Tasbiya KhanSenior Executive
Top Engineering Colleges in Karnataka 2026: Ranking, Fees, Admission, Placements
This list filters 20+ top engineering colleges in Karnataka based on NIRF 2025. Of the 300+ best engineering colleges in Karnataka, this state has seven of the finest institutions in the top 100 NIRF list of engineering colleges of India. NIT Surathkal, Manipal Institute of Technology, IIIT Bangalore, Ramaiah Institute of Technology, etc., are some of the top colleges. KCET, COMEDK UGET, JEE Main, etc., are some of the top entrance exams accepted for admission. Most of the private Engineering colleges in Karnataka are affiliated to VTU and must be approved by AICTE. NAAC grades (A to A++) reflect overall quality, and NBA accreditation certifies individual departments, with government colleges like IITs and NITs being fully autonomous Institutes of National Importance funded directly by the central government.
- Top Engineering Colleges in Karnataka: Known Facts 2026
- Top Engineering Colleges in Karnataka: NIRF 2025, The Week and India Today Ranking 2026
- 2.1 Best 10 Engineering Colleges in Karnataka- NIRF ranking 2025
- 2.2 Top 10 Engineering Colleges in Karnataka: The Week-Hansa Survey 2026
- 2.3 Top 10 Engineering Colleges in Karnataka: India Today Ranking 2026
- Eligibility Criteria for Admission Karnataka Engineering Colleges 2026
- Entrance Exams Accepted in the Karnataka Engineering Colleges 2026
- KCET Accepting Top Engineering Colleges in Karnataka
- Top Private Engineering Colleges in Karnataka
- ROI of the Top Private Engineering Colleges in Karnataka
- Top Government Engineering Colleges in Karnataka
- Cost of Studying at Top Engineering Colleges in Karnataka
- Comparison of Engineering Colleges in Karnataka 2026
Top Engineering Colleges in Karnataka: Known Facts 2026
From globally recognised institutes like IISc Bangalore and IIIT Bangalore to top NITs and reputed private colleges like Manipal Institute of Technology, the state offers something for every kind of engineering aspirant. You can bookmark our Engineering Cutoff 2026 Predictor, but check the following to learn the top Engineering colleges in Karnataka's highlights -
| Particulars |
Parameters |
|---|---|
| Total no. of Top Engineering Colleges in Karnataka |
20+ colleges (based on NIRF, The Week, and Times) |
| Top Karnataka Engineering Colleges |
NIT Suratkhal, Manipal Institute of Technology, IIIT Bangalore, etc. |
| Fee range of top colleges |
~ INR 1 lakh - INR 26 lakh |
| Top Engineering specialisations offered |
Computer Science Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering, etc. |
| Accepted Entrance Exams |
Top Engineering Colleges in Karnataka: NIRF 2025, The Week and India Today Ranking 2026
The below headings signify the Best Engineering colleges in Karnataka with their NIRF ranking 2025, Week and India Today ranking 2026 for engineering colleges in Karnataka
Best 10 Engineering Colleges in Karnataka- NIRF ranking 2025
According to NIRF ranking 2025, NIT Surathkal emerged to be as the top Engineering college in Karnataka followed by other top colleges like Mainipal Institute of Technology, IIIT Bangalore and Ramaiah Institute of Technology.
The top 10 engineering colleges in Karnataka, in the National Institutional Ranking Framework or NIRF, rank on the quality of the research in the real world and financial resources. Do note these top ten colleges are listed in chronological order between 1 to 100 and 100 to 200 rankings across India.
| Top Colleges |
NIRF 2025 |
|---|---|
| 17 |
|
| 59 |
|
| 69 |
|
| 75 |
|
| 76 |
|
| 77 |
|
| 84 |
|
| 100-200 rank band |
|
| 100-200 rank band |
|
| 100-200 rank band |
Disclaimer: This info comes from the official NIRF site of 2025 and can change next year.
Top 10 Engineering Colleges in Karnataka: The Week-Hansa Survey 2026
Here is the list of the top engineering colleges in Karnataka, measured against 286 institutes all over India.
The WEEK-Hansa Research Survey of 2026 is a little different than how NIRF ranks colleges. It has ranking categories for All India and Private categories for engineering colleges. Also, the parameter for ranking engineering colleges is based on recruitment. In the All India category, the Karnataka colleges that rank are in this table.
Disclaimer: This info is from the latest 2026 publication from THE WEEK.
