List of IIT Colleges in India 2026: All 23 IITs, NIRF Ranks & Fees

Looking for the complete list of IIT colleges in India? There are 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in 2026, spread across 22 states and union territories. This guide puts all of them in one table with their city, year of establishment and latest NIRF ranks, then explains how admission, fees and fee waivers work.

Every IIT is an Institute of National Importance under the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961. They share one entrance route (JEE Advanced followed by JoSAA counselling), a broadly similar fee structure and a common reputation, but they differ a lot in age, size, campus life and placement strength.

All 23 IITs in India at a glance (NIRF 2025)

The table below lists every IIT in order of its NIRF 2025 – Engineering rank. The Overall column is the NIRF 2025 – Overall rank. NIRF 2025 was released by the Ministry of Education on 4 September 2025, and it is still the latest edition as of October 2026. "Not in top 100" means the IIT is not among the top 100 ranked institutions in that category.

The three generations of IITs

The 23 IITs were not built at once. Knowing which "generation" an IIT belongs to helps explain differences in campus size, alumni networks and placement records.

The original seven (1951–2001)

IIT Kharagpur (1951), IIT Bombay (1958), IIT Madras (1959), IIT Kanpur (1959) and IIT Delhi (1961) form the first wave. IIT Guwahati followed in 1994, and the University of Roorkee, a college dating back to 1847, became IIT Roorkee in 2001. These seven have the largest alumni bases and usually the highest JEE Advanced closing-rank demand.

The 2008–09 IITs and conversions

Eight new IITs opened in 2008–09: Bhubaneswar, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Jodhpur, Patna and Ropar (2008), and Indore and Mandi (2009). Several of them, especially Hyderabad and Indore, have climbed quickly in the rankings. In 2012 the Institute of Technology at Banaras Hindu University became IIT (BHU) Varanasi.

The newest IITs (2015–16)

IIT Tirupati and IIT Palakkad started in 2015, and IIT Dharwad, IIT Bhilai, IIT Goa and IIT Jammu in 2016. The same year, the Indian School of Mines was converted into IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, taking the total to 23. Many of the newest IITs have recently moved, or are moving, into permanent campuses, so facilities are improving year by year.

Top 8 IITs in India: a closer look

The eight IITs below lead the NIRF 2025 Engineering list. Fees mentioned are approximate B.Tech tuition for students who do not qualify for any waiver; hostel, mess and other charges are extra.

1. IIT Madras (Chennai)

IIT Madras has been India's No. 1 engineering institution in NIRF for ten years running and No. 1 Overall for seven. Its green campus sits beside the Guindy National Park, and it is known for its research park, startup incubator and online BS degree in Data Science.

• Established: 1959
• NIRF 2025: Engineering 1, Overall 1
• Popular courses: CSE, Electrical, Engineering Physics, Aerospace, Data Science
• Admission via: JEE Advanced + JoSAA
• Approx. tuition: about ₹2 lakh per year (check the official fee notice)

2. IIT Delhi (New Delhi)

IIT Delhi ranks No. 2 in NIRF 2025 Engineering and No. 4 Overall. Its location in the capital gives students strong links with industry, policy bodies and startups, and it now runs an overseas campus in Abu Dhabi.

• Established: 1961 (declared an IIT in 1963)
• NIRF 2025: Engineering 2, Overall 4
• Popular courses: CSE, Mathematics and Computing, Electrical, Chemical
• Admission via: JEE Advanced + JoSAA
• Approx. tuition: about ₹2 lakh per year

3. IIT Bombay (Mumbai)

IIT Bombay is often the first choice of JEE Advanced toppers, especially for Computer Science. It ranks No. 3 in both Engineering and Overall in NIRF 2025 and has a strong entrepreneurship culture in Powai.

• Established: 1958
• NIRF 2025: Engineering 3, Overall 3
• Popular courses: CSE, Electrical, Mechanical, Engineering Physics
• Admission via: JEE Advanced + JoSAA
• Approx. tuition: about ₹2 lakh per year

4. IIT Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh)

IIT Kanpur is known for a rigorous, science-heavy curriculum, its own airstrip used for aerospace work, and a long record in computing research. It holds Engineering rank 4 and Overall rank 5 in NIRF 2025.

