The top NIT colleges in India 2026 are NIT Trichy, NIT Rourkela, and NIT Surathkal. Other institutes in the list of NIRF Rankings 2025 include NIT Warangal, NIT Calicut, and NIT Durgapur, among others. These colleges are known for high placement rates and lucrative salary packages post graduation.
- Highlights of the Top NIT Colleges in India 2026
- List of Top NIT Colleges in India 2026
- Types of Degrees Offered in Top NIT Colleges in India
- Eligibility Criteria for NIT Colleges in India 2026
- Entrance Exams for Admission to Top NITs in India
- Seat Matrix in Top NIT Colleges in India
- Expected Cutoffs for Top NIT Colleges in India 2026
- Placements in Top NIT Colleges in India 2026
- Why Choose NITs Over Other Engineering Colleges?
- Faqs
The list of top NIT colleges in India 2026 is usually determined by the latest NIRF Rankings, the year-on-year performance of these colleges, overall students' performance in these institutes, and other factors. According to the latest NIR Rankings 2025, NIT Tiruchirappalli has secured the 9th position, followed by NIT Rourkela in the 13th position, and NIT Surathkal in the 17th position. These 3 NITs have been ranked in the top 3 positions for engineering admissions for the academic session 2025-26. The National Institutes of Technology (NITs) are autonomous public engineering institutions offering a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs in engineering and science. Admission to these premier institutes is conducted through the JEE Main 2026 exam, followed by JEE Advanced and the centralised counselling process named JoSAA counselling. In this article, we have provided a list of the top 10 NIT colleges in India rank wise and more, digging deeper into the admission process, the average fee, and the NIRF ranks for reference.
Highlights of the Top NIT Colleges in India 2026
India has a total of 31 National Institutes of Technology colleges as per the latest data. If you are an aspiring engineer looking to know more about the best NITs in India, we have provided a detailed overview of the top NIT colleges below:
Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
Total No. of Colleges | 31 |
Average Fees |
|
Specializations Offered |
|
Admission Process | Entrance Exams Based (JEE Main, GATE, CAT, NIMCET etc.) |
List of Top NIT Colleges in India 2026
The list of NIT in India ranking admissions is prepared based on NIRF rankings. The Ministry of Education releases the National Institutional Ranking Framework rankings every year to assess the overall performance of each institute. All the National Institute of Technology in India are assessed based on several parameters, and ranks are awarded to them. The latest NIRF ranks were released last year. In the following table, we have provided the list of the best NIT colleges in India as per the NIRF 2025 ranks for your reference:| NIT Colleges | State | NIRF Ranking 2025 | NIT NIRF Ranking 2024 | NIRF NIT Rankings 2023 | NIRF NIT Ranking 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | |
| NIT Rourkela | Odisha | 13 | 19 | 16 | 15 |
| Karnataka | 17 | 17 | 12 | 10 | |
| Kerala | 21 | 25 | 23 | 31 | |
Telangana | 28 | 21 | 21 | 21 | |
| Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) | Rajasthan | 42 | 43 | 37 | 46 |
| Visvesvaraya NIT | Maharashtra | 44 | 39 | 41 | 32 |
| NIT Durgapur | West Bengal | 49 | 44 | 43 | 34 |
| NIT Silchar | Assam | 50 | 40 | 40 | 38 |
| NIT Patna | Bihar | 53 | 55 | 56 | 63 |
| Dr. B.R. Ambedkar NIT Jalandhar | Punjab | 55 | 58 | 46 | 52 |
Uttar Pradesh | 62 | 60 | 49 | 47 | |
| NIT Delhi | New Delhi | 65 | 45 | 51 | 194 |
| Sardar Vallabhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT) | Gujarat | 66 | 59 | 65 | 58 |
| NIT Srinagar | Jammu & Kashmir | 73 | 79 | 82 | 66 |
| Maulana Azad NIT (MANIT) Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | 81 | 72 | 80 | 70 |
Jharkhand | 82 | 101-150 | - | 90 | |
| NIT Meghalaya | Meghalaya | 83 | 68 | 72 | 60 |
| Haryana | 85 | 81 | 58 | 50 | |
| NIT Raipur | Chhatisgarh | 86 | 71 | 70 | 65 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 97 | 32 | - | 128 | |
| NIT Puducherry | Puducherry | 99 | 97 | - | 136 |
Types of Degrees Offered in Top NIT Colleges in India
Top NIT colleges in India offer several programs at different levels. You can pursue engineering courses at the Undergraduate, Postgraduate, and PhD levels from the National Institute of Technology in India. Most of the top NITs in India offer courses in leading engineering streams such as Computer Science & Engineering, Electronics & Communication Engineering, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Civil Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. The following list consists of different programs offered in the best NIT colleges.| UG courses | PG Courses | Dual Degree |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Technology (BTech) | Master of Technology (MTech) | BTech+ M Tech |
| Bachelor of Science (BSc) | Master of Science (MSc) | BS + MS |
| Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) | Master of Business Administration (MBA) | - |
Eligibility Criteria for NIT Colleges in India 2026
To get admission among the best NIT colleges, you are required to participate in entrance examinations such as JEE Main and the GATE exam. Check the detailed eligibility criteria for the top NIT colleges in India below:
Particulars | B.Tech Eligibility Criteria | M.Tech Eligibility Criteria |
|---|---|---|
Academic Qualification |
|
|
Entrance Exam | JEE Main | GATE Exam |
Additional Criteria | You are required to satisfy the minimum cutoff marks in JEE counsellling to secure a seat in particular NIT colleges | You are required to satisfy the minimum cutoff marks in GATE counsellling to secure a seat in a particular NIT colleges and course. |
| NITs for 99 Percentile in JEE Main | NITs for 97 Percentile in JEE Main |
|---|
Entrance Exams for Admission to Top NITs in India
Admissions to NIT colleges for different courses are based on entrance exams. You can check the list of entrance exams for different UG and PG courses below:
Name of Course | Entrance Exam |
|---|---|
BTech/ BArch | |
MBA | |
MTech/MSc | |
MCA |
Also Read:
How to Get Admission in MTech Courses at IITs, NITs Without GATE Score?
