Tasbiya KhanSenior Executive
Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala 2026: Ranking, Fees, Admission, Courses, Placements
Kerala has about 4 top ranked Engineering colleges, all of which are government owned colleges. The top colleges are NIT Calicut, IIST Thiruvananthapuram, IIT Palakkad, with top state level colleges like College of Engineering Trivandrum. JEE Main and JEE Advanced are the top entrance tests for admission to the top Engineering colleges in Kerala.
Kerala Engineering colleges include TKM College of Engineering, GEC Thrissur, and Rajagiri School of Engineering & Technology, mostly affiliated with APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU). Top institutions are accredited by NBA and NAAC, offering premier AICTE-approved BTech or MTech programs.
- Key Highlights of the Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala 2026
- Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala with NIRF Ranking 2025
- Eligibility Criteria to get Admission to Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala 2026
- Entrances Accepted in Kerala Engineering Colleges 2026
- Top Government Engineering Colleges in Kerala
- Engineering Courses Seat Intake at Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala
- Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala: Courses and Fees
- Top BTech Colleges in Kerala
- Top MTech Colleges in Kerala
- Highest Salary Offered by Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala
- Cost of Studying at Best Engineering Colleges in Kerala
- Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala: Comparison 2026
Key Highlights of the Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala 2026
Given below are the key highlights of the top Engineering colleges in Kerala including all important info. -
| Particulars |
Statistics |
|---|---|
| Total no. of Engineering colleges in Kerala |
4 colleges |
| Fee range across top Engineering colleges in Kerala (INR < 1 lakh - INR > 5 lakh) |
INR < 1 lakh: 1 INR > 5 lakh: 3 |
| Top Kerala Engineering Colleges as per NIRF ranking 2025 (Government Colleges) |
|
| Top Engineering specialisations offered in Kerala colleges |
|
| Accepted Entrance Exams |
|
Source: Official site and may vary.
Predict your chances here: Engineering Cutoff Predictor
Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala with NIRF Ranking 2025
As per NIRF ranking 2025, NIT Calicut ranked as the top Kerala Engineering college followed by top colleges like IIST Thiruvananthapuram and IIT Palakkad. These rankings have been done on various factors like research great faculty, placement opportunities, etc. Candidates can check the table below for the top 10 engineering colleges in Kerala with NIRF ranking over the past three years -
| College Name |
NIRF 2023 |
NIRF 2024 | NIRF 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 |
25 | 21 | |
| 48 |
51 | 61 | |
| 69 |
64 | 64 |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Eligibility Criteria to get Admission to Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala 2026
Admission to the top Engineering colleges in Kerala can vary from college to college. Listed below is the eligibility criteria for the top colleges in Kerala for engineering at various levels -
- Students must pass Class 12 with a minimum of 60% aggregate with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as core subjects.
- Admission is also based on a merit basis and some colleges accept exams like JEE Main, JEE Advanced, etc.
Source: Official site and may vary.
Entrances Accepted in Kerala Engineering Colleges 2026
To get admission to the best Kerala Engineering colleges, Candidates must passed Class 12 or clear an entrance exam like JEE Main and JEE Advanced. Listed below are the accepted entrance exams for the best Engineering colleges in Kerala with schedule -
| Exams | Schedule | Exam Cutoff Predictor |
|---|---|---|
| JEE Main 2026 Exam | JEE Main Cutoff Predictor |
|
| JEE Advanced 2026 Exam | JEE Advanced Schedule | JEE Advanced Cutoff Predictor |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Top Government Engineering Colleges in Kerala
The table below shows the best Engineering college in Kerala along with their total tuition fees and their NIRF ranking 2025 -
| Public/Government Colleges |
Total Tuition Fee |
NIRF Ranking 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| INR 5 lakh |
21 |
|
| INR 5 lakh |
61 |
|
| INR 8 lakh |
64 |
|
| INR 27,784 |
101-150 |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Engineering Courses Seat Intake at Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala
Candidates can see the table below for the top Engineering colleges in Kerala with BTech and MTech seat intake -
| Top Colleges | BTech Seats | MTech Seats |
|---|---|---|
| NIT Calicut | 1,219 | 562 |
| IIST Thiruvananthapuram | 164 | 253 |
| IIT Palakkad | 200 | - |
| College of Engineering Trivandrum | 840 | 540 |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala: Courses and Fees
The table below shows the various courses offered by top Engineering colleges in Kerala along with their total tuition fees -
| Top Colleges | Courses Offered | Tuition Fee |
|---|---|---|
| NIT Calicut | BTech in CSE, BTech in Biotechnology, BTech in Mechanical Engineering, etc. | INR 5 lakh |
| IIST | BTech in Aerospace Engineering, BTech in Electronics and Communication Engineering, etc. | INR 5 lakh |
| IIT Palakkad | BTech in Electrical Engineering, BTech in CSE, BTech in Data Science and Engineering, etc. | INR 8 lakh |
| College of Engineering Trivandrum | BTech in CSE, BTech in Mechanical Engineering, BTech in Industrial Engineering, etc. | INR 27,784 |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Top BTech Colleges in Kerala
There are around 200+ BTech colleges in Kerala. These colleges accept KEAM, JEE Main/Advanced, and other institute-level exams for admission. Some of the top colleges are mentioned below with their tuition fees -
| BTech Programmes in Kerala |
Total Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
| INR 6 lakh |
|
| INR 10 lakh |
|
| INR 5 lakh |
|
| INR 1 lakh - INR 3 lakh |
|
| Government Engineering College, Thrissur BTech | INR 34,000 |
Disclaimer: This info. is taken from the official website and may vary.