• Established: 1959
• NIRF 2025: Engineering 4, Overall 5
• Popular courses: CSE, Electrical, Aerospace, Economics (B.S.)
• Admission via: JEE Advanced + JoSAA
• Approx. tuition: about ₹2 lakh per year

5. IIT Kharagpur (West Bengal)

The first IIT, set up in 1951, has the largest campus and one of the widest ranges of departments, including law, management and medical science alongside engineering. It ranks 5th in Engineering and 6th Overall in NIRF 2025.

• Established: 1951
• NIRF 2025: Engineering 5, Overall 6
• Popular courses: CSE, Electronics, Mechanical, Architecture, Mining
• Admission via: JEE Advanced + JoSAA (B.Arch also needs AAT)
• Approx. tuition: about ₹2 lakh per year

6. IIT Roorkee (Uttarakhand)

IIT Roorkee traces its roots to the Thomason College of Civil Engineering of 1847, making it the oldest technical institution in the group. It is especially strong in civil, water resources and earthquake engineering, and ranks 6th (Engineering) and 7th (Overall) in NIRF 2025.

• Established: 1847 as a college; IIT since 2001
• NIRF 2025: Engineering 6, Overall 7
• Popular courses: CSE, Civil, Electrical, Architecture
• Admission via: JEE Advanced + JoSAA
• Approx. tuition: about ₹2 lakh per year

7. IIT Hyderabad (Telangana)

IIT Hyderabad is the highest-ranked of the 2008 IITs and moved up to 7th in NIRF 2025 Engineering, overtaking IIT Guwahati. It is known for flexible, credit-based B.Tech programmes and early courses in Artificial Intelligence.

• Established: 2008
• NIRF 2025: Engineering 7, Overall 12
• Popular courses: CSE, Artificial Intelligence, Electrical, Engineering Science
• Admission via: JEE Advanced + JoSAA
• Approx. tuition: about ₹2 lakh per year

8. IIT Guwahati (Assam)

IIT Guwahati has a scenic campus on the north bank of the Brahmaputra and is the leading technical institute in the North-East. It ranks 8th in Engineering and 11th Overall in NIRF 2025.

• Established: 1994
• NIRF 2025: Engineering 8, Overall 11
• Popular courses: CSE, Mathematics and Computing, Electronics, Design
• Admission via: JEE Advanced + JoSAA (B.Des via UCEED)
• Approx. tuition: about ₹2 lakh per year

IIT campuses outside India

IITs have also started teaching abroad. There are currently two overseas campuses:

• IIT Madras Zanzibar (Tanzania): the first IIT campus outside India, which began classes in 2023 with BS and M.Tech programmes in data science and AI. Admission is through its own screening test and interview, and it is open to all nationalities.
• IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi (UAE): teaching began in 2024. B.Tech seats are filled partly through JEE Advanced and partly through the campus's own Combined Admission Entrance Test (CAET) for international and UAE applicants.

Fees and eligibility at these campuses are different from the Indian IITs, so check their official admission portals before applying.

How IIT admission works in 2026

About 18,160 B.Tech and dual-degree seats were offered across the 23 IITs in JoSAA 2025, including supernumerary seats for female candidates. Here is the path most students follow:

1. Take JEE Main (conducted by NTA, usually in January and April) in the B.E./B.Tech paper.
2. Qualify for JEE Advanced: only the top 2,50,000 candidates (all categories) in JEE Main are eligible. JEE Advanced 2026 was organised by IIT Roorkee.
3. Meet the age and attempt rules: for 2026, General candidates had to be born on or after 1 October 2001 (five years' relaxation for SC, ST and PwD), and you can attempt JEE Advanced at most twice in two consecutive years.
4. Meet the Class 12 performance rule: to get an IIT seat you need at least 75% in Class 12 (65% for SC, ST and PwD) or a place in the top 20 percentile of your board, category-wise.
5. Register for JoSAA counselling, fill your choices of IITs and branches in order of preference, and accept, freeze or float the seat you are allotted over the rounds.
6. Report to the institute with documents and fees. Students eligible for fee remission submit their income certificate at this stage.

