras, which consistently ranks no 1 on NIRF rankings. IIT Madras has a great research output, while IIT Bombay is known for its entrepreneurial spirit. Then, IIT Delhi is known for its international industry connections. Similarly, each IIT is unique. This guide will give you an overview of the rankings, admissions, specialisations, fees, and more about these institutes.
- Top IIT Colleges in India: Key Insights 2026
- Top 10 IIT Colleges in India with NIRF Ranking 2025
- Eligibility Criteria of Top IIT Colleges in India 2026
- Top IIT Colleges in India: Exam Schedule 2026
- Top IITs in India: Tuition Fee, Seat Intake, and NIRF Ranking 2025
- ROI of Top IIT Colleges in India
- List of UG ad PG Programs offered at IITs in India
- Top IIT Colleges in India: Comparison 2026
Top IIT Colleges in India: Key Insights 2026
Bachelor of Technology (BTech) degree is the most common UG degree in all IIT colleges. But these offer several postgraduate courses, including MTech, MBA, and MSc.
Some IITs offer specialised graduate programmes such as (MDes), the Post Graduate Diploma in Information Technology (PGDIT), the Master in Medical Science and Technology (MMST), the Master of City Planning (MCP), MA, the Postgraduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law (PGDIPL), and the Postgraduate Diploma in Maritime Operation & Management (PGDMOM).
Given below is the key highlights of the IIT top colleges in India including total no. of IITs in India, fee structure across top colleges, top specialisations offered in IITs in India with accepted entrance exams -
| Particulars |
Parameters |
|---|---|
| Total no. IITs in India |
23 IITs in India |
| Fee structure across top IITs in India |
INR > 5 lakh: 20+ colleges |
| Top IITs in India as per NIRF ranking 2025 |
IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, etc. |
| Average Salary |
INR 8 LPA ~ INR 40+ LPA |
| Top Engineering specialisations offered in IITs in India |
CSE, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, etc. |
| Accepted Entrance Exams in IIT colleges in India | JEE Main and JEE Advanced |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Predict your chances here: Engineering Cutoff Predictor
Top 10 IIT Colleges in India with NIRF Ranking 2025
Unlike many other industry-standard evaluations on top engineering colleges in India, NIRF has five parameters for ranking the IIT colleges in India. Discover the top 10 IIT colleges in India ranked by NIRF 2025 — the gold standard of engineering excellence, innovation, and world-class education -
| Top IITs in India |
NIRF 2024 | NIRF 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | 2 | |
| 3 | 3 | |
| 4 | 4 | |
| 5 | 5 | |
| 6 | 6 | |
| 8 | 7 | |
| 7 | 8 | |
| 10 | 10 | |
| 16 | 12 |
Source: The above mentioned rankings have been taken from the official NIRF site and will/may change in the future.
Eligibility Criteria of Top IIT Colleges in India 2026
Before you aim for a seat at India's most prestigious institutions, here's everything you need to know about the eligibility criteria of top IIT colleges in 2026. The selection and admission process varies for all the IITs and is the same for UG and PG engineering courses -
| Courses from Top IIT Colleges in India |
General Eligibility |
Qualifying Exams |
|---|---|---|
| BTech, BS, BTech+MTech (dual degree) |
Passed Class 12 with at least 75% aggregate from recognised board. |
JEE Main, JEE Advanced |
| MTech, MTech+PhD (dual degree), PhD |
BE/ BTech/AMIE or equivalent in the relevant discipline from a recognised board. |
GATE |
| MSc, MSc+PhD (dual degree) |
MSc in Physics/ Chemistry/ Mathematics or its equivalent from a recognised board. |
IIT JAM |
Source: The above mentioned eligibility has been taken from the official site.
Top IIT Colleges in India: Exam Schedule 2026
Get a competitive edge by knowing the important exam dates and admission timetables for admissions to the premier IIT colleges in India in 2026. Below is the list of the most accepting entrance exams along with their timetable and college predictor -
| Exams | Schedule | Exam College Predictor |
|---|---|---|
| JEE Main 2026 Exam | JEE Main Schedule | JEE Advanced College Predictor |
| JEE Advanced 2026 Exam | JEE Advanced Schedule | JEE Main College Predictor |
Top IITs in India: Tuition Fee, Seat Intake, and NIRF Ranking 2025
The table below shows the top government IIT colleges in India along with their total tuition fee/BTech and MTech seat intake and NIRF ranking 2025 -
| Government IIT Colleges |
Total Tuition Fee |
NIRF Ranking 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| INR 8 lakh BTech Seats: 886 MTech Seats: 874 |
1 |
|
| INR 8 lakh BTech Seats: 1,179 MTech Seats: 1,549 |
2 |
|
| INR 8 lakh BTech Seats: 1,461 MTech Seats: 1,096 |
3 |
|
| INR 8 lakh BTech Seats: 929 |
4 |
|
| INR 8 lakh BTech Seats: 2,942 MTech Seats: 2,880 |
5 |
Source: The above mentioned data has been taken from the IITs official site and may vary in the future.