Seat Matrix in Top NIT Colleges in India
The Seat Matrix for all the NIT colleges is released by JoSAA. The seat matrix provides information about the available seats in a particular NIT for a particular stream for B.Tech admission. You can check the detailed seat matrix for the top NITs in India from the official JoSAA website. During the JoSAA counselling process, you are allocated the seats to different NITs based on the official seat matrix. In the following table, you can check the seat matrix among the best NIT colleges:
| List of NIT Colleges | Programme Total | |
|---|---|---|
Seat capacity | Female Supernumerary | |
Dr. B R Ambedkar NIT, Jalandhar | 1103 | 9 |
Malaviya NIT Jaipur | 888 | 0 |
Maulana Azad NIT Bhopal | 962 | 241 |
Motilal Nehru NIT Allahabad | 1048 | 56 |
NIT Agartala | 873 | 211 |
NIT Calicut | 1198 | 45 |
NIT Delhi | 360 | 1 |
NIT Durgapur | 909 | 0 |
NIT Goa | 188 | 0 |
NIT Hamirpur | 944 | 0 |
NIT Karnataka, Surathkal | 956 | 0 |
NIT Meghalaya | 165 | 0 |
NIT Nagaland | 198 | 5 |
NIT Patna | 941 | 8 |
NIT Puducherry | 275 | 0 |
NIT Raipur | 1158 | 1 |
NIT Sikkim | 160 | 0 |
NIT Arunachal Pradesh | 160 | 0 |
NIT Jamshedpur | 751 | 0 |
NIT Kurukshetra | 1147 | 0 |
NIT Manipur | 226 | 0 |
NIT Mizoram | 178 | 12 |
NIT Rourkela | 1058 | 8 |
NIT Silchar | 903 | 0 |
NIT Srinagar | 860 | 39 |
NIT Tiruchirappalli | 1038 | 0 |
NIT Uttarakhand | 144 | 36 |
NIT Warangal | 989 | 0 |
Sardar Vallabhbhai NIT Surat | 1325 | 0 |
Visvesvaraya NIT Nagpur | 933 | 0 |
NIT Andhra Pradesh | 480 | 0 |
Also Read : Tier 1 Colleges in India 2026
Expected Cutoffs for Top NIT Colleges in India 2026
Cutoff marks are the minimum marks required to be able to eligible for admission to the particular institute. The official JEE Main 2026 Cutoff score for NIT colleges will be released following the completion of JEE Main and JEE Advanced exams. JoSAA will release cutoff scores during the counselling process. You can check the JoSAA cutoff score for both rounds 1 and 2 for the past year and predict the expected cutoff ranks by clicking on the link provided below:
| JoSAA 2025 Cutoff for NITs - Direct Link |
|---|
Also Read: JEE Main 2026 Cutoff for NITs
Placements in Top NIT Colleges in India 2026
Most NITs offer ample opportunities in terms of career growth and placements. Generally, students graduating from NIT colleges receive high salary packages from multinational companies in the fields of IT, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, etc. Check the list of top NIT colleges in India offering high placements along with top recruiters below:
Name of the NIT College | Annual Average Package | Top Recruiters |
|---|---|---|
NIT Trichy | Rs. 12 LPA | Oracle, Amazon, IBM, Nokia, Samsung, etc. |
NIT Calicut | Rs. 11 LPA | Accenture, L&T Infotech, Bain & Company, IBM India Private Limited, Capgemini India, etc. |
NIT Rourkela | Rs. 10 LPA | Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Deloitte, etc. |
MNIT Jaipur | Rs. 9 LPA | Adobe, Amazon, Analytics Quotient Services India Pvt. Ltd., Bajaj Auto, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, etc. |
NIT Delhi | Rs. 17.72 LPA | Cashfree, Goldman Sachs, Celigo, ThoughtSpot, Tekion, Salesforce, MathWorks |
NIT Durgapur | Rs. 13.62 LPA | Super Smelters, Hitachi Energy, Tata Power SODL, Oceanergy, Cubastion |
MANIT Bhopal | Rs. 15.6 LPA | EPIC, Maruti Suzuki, Morgan Stanley, Mahindra, Qualcomm, Code Nation, Adobe |
VNIT Nagpur | Rs. 11.80 LPA | Adani Group, BrahMos Aerospace, Civil Globe Consultants Pvt. Ltd., Course5 Intelligence, Fischer Jordan, Hindustan Platinum |
IIEST Shibpur | Rs. 7.8 LPA | Re-Sustainability Ltd., Jindal Power Ltd., Vedanta Limited., Fractal Analytics, Tata Steel Ltd (MT- Systems), Texas Instruments |
Why Choose NITs Over Other Engineering Colleges?
