Top Engineering Colleges in India other than IIT, NIT and IIIT
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Every year, when the admission session starts, candidates face multiple doubts regarding their higher education. Many aspirants are unable to make informed decisions, which can lead to missed opportunities and setbacks.IITs, NITs, and IIITs are the top engineering colleges that every aspirant dreams of. However, having a plan B and plan C is wise, as competition for seats in IITs, NIT, and IIITs is overwhelming. With that in mind, we have compiled a list of top-tier engineering colleges in India, apart from the IITs, NITs, and IIITs. Keep scrolling to find out more.
Top Engineering Colleges in India other than IIT, NIT and IIIT
What are the top engineering colleges in India other than IITs, NITs and IIITs? We have got you covered here. In India, there are a total of 5868 engineering and technology institutions that are approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The total number of IITs, NITs and IIITs is 80 (23 IITs, 31 NITs, and 26 IIITs), and most of the engineering aspirants chase the number 80.
As per the recent All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report, a total of 23.20 lakh candidates are enrolled in BTech courses across the nation. This means more than 23 lakh students opt for BTech admissions, and most of them look out for seats in IIT, NITs and IIITs, which offer a total of 62,853 seats as per the JoSAA 2025 seat matrix.
Also, every year, almost 9 lakh candidates appear for JEE Main, which is the gateway for NIT and IIIT admissions. Out of JEE Main candidates, the top 2.5 lakh candidates are selected to apply for JEE Advanced, the entrance exam for IITs. Of the 2.4 lakh candidates, around 44,000 qualify for IIT admissions.
These data show how tough the competition in engineering admissions is, especially to grab seats in the IITs, NITs and IIITs. Thus, all the class 12 board students who want a career in engineering must have a Plan B, that is, a selection of colleges other than the IITs, NITs and IIITs.
Also Read: BTech Admission Through CUET: College List, Cutoff, Eligibility Criteria
- List of Top 20 Engineering Colleges in India other than IIT, NIT and IIIT
- List of Top Engineering Colleges in India other than IIT, NIT and IIIT in South Zone
- List of Top Engineering Colleges in India other than IIT, NIT and IIIT in North Zone
- List of Top Engineering Colleges in India other than IIT, NIT and IIIT in Eastern Zone
- List of Top Engineering Colleges in India other than IIT, NIT and IIIT in Western Zone
- What to Look for in a Good Engineering College?
List of Top 20 Engineering Colleges in India other than IIT, NIT and IIIT
Here is an extensive list of colleges that have been ranked among the top engineering colleges in the nation by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2023. NIRF rankings are based on parameters like Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR); Research and Professional Practice (RP); Graduation Outcomes (GO); Outreach and Inclusivity (OI); and Peer Perception. Therefore, NIRF rankings cover all perspectives of a good college, making it very reliable.
Check below the list of top colleges in India apart from the IITs, NITs and IIITs, based on NIRF 2025 rankings in the engineering category.
Read More: Engineering Stream Popularity Trends in Last 5 Years
To get a more extensive list of top engineering colleges in India other than the IITs, IIITs and NITs, let's list out the colleges zone-wise.
Commonly asked questions
No, there will be no spot round of seat allocation at any of the IITs after the completion of the last round of JoSAA seat allocation.
As per the JEE Main 2023 cutoff data released by the NTA, PwD category has the lowest cutoff of 0.0013527. The highest cutoff is for general category which is 90.7788642. The PwD candidates scoring above 0.0013527 NTA score are eligible to appear in JEE Advanced for admission to IITs. The PwD cutoff has been lowered in 2023 to 0.0013527 which was 0.0031029 in the year 2022.
Candidates need not have 75 percent marks in class 12 for appearing in JEE Main. As per the official brochure released by the NTA, there is no minimum percentage required for appearing in the JEE Main. The requirement of 75 percent marks need not be associated with appearing in the JEE Main exam.
It is to be understood that 75 percent marks is required for admission to institutes which include NITs, IIITs, GFTIs and IITs. Many institutes offer admission at 60% and even less, along with JEE Main. Candidates must clearly understand that the requirement of 75 percent marks in class 12 is only for taking admission in the institutes.