Top 10 Engineering Colleges in Karnataka: India Today Ranking 2026
Most of the top ranked institutes in the state are in Bengaluru. You might want to look at the top engineering colleges in Bangalore in 2026.
| Top Colleges | India Today 2026 Ranking |
|---|---|
| Manipal Institute of Technology, MAHE | 16 |
| Ramaiah Institute of Technology | 23 |
| BMS College of Engineering | 25 |
| RV College of Engineering | 26 |
| JSS Science and Technology University | 51 |
| Jain Deemed -to- be University, Faculty of Engineering and Technology | 58 |
Disclaimer: This info. is from the official site and rankings may change next year.
Eligibility Criteria for Admission Karnataka Engineering Colleges 2026
Listed below is the general eligibility criteria of the top Engineering colleges in Karnataka -
- Candidates must complete their Class 12 boards with a minimum of 50 to 75% total with PCM combination.
- Then the candidates must appear and score valid marks in KCET, COMEDK UGET, or JEE Main.
Entrance Exams Accepted in the Karnataka Engineering Colleges 2026
Candidates can check in the table below for some of the top accepted entrance exams in the top Engineering colleges in Karnataka with schedule and college predictor -
| Exam |
Schedule |
Exam College Predictor |
|---|---|---|
| JEE Main Exam |
JEE Main College Predictor | |
| KCET Exam |
KCET College Predictor | |
| COMEDK UGET College Predictor |
KCET Accepting Top Engineering Colleges in Karnataka
Karnataka Engineering colleges accepting KCET scores are NIT Surathkal, IIIT Bangalore, Ramaiah Intitute of Technology, and many others, offering strong placements and diverse branches, with NIT Surathkal also a premier option, through JEE Main. Find the approximate fees for engg colleges ranked at the top by most of the standard ranking bodies of India.
| Top Colleges | Tuition Fees |
|---|---|
| NIT Surathkal | INR 5 lakh |
| Visvesvaraya Technological University | INR 1 lakh |
| IIIT Bangalore | INR 26 lakh |
| Ramaiah Institute of Technology | INR 13 lakh |
| Christ Kengeri Campus | INR 8.7 lakh |
| RV College of Engineering | INR 16 lakh |
Top Private Engineering Colleges in Karnataka
In the private engineering colleges in the state of Karnataka, the BTech fees and seats are very diverse. They are an approximate of popular programmes and specialisations, which may not be the same for all. Private Engineering colleges are more expensive than government colleges as they have excellent infrastructure, brilliant faculty with great placement opportunities with top industry contacts. Click on the links to get an idea of the top private colleges -
| Top Private Engg Colleges in Karnataka |
Total Tuition Fee/Seats |
NIRF Ranking 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| INR 2.2 lakh - INR 15 lakh BTech Seats: 2,700+ |
59 |
|
| International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore Engineering Courses |
INR 11 lakh - INR 26.32 lakh BTech Seats: ~60 |
69 |
| INR 3 lakh - INR 13 lakh BTech Seats: 1,460+ |
75 |
|
| INR 2.2 lakh - INR 13.2 lakh BTech Seats: 780 |
76 |
|
| INR 3.5 lakh - INR 16 lakh BTech Seats: 1,900+ |
84 |
|
| INR 1.8 lakgh - INR 14 lakh BTech Seats: 1,300+ |
101-150 |
|
| INR 2 lakh - INR 22 lakh BTech Seats: 1,700+ |
101-150 |
|
| INR 2 lakh - INR 70 lakh BTech Seats: 1,600+ |
101-150 |
|
| INR 1.3 lakh - INR 10.5 lakh BTech Seats: 1,100+ |
101-150 |
|
| INR 64,700 - INR 70 lakh BTech Seats: 3,700+ |
151-200 |
Disclaimer: The data mentioned above taken from the official college site and may vary.
ROI of the Top Private Engineering Colleges in Karnataka
So far, IIIT-B has the highest returns due to its highly innovative programmes on the latest specialisations. But the other top ranking colleges in this state are not far behind. After IIT-B, The National Institute of Enginerring, offered salary between INR 6.7 - 7.5 LPA, which is higher than tuition fees. Check the table below for the median salary ranges at the top private Karnataka Engineering colleges.
| Top Private Colleges |
Total Tuition Fee |
Median Package |
|---|---|---|
| JSS Science and Technology University Placements | INR 45,000 - INR 10.5 lakh | INR 6 LPA - INR 9 LPA |
| The National Institute of Engineering Placements | INR 2.1 lakh - INR 5.2 lakh | INR 6.7 LPA - INR 7.5 LPA |
| NMAM Institute of Technology Placements | INR 1.3 lakh - INR 8.9 lakh | INR 4.5 LPA - INR 7.5 LPA |
| RV College of Engineering Placements | INR 1.3 lakh - INR 70 lakh | INR 7 LPA - INR 10 LPA |
| Jain Deemed to be University Bangalore Placements | INR 3.5 lakh - INR 16 lakh | INR 6 LPA - INR 7.8 LPA |
Top Government Engineering Colleges in Karnataka
There are few public institutions in Karnataka offering high-quality engineering programmes with lesser fees and more seats when you compare with the private institutions. VTU offered the highest number of BTech seats intake, i.e., 1,00,000+. Get the more detailed on the top government Engineering colleges in Karnataka with fees, seats, NIRF ranking 2025 - Check the table below.