Read More: IIT Fees Structure for BTech Courses
Read More: List of Courses Offered by IITs in India
ROI of Top IIT Colleges in India
No college in India measures up to the ROI that the IITs offer in higher education and the numbers speak louder than words. The total course fee is no more than INR 8 lakh across the five top IITs and the median placement packages range from INR 15 LPA at IIT Roorkee to the mind-boggling INR 46 LPA at IIT Madras, making these the most impressive returns on investment in education anywhere on Earth.
| College Names |
Total Course Fee |
Median Package |
|---|---|---|
| IIT Madras Placements | INR 8 lakh |
INR 46 LPA |
| IIT Delhi Placements | INR 8 lakh |
INR 19.08 LPA |
| INR 8 lakh |
INR 19.76 LPA |
|
| INR 8 lakh |
INR 19.4 LPA |
|
| INR 8 lakh |
INR 15 LPA |
Source: The above mentioned data has been taken from the IITs official site and may vary in the future.
Read More: IIT Placements – Know Highest Salary Package & Placement Process
List of UG ad PG Programs offered at IITs in India
The IITs are best known for offering world-class UG and PG engineering programmes. IITs offer diverse UG and PG programs like Btech, Bachelor of Science, Integrated BTech or MTech and M.Tech, MMSc, MDes, MBS, M.Sc-PhD dual degrees, across various engineering, science, design, and management streams, with admissions primarily via JEE Advanced (UG), GATE (PG Engineering), JAM (PG Science), UCEED or CEED (Design), and CAT (MBA).
| UG Programmes | PG Programmes |
|---|---|
| Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) | Master of Science (MSc) |
| Bachelor of Science (BS) | Dual Degree (MSc-PhD) |
| Dual Degree (B.Tech-M.Tech) | Master of Technology (M.Tech) |
| Dual Degree (BS & MS) | Master of Design (M.Des) |
| Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) | Master of Business Administration (MBA) |
| Bachelor of Design (B.Des) | Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) |
| - | Joint MSc-PhD |
Source: External site and may vary.
Top IIT Colleges in India: Comparison 2026
To check the comparison between the best IIT colleges in India, click the link below:
IIT Madras - Indian Institute of Technology
IIT Delhi - Indian Institute of Technology
IIT Kanpur - Indian Institute of Technology
IIT Kharagpur - Indian Institute of Technology
Commonly asked questions On Top IITs in India 2026: Ranking, Admission, Courses, Fees, Placements
As per NIRF ranking 2025, IIT Madras emerged to be as the no. 1 ranked IIT college in India followed by other IITs like IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay.
IIT Madras Pravartak has launched executive programme in Generative AI and Agentic AI Tools used for Business.
Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), Electrical Engineering (EE), and Mechanical Engineering (ME) are the top 3 specialisations offered by top IIT colleges in India.
Hi, according to NIRF 2025, IIT Madras emerged as the No. 1 IIT college in India followed by IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay. Listed below are some of the colleges along with their NIRF ranking of the past three years:
Top Colleges | NIRF 2023 | NIRF 2024 | NIRF 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 1 | |
2 | 2 | 2 | |
3 | 3 | 3 | |
4 | 4 | 4 | |
6 | 5 | 5 | |
5 | 6 | 6 | |
8 | 8 | 7 | |
7 | 7 | 8 | |
15 | 10 | 10 | |
14 | 16 | 12 |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website of the ranking body listed and may vary.
According to data pblished by Joint Implementation Committee (JIC), 9 newly opened IITs failed to attract the best rankers in the top 2000 of JEE Advanced. Among the new IITs, IIT Bombay stands out with the highest share of top rankers and is the first choice of the toppers, especially in the top 100 ranks, and IIT Delhi and IIT Madras have a good reputation.
The top 5 IITs in India like Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Kharagpur, and Kanpur, together attract around 57% of the top 5,000 students of JEE Advanced. So, there is no question of you finding a new IIT.
New IITs offer you novel buildings, new concepts and a chance to grow with them. They sparkle with new ideas and a modern learning environment with increasing job prospects.
IIT Roorkee - Indian Institute of Technology
IIT Hyderabad - Indian Institute of Technology
IIT Guwahati - Indian Institute of Technology
Indian Institute of Technology, BHU, Varanasi
IIT Indore - Indian Institute of Technology
IIT Dhanbad (ISM) - Indian Institute of Technology (ISM)
IIT Gandhinagar - Indian Institute of Technology
Commonly asked questions On Top IITs in India 2026: Ranking, Admission, Courses, Fees, Placements
No, IIT Kanpur admissions are not possible without JEE scores if the students wants to join BTech or BSc courses. For both courses, JEE Main is mandatory. Also, for BTech admissions, students also need to appear for the JEE Advanced exam.