List of Top Engineering Colleges in India other than IIT, NIT and IIIT in South Zone
As per the recent AICTE data, almost half of all the engineering seats in India are located in the five states - Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.
Check below top engineering colleges in the southern part of India:
| Name of the institute |
NIRF Rank 2025 |
Mode of admission (UG) |
Mode of admission (PG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vellore Institute of Technology, Tamil Nadu |
16 |
VITEEE |
VITMEE |
| Anna University, Tamil Nadu |
20 |
TNEA |
CEETA PG |
| Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Tamil Nadu |
23 |
AEEE / JEE Main |
GATE |
| S.R.M. Institute of Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu |
14 |
SRMJEEE |
SRMJEEE (PG) |
| Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Tamil Nadu |
33 |
10+2 and JEE Main |
GATE |
| Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation University (K L College of Engineering), Andhra Pradesh |
35 |
KLEEE / JEE Main / JEE Advanced / AP EAMCET / State Level Engineering Entrance Exams across India |
BTech scores - PG |
| International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad, Telangana |
38 |
KCET, COMEDK UGET, JEE Main - UG |
GATE/ KPGCET |
| Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Academy, Tamil Nadu |
40 |
JEE Main and 10+2 |
BTech scores / GATE |
| 44 |
KCET / JEE Main | BTech scores | |
| Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Tamil Nadu |
45 |
TNEA |
CEETA PG |
| Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering, Tamil Nadu |
47 |
10+2 scores |
GATE / UG Merit |
| 59 |
MET | MET | |
| 61 |
JEE Advanced |
GATE |
|
| 67 |
TNEA |
CEETA PG |
|
| 67 |
TNEA / SAEEE |
BTech Merit - PG |
|
| 70 |
NA |
GATE |
|
| International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore, Karnataka |
74 |
JEE Main |
GATE |
| 75 |
KCET / COMEDK |
GATE / Karnataka PGCET |
|
| Sri Krishna College of Engineering and Technology, Tamil Nadu |
100 |
TNEA |
GATE |
List of Top Engineering Colleges in India other than IIT, NIT and IIIT in North Zone
Check below top engineering colleges in the northern part of India:
| Name of the institute |
NIRF Rank |
Mode of admission (UG) |
Mode of admission (PG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology (Deemed-to-be-university), Punjab |
29 |
JEE Main |
GATE |
| Birla Institute of Technology & Science - Pilani, Rajasthan |
20 |
BITSAT |
GATE |
| Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi |
24 |
JEE Main |
JMI Entrance Test |
| Delhi Technological University, Delhi |
27 |
JAC Delhi Counselling |
GATE |
| Amity University, Uttar Pradesh |
30 |
10+2 score / JEE Main |
BTech scores |
| Aligarh Muslim University, Uttar Pradesh |
33 |
AMUEEE |
AMU Entrance Test |
| Chandigarh University, Punjab |
32 |
CUCET | CUCET |
| 50 |
LPUNEST / JEE Main |
LPUNEST / GATE |
|
| 42 | UPESEAT / JEE Main / 10+2 |
BTech Merit |
|
| 52 |
JEE Main - UG |
NA |
|
| 78 |
GATE / Banasthali University Aptitude Test |
||
| 85 |
JAC Delhi Counselling |
PGCAT - IIIT D / GATE |
|
| 64 | JEE Main scores / MET |
MET / GATE |
|
| Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, Uttar Pradesh |
80 | JEE Advanced / JEE Main |
GATE |
| 89 |
JEE Main + Counselling and IPU CET/ CUET-UG (for BTech Biotechnology) |
IPU CET / GATE / CUET - PG |
|
| 94 |
JEE Main - UG |
NA |
Commonly asked questions
Yes, candidates are required to submit proof of domicile in case availing the home-state quota in NITs. It is only NIT where admission is offered against the Home State quota.
Candidates home state is determined based on the state from which you appear for your 12th board exam and on the basis of the state to which you belong.
