IIT vs NIT vs IIIT Salary: Which Engineering College Guarantees Best Packages

For decades,  the "IITian" tag has been the gold standard for future millionaires and Silicon Valley migrations. But with the growth and relevance of NIT and IIIT in recent years, they too are in the race to offer some of the best packages.  If you are aiming for either IIT, NIT, or IIIT, check about the salary, packages, and analysis here.

Which Engineering College Guarantees the Best Packages

IIT vs. NIT vs. IIIT Salary: Today, in the high-stakes arena of Indian engineering, IITs, NITs, and IIITs represent more than just colleges; they are brands, they are stepping stones towards a successful professional tomorrow for a student. For decades, the "IITian" tag has been the gold standard, conjuring images of overnight millionaires and silicon-valley migrations. 

As the placement season of the majority of colleges in India are round the corner, a lot of students might still be in a dilemma of which company they might be working for, or what will be the salary they will be getting, along with the overall packages after getting selected? No matter whether you are an IIT, NIT, or IIIT, the stress is real and the year's hustle finally sees light at the end of the tunnel, the light of being independent, strong and looking after yourself. A job is indeed the first step towards making a perfect person.

As we move into 2026, the landscape of technical education has undergone a tectonic shift. The traditional hierarchy is challenged by specialized powerhouses, leaving students and parents with a million-dollar question: what will be the salary after getting placed?

Also read: Why is Engineering Still a Highly Paid Career Stream?

While every now and then, there is news about an IIT graduate landing a headline-grabbing international package, a top-tier NIT student or a ward from IIIT Hyderabad also secures competitive roles in the domestic market. Though the gap is narrowing, and the "brand premium" is evolving into a "skill premium”, the real question is, which college out of the three IIT or NIT or IIIT offers the best package? In this article on IIT vs. NIT vs. IIIT Salary, we will be discussing all such trends, placement histories, comparing median packages, domestic vs. international offers, and ROI of these prestigious tiers. So, if you are aiming for Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), or Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), this is the best place to learn about the breakdown of what your future earnings might truly look like.

IIT vs. NIT vs. IIIT Salary: Key Highlights

IIT vs NIT vs IIIT Salary Records (2025-26 Highlights)

• IIT Kanpur: INR 5.5 Cr (International - Jane Street).
• IIT Bombay: INR 3.67 Cr (International)
• IIIT Hyderabad: INR 1.02 Cr (Domestic)
• NIT Rourkela: INR 83.6 LPA (Domestic - B.Tech CSE).
• NIT Trichy: INR 52.89 LPA (Domestic)

Also read:

• Top Engineering Colleges in India other than IIT, NIT and IIIT
• Engineering Stream Popularity Trends in Last 5 Years 

IIT Salary and Deciding Factors

IIT remains most powerful entity in Indian education system. However, the salary here is divided into two parts: Domestic and International. 

IIIT Packages and Driving Force behind it

The second in line after IIT are the IIITs as they are currently offering the highest average packages in India.

Also read: 

• List of NIT Colleges in India - NIRF Ranking, Courses, Seats, Cutoff, Fees and Placement
• List of IIITs in India: NIRF Ranking, Courses offered, seats & cutoffs

NITs Past Year Salary Trends

The National Institutes of Technology (NITs) provide the most balanced path and the courses are cost affordable, if you crack the NIMCET exam. Check insights related to the NITs past year salary stats - 

IIT vs NIT vs IIIT Salary Comparison Table 2026 (Estimated)

As per current placement trends for the 2025-2026 academic year, here is the projected salary landscape for top technical institutes in India. Analyzing the salary trends for IITs, NITs, and IIITs for the 2025-26 placement season reveals a competitive landscape where IIITs are increasingly challenging the "Old IITs" in average tech packages, while NITs remain the best for value. 

This data is backed by reports shared by media institutes such as Times of India, ETTimes, Inshorts etc and other news outlets.

IIT vs NIT vs IIIT Salary: Last 5 Years Salary Trends (Average CTC in INR LPA)

The following data reflects the average package for B.Tech graduates at premier institutions in each category: 

IIT vs NIT vs IIIT Salary: Top Recruiters Visiting for 2026 Campus Placement

Here we have shared stream wise recruiters which visit the IITs vs NITs vs IIITs to select candidates for campus placement: 

• Tech Giants: Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Meta (Facebook).
• Finance: Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Jane Street, Citibank.
• Consulting: McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Deloitte.
• Domestic Tech/Sales: Flipkart, Paytm, Zomato, Reliance Industries.
• Core Engineering: Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, Airbus, Tata Motors.

Bottomline

As we are already down to the verdict, it becomes imperative to know which college offers the best high salary, average salary and which college is easy on the pocket. Now since students might have an idea about the salary graphs and which college among the three offers the "Highest Possible" Salary. 

Undoubtedly it is the IITs which take the winning spot. If you are aiming for that INR 3 Crore international package, IIT is your best bet. So, yes, IIT offers the best high salary. Not just any IIT, but the top ones, mainly IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Bombay or IIT Delhi. However, it is not just limited to choosing the best college, it also depends upon the candidate’s individual skills, hardwork, performance across the whole of the course tenure. To get into the IIT, students must crack the JEE Main exam followed by the JEE Advanced and get a high merit with the hope of crossing all the stages and getting a seat in top IIT college in India.

In the second on the list of best salaries among, IIT vs NIT vs IIIT comes IIITs. The IIITs offer the "Best Average" Salary. Their CS courses are focused on coding and digital economy makes their graduates "industry-ready" from Day 1. Although the high course fees, forbids it from taking the top spot. Meritorious students from IIIT Hyderabad, or IIIT Bangalore have the best chance of getting a handsome salary package.

The tag for the best "Best Value for Money" college goes to NITs. As they are low tuition on tuition fees combined with high-salary outcomes, it returns the best ROI for middle-class families. So, students enrolled in top NITs whilst, NIT Warangal, NIT Trichy or NIT Calicut have a higher chances of getting the best salary package

However, one thing to note is not merely the college but also the student’s individual skill is responsible for high salary hence the saying, skills + specialized institutes = maximum salary.