Top Engineering colleges in India

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Chennai · Tamil Nadu · est. 1959

India's top-ranked institution overall and in engineering for six consecutive NIRF cycles. Strong in mechanical, ocean engineering, computer science and the new BS in Data Science (online + on-campus tracks).

NIRF Overall #1, Engineering #1, Management #4 (2024)

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi

New Delhi · Delhi · est. 1961

Anchor of the Delhi research cluster. Strong CSE + Electrical, large research footprint via SCAI (computational + AI), Bharti School and the textile / fibre engineering programmes.

NIRF Overall #4, Engineering #2, Management #4 (2024)

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

Mumbai · Maharashtra · est. 1958

The largest IIT by departments. Dominant in CSE placements, the only IIT with a campus-based architecture programme, and the SJMSOM management school.

NIRF Overall #3, Engineering #3, Management #10 (2024)

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

Kanpur · Uttar Pradesh · est. 1959

First IIT to set up a computer science programme. Strong in aerospace, materials science, and the country's top startup pipeline through SIIC (Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre).

NIRF Overall #5, Engineering #4 (2024)

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

Kharagpur · West Bengal · est. 1951

Oldest IIT and the largest campus. Houses the Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law (RGSOIPL) — India's only IP-focused law school inside a technical university.

NIRF Overall #6, Engineering #5 (2024)

Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee

Roorkee · Uttarakhand · est. 1847

Originally the Thomason College of Civil Engineering (1847) — predates the IIT system by over a century. Anchor for civil, earthquake and water-resource engineering.

NIRF Overall #8, Engineering #6 (2024)

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati

Guwahati · Assam · est. 1994

The northeast's flagship IIT. Strong in design (IIT Guwahati offers a B.Des), biosciences and bio-engineering. Campus on the Brahmaputra is among the prettiest in the IIT system.

NIRF Overall #9, Engineering #7 (2024)

Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad

Hyderabad · Telangana · est. 2008

Youngest IIT in the top 10 engineering ranks. Pioneered the fractal academic system (CSE specialisations), strong AI/ML output, multiple Japanese university partnerships.

NIRF Engineering #8 (2024)

National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli

Tiruchirappalli · Tamil Nadu · est. 1964

Top-ranked NIT for six consecutive years. Strong CSE and ECE placements, the largest electrical engineering intake among the NITs.

NIRF Engineering #9 (2024)

Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi

Varanasi · Uttar Pradesh · est. 1919

Originally Banaras Engineering College, converted to IIT in 2012. Strong mining, metallurgy, ceramic and chemical engineering programmes — fields BHU has run for over a century.

NIRF Engineering #10 (2024)

Vellore Institute of Technology

Vellore · Tamil Nadu · est. 1984

India's largest private engineering school by intake. Admission via VITEEE entrance. Strong industry placement pipeline, multiple campuses.

NIRF Engineering #11, University #16 (2024)

Jadavpur University

Kolkata · West Bengal · est. 1955

West Bengal's state-funded engineering powerhouse. Faculty of Engineering & Technology is one of India's oldest, often produces top JEE Advanced rank-takers despite low fees.

NIRF Engineering #12, University #11 (2024)

Anna University

Chennai · Tamil Nadu · est. 1978

Tamil Nadu's flagship engineering university with affiliated colleges across the state. The CEG (College of Engineering Guindy) campus is the original engineering school of South India.

NIRF Engineering #13, University #20 (2024)

Indian Institute of Technology Indore

Indore · Madhya Pradesh · est. 2009

Among the newer IITs, climbed into the engineering top 15 inside a decade. Strong physics, astronomy and CSE departments.

NIRF Engineering #14 (2024)

Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad

Dhanbad · Jharkhand · est. 1926

The country's premier institute for mining and petroleum engineering — the only IIT with those as core specialisations. Strong placement track record in the coal and oil & gas sector.

NIRF Engineering #16 (2024)

National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal

Mangaluru · Karnataka · est. 1960

Coastal Karnataka's flagship engineering institute. Strong civil, marine and computer science programmes, beachfront campus.