Candidates who do not score above JEE Main cutoff marks are eligible to take admissions in NITs, IIITs and GFTIs but not IITs. To appear in the admission process for IITs, candidates need to get marks above than the JEE Main cutoff and appear in JEE Advanced exam.
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List of Top Engineering Colleges in India other than IIT, NIT and IIIT in Eastern Zone
In NIRF ranking 2023, there are 6 engineering colleges from the eastern zone of India, they are as follows:
| Name of the institute |
NIRF Rank |
Mode of admission (UG) |
Mode of admission (PG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jadavpur University, West Bengal |
12 |
WBJEE |
GATE |
| Siksha `O` Anusandhan, Odisha |
26 |
SAAT / JEE Main |
SAAT |
| Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, West Bengal |
49 |
JEE Main |
GATE |
| Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Odisha |
37 |
KIITEE | KIITEE |
| 48 |
JEE Main |
GATE |
|
| 96 |
CGET / JEE Main |
CGET / GATE |
List of Top Engineering Colleges in India other than IIT, NIT and IIIT in Western Zone
In NIRF ranking 2023, there are 3 engineering colleges from the western zone of India, they are as follows:
| Name of the institute |
NIRF Rank |
Mode of admission (UG) |
Mode of admission (PG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | JEE Main / MHT CET |
GATE |
|
| 63 | NA | GATE | |
| 77 |
MHT CET |
GATE |
Commonly asked questions
The cutoff for NITs vary for various branches and also category of students. Specialised branches like computer Science and electronics engineering has higher cutoff in comparison to other branches. Similarly, JEE Main cutoff for general category candidates is higher in comparison to OBC-NCL and SC, ST candidates. Candidates can check the previous year JEE Main cutoff below for some top NITs and branches. For detailed cutoff report, candidates can check Shiksha page.
- MNNIT Allahabad CSE Closing Rank Open Category: 5627 (Home State)
- MNNIT Allahabad CSE Closing Rank Open Category: 4254 (Open)
- MNIT Jaipur CSE Closing Rank Open Category: 5610 (Home State)
- MNIT Jaipur CSE Closing Rank Open Category: 4631 (Open)
The JEE Advanced 2026 cutoff will be released with the results of JEE Advanced 2026. Until then, candidates can check below the JEE Advanced cutoff from the previous years:
The JEE Advanced 2025 cutoff of the common rank list is 20.56%; 18.50% for the GEN-EWS rank list and OBC-NCL rank list; 10.28% for SC, ST, and PwD rank lists across all categories; and 5.14% for Preparatory course rank lists.
All those candidates who score above the cutoff marks in their respective categories can register for JoSAA counselling to participate in the IIT seat allotment process. Note that qualifying the JEE Advaced cutoff will not guarantee a seat in the IITs. Various factors are at play while allotting seats in the IITs. These factors include the demand for a course and IIT, the number of seats on offer, the reservation criteria, etc.
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What to Look for in a Good Engineering College?
Apart from the rankings, while curating the list of top colleges offering engineering courses, candidates must take into note the following factors:
ROI: How much you invest in a 4-year course offered by a college versus what placement package you get is an example of return on investment (ROI). Select a college that will ensure good end-of-course opportunities that are worth the fee they are charging.
Academics and Reputation: Check how the reputation of a college and the course they are offering is. Talk to existing students, check out the alumni, talk to recently and previously passed out seniors. Check out authentic reviews online and then make a decision.
Location: Also, the location should matter. Check the commute distance, and even if you opt for a hostel, the college should not be in a remote area with no easy access to basic facilities.
Industry connection, training and placements: This is one of the most important factors. Select a college that provides industry exposure, training and workshops regularly. A college that takes the initiative to enhance the skills of a student should always be prioritised. Get a review of the placement cell of the college and check past placement records.
Faculty: Know the faculty and student ratio. Learn about the faculty standards and reviews.
In addition to the above factors, also consider the factors that fit your personal goals, like a college's specialisation in a particular discipline, research facilities, etc.
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