| Public/Govt. Colleges |
Total Tuition Fee/Seats |
NIRF Ranking 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| INR 1.4 lakh - INR 5 lakh BTech Seats: 960+ |
17 |
|
| INR 20,000 - INR 8 lakh BTech Seats: 380+ |
77 |
|
| Visvesvaraya Technological University Engineering Courses | INR 10,700 - INR 70 lakh BTech Seats: 1,04,120 |
151-200 |
| INR 84,300 - INR 7.4 lakh BTech Seats: 1,100+ |
210-300 |
Disclaimer: The data mentioned above taken from the official college site and may vary.
Cost of Studying at Top Engineering Colleges in Karnataka
Here is the list of private and government Engineering colleges in Karnataka, divided as per fee structure -
| Fee Range | Private Colleges | Government Colleges |
|---|---|---|
| INR 1-2 lakh | - |
|
| INR 3-5 lakh |
|
- |
| INR > 5 lakh |
|
|
Comparison of Engineering Colleges in Karnataka 2026
To check the comparison between the top Engineering colleges in Karnataka, click on the links below -
1. NIT Surathkal - National Institute of Technology
2. Manipal Institute of Technology, MAHE
3. IIIT Bangalore
4. Ramaiah Institute of Technology
5. Christ - Kengeri Campus
Commonly asked questions On Top Engineering Colleges in Karnataka 2026: Ranking, Fees, Admission, Placements
As per NIRF rankings 2025, NIT Surathkal emerged to be as the No. 1 Engineering college in Karnataka followed by other colleges. Listed below are some colleges along with their NIRF rankings of past three years:
Top Colleges | NIRF 2023 | NIRF 2024 | NIRF 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
12 | 17 | 17 | |
61 | 56 | 59 | |
74 | 74 | 69 | |
78 | 75 | 75 | |
NA | 93 | 76 | |
93 | NA | 77 | |
NA | 95 | 84 |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website of the ranking body listed and may vary.
The scholarship slab system at private engineering colleges in Karnataka works on the better your rank, the lower your fees. There are 3 fee levels to begin with: KCET students pay the least, COMEDK students pay more, and Management quota students pay the most. On top of this, top colleges like RVCE, BMSCE, and MSRIT offer merit scholarships to COMEDK top-rankers (usually under rank 500), covering 25% to 100% of tuition fees, renewed every year based on academic performance.
IIIT Bangalore as the top ranked private Engineering college in Bangalore, offered the highest placement package of INR 33 LPA. Listed below are some of the other colleges -
Top Private Colleges | Median Package |
|---|---|
| JSS Science and Technology University Placements | INR 6 LPA - INR 9 LPA |
| The National Institute of Engineering Placements | INR 6.7 LPA - INR 7.5 LPA |
| NMAM Institute of Technology Placements | INR 4.5 LPA - INR 7.5 LPA |
| RV College of Engineering Placements | INR 7 LPA - INR 10 LPA |
| Jain Deemed to be University Bangalore Placements | INR 6 LPA - INR 7.8 LPA |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Manipal Institute of Technology has a good record of placements. As per the latest report for 2025, over 300 recruiters participated in the placement process in 2025 and placed 80.10% of the BTech, MTech, and MCA batch 2025 so far. The key highlights of MIT Manipal placements for the Class of 2023- 2025 are tabulated below:
Particulars | Placement Statistics (2023) | Placement Statistics (2024) | Placement Statistics (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
the highest Package | INR 54.75 LPA | INR 51.03 LPA | INR 69.25 LPA |
Average Package | INR 12.59 LPA | INR 10.49 LPA | INR 12.31 LPA |
Median Package | INR 8.5 LPA | INR 8.48 LPA | INR 10.05 LPA |
Total Recruiters | 339 | 220+ | 300+ |
Placement Rate | 92.9% | 73% | 86% |
| Top Recruiters | Wells Fargo, Coca-Cola, Hitachi | Forbes Marshall, IBM, ICICI Bank | Amazon, Bosch, Cipla, etc. |
6. IIT Dharwad - Indian Institute of Technology
7. Jain Deemed-to-be University, Bangalore
8. NITTE Meenakshi Institute of Technology
9. PES University
10. R.V. College of Engineering
11. Siddaganga Institute of Technology
12. BMS College of Engineering
13. CMR Institute of Technology, Bangalore
Commonly asked questions On Top Engineering Colleges in Karnataka 2026: Ranking, Fees, Admission, Placements
International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore offers courses at UG, PG and doctoral levels in Engineering and Science streams. The institute offers BTech and Integrated BTech + MTech at the UG level and MSc and MTech at the PG level. Besides, the institute also offers diploma courses. Candidates have to complete a minimum of Class 12 to apply for any of the UG courses and graduation for PG programmes.