NITs are established by the government and hold significant weight in its name as well as global recognition. Students who graduate from NITs are usually known to secure lucrative career opportunities in India as well as abroad. Being government-funded, the fee structure at NITs is generally much lower than at premium private institutions. There are also several scholarship schemes offered by various NITs for students who need financial aid to pursue higher education. The infrastructure and campus life of each NIT are also among the best attractions for students across the globe. Therefore, these are usually the primary reasons why students prefer to seek admission into NITs, in addition to the high rankings and excellent faculty.To conclude, the list of top NIT colleges in India 2026 according to the latest NIRF Rankings are NIT Tiruchirappalli, NIT Rourkela, and NIT Surathkal, in 9th, 13th, and 17th positions, respectively. Students who are seeking admissions in 2026 must refer to the detailed article provided above to get an idea of how to get into the best NIT institute to pursue their dreams. For more updates on NIT admissions, keep following CollegeDekho!
Related Articles:
| NIT BTech Fee Structure | List of B.Tech Specializations Offered by NITs |
Hopefully, this article about the top NIT colleges in India 2026 was helpful to you. For more such informative articles, keep following the CollegeDekho website.
FAQs
Some of the most sought-after branches offered at NIT colleges are Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science & Engineering, Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Electronics & Communication Engineering.
Some of the most common advantages of studying at an NIT college in India are high-quality education, vibrant campus life, great career opportunities, and advanced laboratories, to mention a few.
NIRF rankings are based on several factors such as Teaching, Learning, Resources, Research, and Professional Practices, Graduation Outcomes, Perception
You can pursue undergraduate and postgraduate courses from top NITs in India, including B.Tech, M.Tech, M.Sc, MBA, MS, etc.
NIT Trichy, NIT Rourkela, NIT Surathkal, NIT Warangal, NIT Kurukshetra, NIT Durgapur, NIT Allahabad, NIT Calicut, NIT Jaipur are some of the top 10 NITs in India.
As per the latest NIRF ranks of 2025, NIT Trichy is regarded as the best NIT in India. The institute ranked at number 9 in the list, bagging the first place among all NITs.
The admission process for NITs India includes multiple steps such as participating and qualifying for the entrance exam, registering for the counselling process, locking of seats, seat allocation, and reporting to the respective NIT colleges.
NIT colleges in India are renowned for providing great career opportunities to students. Many top NITs in India invite top recruiters for campus placements. You can check average salaries offered in best NIT colleges in India below:
- MNIT Jaipur: INR 9 LPA
- NIT Manipur: INR 47 LPA
- NIT Rourkela: INR 10 LPA
Indian Institute of Technology are the oldest engineering institutes in India, and it is the premium college for engineering courses. NIT or National Institutes of Technology are also premium engineering institutes. Drawing a comparison between two can be challenging, as many IITs lead the ranks as the best engineering colleges, however, many NITs, such as NIT Trichy, Warangal, and Suratkal are considered better than many IITs.
There is no minimum percentage requirement for admission into NITs since admission to NITs is based entirely on the JEE Main qualification. However, candidates must score at least 75% or above in the JEE Main exam or rank in top 20 percentile in their respective board exams to be eligible for admission to any of the NIT colleges in India.
The general fee structure at most NIT colleges in India varies between min range of Rs. 35,000/- to Rs. 80,000/-, and max range of Rs. 1.00,000/- to Rs. 5,00,000/-. Different NITs have different fee based on the courses offered and facilities provided to the students.
The minimum rank to get in to NIT is at least 20,000 or higher in the JEE Main entrance exam. Since the NITs are some of the top ranked technical colleges in India the competition for admission to any of the NITs is sky-high every year. Only those chandidates who score the highest and rank in top percentile of JEE Main candidates are able to secure admission to the NIT college of their choice.
The National Institute of Technology that has the best campus is a subjective matter and every student has their own preferences based on different factors. Some candidates prefer campuses that offer better research facilities whereas others prefere campuses where the social life is better than other. However, the best NIT campuses in India are NIT Silchar, NIT Srinaga, NIT Warangal, NIT Meghalaya, among others.
NIT Trichy and NIT Surathkal are considered to be the best NIT campuses for Computer Science Engineering and other IT-related courses. The availability of top-notch infrastructure combined with the presence of well trained faculty makes these institutes the best for such courses.
There are a total of 31 NITs in India and all of them are categorized under autonomous public institutions for higher education in India. NITs in India are affiliated to the state universiites but they are autonomous institutions.
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