IIT vs NIT: What the NIRF Scores and Cutoffs Actually Show
Across the NIRF 2025 engineering top 100 there are 22 IITs and 16 NITs, and they overlap heavily. NIT Tiruchirappalli ranks 9th, above 14 of the 22 IITs. The mean gap between the two groups is 23.51 points on Perception but only 4.52 on Graduation Outcomes.
The honest version of this comparison is not "IIT beats NIT". It is that the gap between the two groups is largest on the things that do not affect your job, and smallest on the thing that does. Here is every ranked institute of both types, with the scores and the ranks you actually need.
Where the gap actually is
| Parameter | IIT mean | NIT mean | Gap | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perception | 43.42 | 19.91 | 23.51 | A reputation survey of academics and employers |
| Teaching (TLR) | 80.66 | 66.47 | 14.20 | Faculty ratio, qualifications, money spent |
| Research (RP) | 55.03 | 41.18 | 13.85 | Publications, citations, patents, funded projects |
| Graduation Outcomes | 76.25 | 71.73 | 4.52 | Placement, higher study, median salary, exams, PhDs |
| Outreach (OI) | 61.53 | 60.07 | 1.46 | Region and gender diversity, accessibility |
| Total score | 66.45 | 54.64 | 11.82 | The five parameters, weighted |
Read the gap column top to bottom. Perception, a reputation survey, separates the groups by 23.51 points. Teaching resources by 14.2 and research by 13.85, both of which follow from IITs being older, better funded and more research-intensive.
Then Graduation Outcomes: 4.52 points. That is the parameter covering placement, higher study, median salary and exam results. On the measure closest to employment, the two groups are nearly level.
The total gap is 11.82 points, and most of it is built from reputation and research rather than outcomes. That is worth knowing before treating the IIT tag as decisive.
What they actually pay
Graduation Outcomes is a proxy. NIRF also publishes the real figure, in each institute’s data sheet: how many graduated, how many were placed, and the median salary those placements paid. Across the ranked institutes of each type:
- Median salary: Rs 1,725,000 at IITs against Rs 1,100,000 at NITs, a factor of 1.57.
- Placement rate: 74.3% at IITs against 76.8% at NITs. The NITs place a slightly larger share of their cohort.
- Going to higher study: 16.2% at IITs against 11.7% at NITs, which explains part of the placement-rate difference.
So the two groups are close on whether you get an offer, and 1.57 times apart on what it pays. That is a cleaner statement of the gap than any ranking position, and it points the same way as the parameter scores: NITs are competitive on outcomes, behind on the ceiling.
The overlap is real at the edges. NIT Delhi reports a median of Rs 1,590,000, above the lowest-paying IIT in the table (IIT Tirupati, Rs 1,100,000). No NIT beats the median IIT, but the top NITs clear the bottom of the IIT range comfortably.
Every ranked IIT and NIT, in order
| Rank | Institute | Type | Graduation Outcomes | Research (RP) | Perception | Total | Placed | Median salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IIT Madras | IIT | 82.29 | 90.74 | 100.00 | 88.72 | 76.9% | Rs 1,750,000 |