NIRF Engineering #17 (2024)

National Institute of Technology Rourkela

Rourkela · Odisha · est. 1961

Strong metallurgy, ceramic and mining engineering programmes — historic strengths from the Rourkela steel-plant region.

NIRF Engineering #19 (2024)

Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani

Pilani · Rajasthan · est. 1964

The reference private engineering school. Admission only via BITSAT (no JEE). Strong CSE, electronics and the only major engineering school with a robust pharmacy programme.

NIRF Engineering #20, Pharmacy #2 (2024)

National Institute of Technology Warangal

Warangal · Telangana · est. 1959

The first regional engineering college in India (then RECW), converted to NIT in 2002. Strong CSE and electronics output, well-known alumni network in IT services.

NIRF Engineering #21 (2024)

Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar

Gandhinagar · Gujarat · est. 2008

Newer IIT with a heavily project-based undergraduate curriculum. Strong materials science and the only IIT offering a BTech in materials engineering as a flagship.

NIRF Engineering #22 (2024)

Indian Institute of Technology Ropar

Rupnagar · Punjab · est. 2008

Punjab's IIT. Particularly strong in CSE and the Centre of Excellence in AI. Newer campus on the Sutlej river.

NIRF Engineering #23 (2024)

National Institute of Technology Calicut

Kozhikode · Kerala · est. 1961

Kerala's NIT, formerly the Calicut REC. Strong civil, mechanical and computer science programmes; the architecture course is among the most competitive in the NIT system.

NIRF Engineering #25 (2024)

Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur

Jodhpur · Rajasthan · est. 2008

Rajasthan's IIT, expanding into healthcare engineering with an upcoming AIIMS-IIT-J joint MBBS-BTech programme. Strong AI/ML and biotechnology output.

NIRF Engineering #27 (2024)

Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar · Odisha · est. 2008

Odisha's IIT. Strong civil, mechanical and a relatively new aerospace engineering programme. Coastal-engineering focus given the state's geography.

NIRF Engineering #28 (2024)

Indian Institute of Technology Mandi

Mandi · Himachal Pradesh · est. 2009

Himalayan IIT, strong civil, mechanical and emerging electronics-and-communication programmes. The country's only Hindi-medium technical school option among IITs.

NIRF Engineering #31 (2024)

Delhi Technological University

New Delhi · Delhi · est. 1941

Formerly the Delhi College of Engineering. Delhi state's premier engineering university, very competitive CSE intake through JEE Main + state quota.

NIRF Engineering #36 (2024)

International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad

Hyderabad · Telangana · est. 1998

Autonomous IIIT focused entirely on computer science and electronics. Admission via JEE Main + UGEE (their own test). Top-tier CS placement track for a non-IIT.

NIRF Engineering #47 (2024)

Indian Institute of Information Technology Allahabad

Prayagraj · Uttar Pradesh · est. 1999

The first IIIT to be set up as a centrally-funded institute. CSE and ECE focused — admission via JEE Main.

NIRF Engineering #84 (2024)

Indian Institute of Science

Bengaluru · Karnataka · est. 1909

India's premier research institution. The only Indian university consistently inside the QS top 200. Undergraduate BS programme admission via JEE Advanced (top-500 typically).

NIRF Overall #2, University #1, Research #1 (2024)

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Manipal · Karnataka · est. 1953

Coastal Karnataka deemed university with major engineering, medical, dental, pharmacy and hotel-management schools. Admission via MET / NEET / GMAT for respective programmes.

NIRF University #4 (2024)

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Coimbatore · Tamil Nadu · est. 1994

Multi-campus deemed university with strong engineering (AEEE entrance) and good NIRF placement. The Coimbatore engineering campus is the flagship.

NIRF University #7 (2024)

International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore

Bengaluru · Karnataka · est. 1999

Bengaluru's tech-policy + technology institute. Mostly PG focused (MTech, MSc by Research, integrated MTech). Strong tie-ins with the Bengaluru tech ecosystem.