KCET is only for Karnataka domicile students — so students from other states cannot apply for KCET unless they have studied in Karnataka for a minimum number of years (usually Classes 6–10 or 11–12 in a Karnataka school).
COMEDK UGET, on the other hand, is open to all students across India, regardless of which state they are from — it is specifically designed for non-Karnataka and out-of-state students to get into top private engineering colleges in Karnataka like RVCE, BMSCE, MSRIT, and MIT Manipal.
Private colleges are generally expensive than government colleges. Listed below are some private Engineering colleges in Karnataka with their least fees -
| Top Colleges | Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
| Siddaganga Institute of Technology | INR 3.86 lakh |
| CMR Institute of Technology, Bangalore | INR 3.86 lakh |
| NMAM Institute of Technology | INR 3.34 lakh |
| JSS Science and Technology University | INR 3.86 lakh |
Source: official site and may vary.
Hi, there are about 20+ top Engineering colleges in Karnataka. Among these, 20 colleges are privately owned and 4 colleges are owned by the government.
The most accepting entrance exams are KCET, COMEDK UGET, and JEE Main. The top colleges are NIT Surathkal, VTU, IITB, Ramaiah Institute of Technology, IIT Dharwad, R.V. College of Engineering, BMS College of Engineering, Christ- Kengri Campus, Jain (Deemed-to-be) University Bangalore, NMAM Institute of Technology, etc.
14. KLE Technological University
15. NHCE Bangalore - New Horizon College of Engineering
16. NMAM Institute of Technology
17. The National Institute of Engineering
18. Visvesvaraya Technological University
19. BMS Institute of Technology and Management
20. Dayananda Sagar College Of Engineering
21. JSS Science and Technology University
Commonly asked questions On Top Engineering Colleges in Karnataka 2026: Ranking, Fees, Admission, Placements
As per India Today rankings 2025, Manipal Institute of Technology emerged to be as the top ranked Engineering colleges in Karnataka. Listed below are some colleges along with their India Today rankings 2025:
| Top Engineering Colleges | India Today Rankings 2025 |
|---|---|
| Manipal Institute of Technology | 19 |
| Ramaiah Institute of Technology | 24 |
| BMS College of Engineering | 25 |
| JSS Science and Technology University | 53 |
| NITTE Meenakshi Institute of Technology | 59 |
| KLS Gogte Institute of Technology, Belagavi | 60 |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website of the ranking body listed and may vary.
The fee structure for BTEch, M.Tech and MCA course at Manipal Institute of Technology is in the range of INR 2.3 Lacs to INR 13.6 lakh. The table below will help stuents to understand the total course fee for the above mentioned courses:
| Course | Total Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
| BTech | INR 8.1 Lacs to INR 13.6 lakh |
| MTech | INR 2.2 Lacs to INR 2.7 lakh |
| MCA | INR 2.3 lakh |
This information is sourced from official website/ sanctioning body and is subject to change.
Ramaiah Institute of Technology BE fees (tuition fee) range from INR 2.6 lakh* - INR 3.9 lakh*. The fees might include components other than tuition fees. The mentioned fee is as per Karnataka Examination Authority, KCET. This fee information is sourced from the official website/ sanctioning body and is subject to change.
Computer Science Engineering is by far the most popular and the highest-paying branch in Karnataka, especially given Bangalore's IT industry dominance. Electronics and Communication Engineering is also a strong choice with good placement opportunities in both IT and core companies. Mechanical and Civil Engineering have decent prospects too, especially with Karnataka's growing manufacturing and infrastructure sectors. Choosing CSE or ECE in a good Bangalore college gives you the best shot at strong placements and high salaries.
22. PES College of Engineering
23. Presidency University, Bangalore
24. REVA University
Other popular Engineering colleges in Karnataka
Confused about which college or exam to opt for?
Chat with our counsellor.
Get your personalised list of colleges & exams.
Top 10 in Bangalore