| 2 | IIT Delhi | IIT | 81.67 | 93.47 | 93.97 | 85.74 | 75.2% | Rs 1,908,000 |
| 3 | IIT Bombay | IIT | 87.06 | 84.81 | 85.04 | 83.65 | 73.8% | Rs 1,961,000 |
| 4 | IIT Kanpur | IIT | 88.08 | 76.34 | 78.49 | 81.82 | 66.5% | Rs 1,940,000 |
| 5 | IIT Kharagpur | IIT | 79.82 | 77.56 | 74.57 | 78.69 | 76.1% | Rs 1,976,000 |
| 6 | IIT Roorkee | IIT | 85.82 | 76.57 | 60.98 | 75.44 | 69.8% | Rs 1,700,000 |
| 7 | IIT Hyderabad | IIT | 79.20 | 61.39 | 61.98 | 72.31 | 76.7% | Rs 2,100,000 |
| 8 | IIT Guwahati | IIT | 84.68 | 72.89 | 52.06 | 72.24 | 76.9% | Rs 1,948,000 |
| 9 | NIT Tiruchirappalli | NIT | 78.69 | 57.64 | 66.54 | 68.14 | 76.9% | Rs 1,435,000 |
| 10 | IIT (BHU) Varanasi | IIT | 86.03 | 61.68 | 55.64 | 67.24 | 92.8% | Rs 2,000,000 |
| 12 | IIT Indore | IIT | 76.52 | 59.55 | 27.15 | 66.65 | 70.7% | Rs 1,948,000 |
| 13 | NIT Rourkela | NIT | 76.89 | 59.25 | 22.37 | 66.62 | 81.2% | Rs 1,525,000 |
| 15 | IIT (Indian School of Mines) | IIT | 77.02 | 62.49 | 32.29 | 65.37 | 80.8% | Rs 1,200,000 |
| 17 | NIT Surathkal | NIT | 78.11 | 51.80 | 45.70 | 64.59 | 76.7% | Rs 1,400,000 |
| 19 | IIT Patna | IIT | 78.40 | 55.04 | 21.73 | 64.52 | 95.5% | Rs 2,250,000 |
| 21 | NIT Calicut | NIT | 79.12 | 40.00 | 34.71 | 63.05 | 88.6% | Rs 1,250,000 |
| 25 | IIT Gandhinagar | IIT | 74.62 | 41.07 | 29.36 | 62.31 | 74.8% | Rs 1,400,000 |
| 26 | IIT Mandi | IIT | 78.29 | 42.61 | 21.95 | 62.08 | 70.0% | Rs 1,850,000 |
| 27 | IIT Jodhpur | IIT | 70.43 | 44.03 | 12.93 | 61.31 | 77.0% | Rs 1,200,000 |
| 28 | NIT Warangal | NIT | 73.64 | 49.23 | 33.44 | 61.05 | 71.5% | Rs 1,420,000 |
| 32 | IIT Ropar | IIT | 75.18 | 47.74 | 25.23 | 59.66 | 68.5% | Rs 1,697,000 |
| 39 | IIT Bhubaneswar | IIT | 75.07 | 39.14 | 28.27 | 58.22 | 79.1% | Rs 1,400,000 |
| 49 | NIT Durgapur | NIT | 77.92 | 38.14 | 16.97 | 55.94 | 69.9% | Rs 1,124,000 |
| 50 | NIT Silchar | NIT | 70.15 | 51.48 | 9.92 | 55.91 | 63.2% | Rs 1,100,000 |
| 53 | NIT Patna | NIT | 73.81 | 51.69 | 6.35 | 53.89 | 80.1% | Rs 700,000 |
| 56 | IIT Jammu | IIT | 60.05 | 31.90 | 15.00 | 53.08 | 63.5% | Rs 1,169,500 |
| 57 | IIT Tirupati | IIT | 66.17 | 22.84 | 26.59 | 52.73 | 55.6% | Rs 1,100,000 |
| 64 | IIT Palakkad | IIT | 62.17 | 26.02 | 20.87 | 51.20 | 67.3% | Rs 1,200,000 |
| 65 | NIT Delhi | NIT | 71.26 | 29.35 | 19.53 | 50.79 | 83.2% | Rs 1,590,000 |
| 72 | IIT Bhilai | IIT | 65.13 | 24.97 | 8.47 | 50.37 | 71.6% | Rs 1,200,000 |
| 73 | NIT Srinagar | NIT | 69.97 | 35.08 | 5.73 | 50.23 | 57.9% | Rs 1,100,000 |
| 77 | IIT Dharwad | IIT | 63.79 | 17.71 | 22.58 | 48.61 | 61.7% | Rs 1,162,000 |
| 82 | NIT Jamshedpur | NIT | 75.79 | 28.90 | 6.35 | 48.25 | 94.7% | Rs 1,080,000 |
| 83 | NIT Meghalaya | NIT | 62.31 | 30.77 | 7.27 | 48.21 | 80.0% | Rs 1,050,000 |
| 85 | NIT Kurukshetra | NIT | 66.64 | 37.48 | 17.45 | 47.98 | 53.6% | Rs 900,000 |
| 86 | NIT Raipur | NIT | 66.26 | 39.87 | 4.77 | 47.59 | 72.4% | Rs 850,000 |
| 97 | NIT Hamirpur | NIT | 65.33 | 32.51 | 9.34 | 46.10 | 83.5% | Rs 1,005,000 |
| 99 | NIT Puducherry | NIT | 61.86 | 25.67 | 12.13 | 45.83 | 68.7% | Rs 700,000 |
NIT rows shaded. Source: NIRF India Rankings 2025, Engineering.