Top MTech Colleges in Kerala
Some of the top MTech Colleges in Kerala are mentioned below with their tuition fees -
| MTech Colleges in Kerala | Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
| NIT Calicut MTech | INR 1.4 lakh |
| IIST MTech | INR 1.4 lakh |
| IIT Palakkad MTech | INR 20,000 |
| College of Engineering, Trivandrum MTech | INR 13,890 |
| MEC Kochi MTech | INR 1 lakh |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Highest Salary Offered by Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala
IIST Thiruvananthapuram offered the highest placement package of INR 10.50 LPA with the top recruiters participated include Infosys, Adobe, TCS, JSW Group, etc.. Check the table below for the top engineering colleges in Kerala with placement package with their tuition fees -
| College Name |
Total Tuition Fee |
Annual Average Package |
|---|---|---|
| NIT Calicut Placements | INR 5 lakh |
INR 8 LPA |
| Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Placements | INR 5 lakh |
INR 10.50 LPA |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Cost of Studying at Best Engineering Colleges in Kerala
Refer to the table for a detailed overview of the top Engineering colleges in Kerala along with their fee structure -
| Fee Range |
Engineering Colleges in Kerala |
|---|---|
| Less than INR 1 lakh |
1 (College of Engineering Trivandrum) |
| INR > 5 lakh |
3 (NIT Calicut, IIST, IIT Palakkad) |
Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala: Comparison 2026
The list below shows the comparison of top Engineering colleges in Kerala -
1. NIT Calicut - National Institute of Technology
2. IIST - Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology
3. IIT Palakkad - Indian Institute of Technology
4. College of Engineering, Trivandrum
Commonly asked questions On Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala 2026: Ranking, Fees, Admission, Courses, Placements
NIT Calicut has released the placement report for 2025. The overall percentage recorded in 2025 was 72.98%. A total of 1329 students participated in the NIT Calicut placement drive, and 970 were offered jobs. The key highlights of NIT Calicut placements 2025 as compared with 2024 and 2023 are presented below:
Particulars | Placement Statistics (2023) | Placement Statistics (2024) | Placement Statistics (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
Highest package | INR 50 LPA | INR 50.64 LPA | INR 56.59 L |
Average package | INR 13.77 LPA | INR 12.11 LPA | INR 12.17 L |
Median package | INR 10 LPA | INR 9 LPA | INR 10 L |
Lowest package | INR 3.6 LPA | INR 3.5 LPA | INR 3.75 L |
Placement rate | 83.65% | 77.97% | 72.98% |
Companies visited | 197 | 208 | - |
Total offers | 1,141 | 1080 | 970 |
Total students registered | 1,364 | 1385 | 1329 |
Hi, NIT Calicut emerged to be as the top ranked Engineering college in Kerala as per NIRF ranking 2025. Listed below are some of the other colleges along with their NIRF rankings of past three years:
College Name | NIRF 2023 | NIRF 2024 | NIRF 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
23 | 25 | 21 | |
48 | 51 | 61 | |
69 | 64 | 64 |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Candidates can check the table below for the BTech and M.Tech seat intajke of the top Engineering colleges in Kerala -
| Top Colleges | BTech Seats | MTech Seats |
|---|---|---|
| NIT Calicut | 1,219 | 562 |
| IIST Thiruvananthapuram | 164 | 253 |
| IIT Palakkad | 200 | - |
| College of Engineering Trivandrum | 840 | 540 |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Yes, IIST - Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology accepts JEE score for admission to its undergraduate programs. The JEE score is the only criteria for admission to IIST.
Students must qualify the JEE (Advanced) exam and then apply for IIST counseling. Admissions are based on the aggregate marks scored in JEE (Advanced).
Yes, it can be said that joining the top Engineering colleges in Kerala proved to be worthwhile for you. Check the table below with great ROI -
College Name | Total Tuition Fee | Annual Average Package |
|---|---|---|
INR 5 lakh | INR 8 LPA | |
INR 6.25 lakh | INR 10.50 LPA |
Source: Official site and may vary.
Yes, there are many government Engineering colleges in Kerala. Some of them are mentioned below with their tuition fees and their seat intake:
Public/Government Colleges | Total Tuition Fee | NIRF Ranking 2025 |
|---|---|---|
NIT Calicut | INR 5 lakh | 21 |
Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology | INR 5 lakh | 61 |
IIT Palakkad | INR 8 lakh | 64 |
College of Engineering Trivandrum | INR 28,000 | 101-150 |
Source: Official site and may vary.
There are a total of 4 top Engineering colleges in Kerala, all of which are owned by public/government organisations. JEE Main and JEE Advanced are the most accepting entrance exams in top Engineering colleges in Kerala. NIT Calicut, IIST, IIT Palakkad, College of Engineering Trivandrum, etc. are some of the best Engineering colleges in Kerala.
Yes, NIT Calicut offers various scholarships and awards to its meritorious students. Tabulated below is the list of scholarships offered at NIT Calicut:
| NIT Calicut Scholarships | ||
|---|---|---|
USIEF Fellowship | CSS of Top Class Education for SC/ ST | Prof Allesu Kanjirthinkal |
Subramonia Iyer (SILA Scholarship) | Chinese Government Scholarship | New Zealand Commonwealth |
SIB Scholar | Rhodes Scholarship | MCM & CSS Scholarship |
Other popular Engineering colleges in Kerala
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