Placements at IIT Madras are good. According to the placement report 2025 released, median and average package recorded during BTech CSE placements was 46 LPA and 53.2 LPA. In BTech EE, the median and average salary offered was 22.5 LPA and 28.8 LPA. In ME, MM and PH branch, the average package stood at 16.9 LPA, 18.4 LPA and 34.1 LPA.
Admission to the BTech courses offered by IIT Madras are entrance-based and done on the basis of scores obtained in JEE Mains and JEE Advanced. Seats are allocated through JoSAA counselling after the results of the entrance exams are out. Students who clear the IIT Madras BTech cutoff are then required to go through document verification and pay the required fees to complete the process.
The highest package offered during IIT KGP placements 2026 was INR 2.44 Crore per Annum.
IIT Mandi - Indian Institute of Technology
IIT Jodhpur - Indian Institute of Technology
IIT Ropar - Indian Institute of Technology
IIT Bhubaneswar - Indian Institute of Technology
IIT Jammu - Indian Institute of Technology
IIT Tirupati - Indian Institute of Technology
IIT Palakkad - Indian Institute of Technology
IIT Bhilai - Indian Institute of Technology
Commonly asked questions On Top IITs in India 2026: Ranking, Admission, Courses, Fees, Placements
IIT Madras overall highest package data is not released. The best placement was observed in BTech CS branch with average package of INR 53.2 LPA.
During MBA and Tech MBA placements 2025, the highest package offered was 35.5 LPA and 81 LPA.
The success rate of campus placements at IIT Delhi over the past three years is presented below:
Particulars | Placement Statistics (2023) | Placement Statistics (2024) | Placement Statistics (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
Total offers | 1300 | 1050 | 1200 |
Students placed | 1150 | 1000 | 1150 |
International offers | 30 | 50 | 50+ |
Companies visited | 500 | 370 | NA |
Average package | INR 21.9 LPA | NA | NA |
Median package | INR 19.5 LPA | NA | NA |
Placement rate | 84.94% | NA | NA |
Note: The data presented is of Phase 1 placements.
In order to get admision at IIT Delhi, the candidate have to meet the last educational qualification. To know the selection criteria for few of a top courses offered at IIT Delhi students can check the table below:
| Courses | Common Eligibility | Selection Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| BTech | Class 12 from a recognised board with a minimum 75% aggregate | JEE Main/ JEE Advanced + JoSAA counselling |
| MBA | Bachelor's degree or equivalent with a minimum 60% aggregate | CAT + Group Discussion + Personal Interview |
| MTech | BE/ BTech/ MSc or equivalent with a minimum 60% aggregate | GATE + COAP Counselling |
| MSc | Bachelor's degree in a relevant stream with a minimum 55% aggregate | IIT JAM + Counselling |
| BDes | Candidates from the Science Stream with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as subjects | UCEED |
IIT Dharwad - Indian Institute of Technology
IIT Goa - Indian Institute of Technology
Commonly asked questions On Top IITs in India 2026: Ranking, Admission, Courses, Fees, Placements
While IITs are top-tier colleges for engineering in India due to excellent research facilities, faculty, and, in many cases, placements are the best as most of the companies prefer IITian for job position, but they are not the only best colleges. Other colleges other than IITs are also best. Some of them are BITS Pilani, NITs, IIITs, DTU, VIT, and top state universities.
IIT campuses are known for their large size, modern hostels, advanced laboratories, libraries, sports facilities, and student activity centers. Campus life is vibrant, with technical fests, cultural events, clubs, competitions, etc. Candidates can see the table below for the top IITs in India with hostel and campus life rating as per shiksha.com -
| Top IITs in India | Hostel and Campus Life Rating |
|---|---|
| IIT Madras Infrastructure | 4.5 |
| IIT Delhi Infrastructure | 4.5 |
| IIT Bombay Infrastructre | 4.6 |
| IIT Kharagpur Infrastructure | 4.5 |
Source: The above stats have been taken from shiksha.com page and may vary.
Amongst all the IITs in India, IIT Kharagpur is the oldest IIT in India, which was set up in 1951 followed by IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras in 1959. IITKGP offers a four-year BTech programme across 15 Engineering specialisations with a 5 year Integrated M.Tech programme across 15 specialisations.
Hi, there are a total of 20+ top IIT colleges in India. Among these, 20+ IITs are owned by the government. The colleges are considered to be the premier engineering institutes in the country. IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, and IIT Kanpur are some of the top-ranked IITs in India. JEE Main and JEE Advanced are the most accepted entrance exams at top IITs. The Bachelor of Technology (BTech) degree is the most common undergraduate degree in IIT colleges. According to NIRF ranking 2025, IIT Madras emerged as the No. 1 IIT college in India followed by IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay.
Other popular Engineering colleges in India
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