The interleaving is the point. NIT Tiruchirappalli (68.14) sits above IIT Indore, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, IIT Jodhpur, IIT Bhubaneswar, IIT Jammu, IIT Palakkad, IIT Bhilai and IIT Dharwad. NIT Rourkela at 13 and NIT Surathkal at 17 do the same.
Four NITs beat the median IIT on outcomes
| Institute | NIRF rank | Graduation Outcomes | Perception | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NIT Calicut | 21 | 79.12 | 34.71 | 63.05 |
| NIT Tiruchirappalli | 9 | 78.69 | 66.54 | 68.14 |
| NIT Surathkal | 17 | 78.11 | 45.70 | 64.59 |
| NIT Durgapur | 49 | 77.92 | 16.97 | 55.94 |
NIT Calicut posts the highest Graduation Outcomes score of any NIT at 79.12, above the median IIT of 77.66. NIT Durgapur manages 77.92 from rank 49, which tells you how little the total rank constrains the outcomes score.
What holds these institutes down is Perception. NIT Durgapur scores 16.97 on it. That number is a survey result, not a measurement of what happens to its graduates.
The cutoffs are not comparable, and everyone compares them
This is the single most common error in IIT-versus-NIT arguments. IIT seats are allotted on JEE Advanced ranks. NIT seats are allotted on JEE Main ranks. The two are different exams with different candidate pools, so the numbers cannot be placed side by side.
| Institute | JEE Advanced closing rank |
|---|---|
| IIT Bombay | 68 |
| IIT Delhi | 116 |
| IIT Madras | 159 |
| IIT Kanpur | 252 |
| IIT Kharagpur | 415 |
| IIT Roorkee | 481 |
| IIT Guwahati | 623 |
| IIT Hyderabad | 656 |
| IIT (BHU) Varanasi | 1,071 |
| IIT Indore | 1,389 |
| IIT Ropar | 2,379 |
| IIT Jodhpur | 3,061 |
| IIT Patna | 3,144 |
| IIT (ISM) Dhanbad | 3,846 |
| IIT Palakkad | 6,199 |
| IIT Dharwad | 6,375 |
| IIT Bhilai | 6,516 |
| Institute | Other-state quota | Home-state quota |
|---|---|---|
| NIT Tiruchirappalli | 1,224 | 5,066 |
| NIT Surathkal | 1,615 | 2,933 |
| NIT Warangal | 2,186 | 2,804 |
| NIT Rourkela | 2,940 | 7,807 |
| NIT Calicut | 4,482 | 9,271 |
| NIT Kurukshetra | 6,000 | 8,475 |
| NIT Jamshedpur | 7,944 | 13,775 |
| NIT Delhi | 8,018 | 12,455 |
| NIT Durgapur | 8,765 | 14,090 |
| NIT Silchar | 11,930 | 26,892 |
A JEE Advanced rank of 6,375 for IIT Dharwad CSE and a JEE Main rank of 4,482 for NIT Calicut CSE look similar and are not. To sit JEE Advanced at all you must first place in roughly the top 2.5 lakh of JEE Main, so an Advanced rank of 6,375 sits inside a far smaller and more selective pool.
Home-state quota is usually, but not always, easier
NIT Tiruchirappalli closed at 1,224 for other-state candidates and 5,066 for home-state ones, so a Tamil Nadu resident got the same seat at a much worse rank. NIT Rourkela shows the same pattern, 2,940 against 7,807.