IIT fees and fee remission rules

B.Tech tuition at IITs is set centrally at about ₹1,00,000 per semester, or roughly ₹2 lakh per year (around ₹8 lakh for four years). Hostel rent, mess charges, one-time admission fees and other charges come on top, so the total yearly cost is usually higher. Exact amounts vary by IIT.

Placements at IITs

Placements differ widely between IITs and between branches. In recent seasons, the older IITs have generally reported B.Tech median packages in the region of ₹18–22 lakh per annum (approx.), while Computer Science and related branches sit well above the average. Newer IITs usually report lower but steadily rising figures.

The fairest comparison is the median salary and the percentage of students placed, which every IIT publishes in its NIRF data file. Avoid judging an IIT only by its "highest package", which reflects a handful of offers.

How to choose the right IIT

• Check previous closing ranks for your category and branch in JoSAA data to build a realistic choice list.
• Compare NIRF scores, not only ranks. Gaps between ranks can be tiny.
• Look at branch-change and minor/double-major rules, which vary by IIT.
• Consider location and climate: Mandi and Jammu are in the hills; Madras, Bombay and Delhi are in big cities.
• Read the median placement and higher-studies numbers for your branch in the latest NIRF data.

Scholarships and funding for IIT students

Thanks to fee remission, many IIT students pay little or no tuition. For hostel, mess, laptop and other costs, students can use the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), central schemes such as post-matric scholarships for SC/ST/OBC students, state merit scholarships, IIT-specific merit-cum-means (MCM) scholarships and education loans.

You can also apply for the AISEE scholarship for engineering students, which helps with study costs at participating institutions. For a wider list of options, see our guide to scholarships after 12th in India.

Frequently asked questions

How many IITs are there in India in 2026?

There are 23 IITs in India in 2026. The latest additions were IIT Dharwad, Bhilai, Goa and Jammu (2016), along with the conversion of ISM Dhanbad into IIT (ISM) Dhanbad the same year. IIT Madras and IIT Delhi also run campuses abroad in Zanzibar and Abu Dhabi.

Which is the No. 1 IIT in India?

IIT Madras is No. 1 in NIRF 2025 in both the Engineering and Overall categories. IIT Delhi is second in Engineering, and IIT Bombay is third in Engineering and Overall.

Which is the oldest IIT?

IIT Kharagpur, set up in 1951, is the oldest IIT. IIT Roorkee's parent college dates back to 1847, but it became an IIT only in 2001.

Can I get into an IIT through JEE Main alone?

No. JEE Main only makes you eligible for JEE Advanced (if you are in the top 2.5 lakh). IIT B.Tech seats are filled using JEE Advanced ranks through JoSAA counselling. JEE Main ranks are used for NITs, IIITs and other centrally funded institutes.

What is the fee of IIT for B.Tech per year?

Tuition is about ₹2 lakh per year (₹1 lakh per semester) for students without a waiver. SC, ST and PwD students and those with family income below ₹1 lakh pay no tuition, and those with income between ₹1 lakh and ₹5 lakh get two-thirds off. Hostel and mess charges are extra.

Is 75% in Class 12 compulsory for IIT admission?

You need either 75% aggregate in Class 12 (65% for SC, ST and PwD) or a rank in the top 20 percentile of your board, category-wise. Meeting either one condition is enough.

Are the newer IITs worth joining?

Yes, for many students. Newer IITs offer the same degree title, similar fees, small class sizes and fast-improving campuses. IIT Hyderabad and IIT Indore, both from 2008–09, already rank in the NIRF 2025 Engineering top 12.

Conclusion: using this list of IIT colleges in India

This list of IIT colleges in India covers all 23 IITs, from IIT Madras at the top of NIRF 2025 to the 2016 institutes that are still growing. Use the table to shortlist IITs that match your expected JEE Advanced rank, then compare branches, closing ranks and placement data before JoSAA counselling.

Your next step: prepare well for JEE Main and JEE Advanced, and plan your finances early. Try our free test series to practise, and apply for scholarships so the cost of an IIT education never stands in your way.