It does not always hold. At NIT Andhra Pradesh the home-state cutoff was tighter than the other-state one, because local demand outran the seats reserved for it. Check your own state rather than assuming.
What this ranking cannot tell you
Two things this page deliberately does not claim, because the data is not public in comparable form:
- Branch-level pay. The medians above are whole-institute figures from each data sheet. CSE medians run well above the institute median almost everywhere, and NIRF does not break the figure down by branch.
- Fees. IIT and NIT fee structures differ, with waivers and category rules on both sides, and NIRF does not publish them. Check the institute's fee page for the year you are applying.
How to read a placement report once you have one, and why the highest package is the wrong number, is covered in how NIRF scores are calculated.
How to actually decide
- Branch first. CSE at a top NIT generally outperforms a low-demand branch at a mid IIT on placement. Our branch-wise salary breakdown has the spread.
- Then Graduation Outcomes, from the table above, rather than the rank.
- Then home-state quota. It can move you a whole band at no cost.
- Then the tag, which is worth something real for higher study and recruiter shortlists, just less than most applicants assume.
Jobs and study abroad
- For campus placement, the outcomes gap between a top NIT and a mid IIT is small. Compare the two specific institutes and branches, not the categories. The CSE at NIT vs IIIT guide applies the same logic to computing seats.
- For an MS or PhD abroad, the IIT advantage is more real. Research and Professional Practice averages 55.03 at IITs against 41.18 at NITs, and research access is what produces publications and credible recommendation letters.
- If you are weighing either against going abroad now, price it: IIT seat vs MS abroad, payback calculator, study abroad vs India on ROI.
Frequently asked questions
Is a top NIT better than a lower IIT?
On NIRF 2025 engineering, several are ranked higher. NIT Tiruchirappalli sits at 9 with a total of 68.14, above 14 of the 22 ranked IITs. The IIT tag still carries more weight in perception, but the ranking itself does not put every IIT above every NIT.
What is the real difference between IITs and NITs?
Reputation and research, far more than outcomes. Across the ranked institutes the mean Perception gap is 23.51 points and the research gap 13.85, while Graduation Outcomes differs by only 4.52. The parameter closest to your job is the one where the two groups are closest.
Which NITs have better outcomes than most IITs?
Four NITs score above the median IIT on Graduation Outcomes: Calicut (79.12), Tiruchirappalli (78.69), Surathkal (78.11) and Durgapur (77.92). Durgapur manages it from rank 49.
Can I compare IIT and NIT closing ranks directly?
No, and this is the most common mistake. IIT seats are allotted on JEE Advanced ranks and NIT seats on JEE Main ranks. A closing rank of 6,375 at IIT Dharwad and 4,482 at NIT Calicut are numbers from two different exams with different candidate pools.
What is the median salary at IITs compared to NITs?
On NIRF's own per-institute data for the 2023-24 graduating cohort, the median across ranked IITs is Rs 17,25,000 against Rs 11,00,000 across ranked NITs, a factor of 1.57. Placement rates are closer: 74.3% at IITs and 76.8% at NITs, with more IIT graduates going on to higher study.
Does home-state quota make an NIT easier to get?
Usually. NIT Tiruchirappalli closed at 1,224 other-state against 5,066 home-state in 2024, so residents got in at a much worse rank. It is not universal: at NIT Andhra Pradesh the home-state cutoff was tighter than the other-state one.
Sources and method
Parameter scores and ranks are parsed from the official NIRF India Rankings 2025 engineering table, checked 25 August 2026; only the 22 IITs and 16 NITs inside the ranked top 100 appear here. Closing ranks come from the official JoSAA 2024 Round 5 opening and closing rank file held in our database, OPEN category, gender-neutral seats, Computer Science and Engineering. IIT figures are JEE Advanced ranks under All India quota; NIT figures are JEE Main ranks under other-state and home-state quota. Group means are computed by us. Jobs to Education is not affiliated with NIRF or the Ministry of Education; see our terms.