Updated on Dec 18, 2025 15:44 IST
Tasbiya Khan

Tasbiya KhanSenior Executive

Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala: Ranking, Fees, Admission 2026, 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. The top specialisations offered by top colleges are Aeronautical Engineering, CSE, Civil Engineering, etc.
For detailed information, candidates can check the content below -

Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala: Highlights 2026

Candidates can see the table below for the key highlights of the top Kerala Engineering colleges including total no. of colleges, fee range across top colleges, Kerala Engineering colleges with NIRF ranking with admission process -

Particulars

Parameters/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 college

INR > 5 lakh: 3 colleges

Top Kerala Engineering Colleges as per NIRF ranking 2025

(Government Colleges)

  • NIT Calicut
  • IIST Thiruvananthapuram
  • IIT Palakkad
  • College of Engineering Trivandrum

Top Engineering specialisations offered in Kerala colleges

Accepted Entrance Exams

  • JEE Main
  • JEE Advanced

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

NIT Calicut Ranking

23

25 21

Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Ranking

48

51 61

IIT Palakkad Ranking

69

64 64

Source: Official site and may vary.

READ MORE: Career after BTech

Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala: Eligibility Criteria 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 PhysicsChemistry, 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.

Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala: Exam Schedule 2025

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
JEE Main 2026 Exam

JEE Main Schedule

JEE Advanced 2026 Exam JEE Advanced Schedule

Source: Official site and may vary.

Top Government Engineering Colleges in Kerala

The table below shows the top Engineering colleges in Kerala along with their total tuition fees/ BTech and MTech seat intake and entrance exams/eligibility criteria:

Public/Government Colleges

Total Tuition Fee

NIRF Ranking 2025

NIT Calicut Admission

INR 5 lakh

21

Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Admission

INR 6.25 lakh

61

IIT Palakkad Admission

INR 8 lakh

64

College of Engineering Trivandrum Admission

INR 28,000

101-150

Source: Official site and may vary.

Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala: BTech and MTech Seat Intake

Kerala's top engineering colleges include NIT Calicut, IIT Palakkad, IIST, and CET, with seat intake varying widely by branch BTech and MTech course. 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 6.25 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 Engineering Colleges in Kerala: Fees vs Salary

NIT Calicut and IIST Thirvananthapuram offered the lower tuition fees as compared to higher tuition fees, depicting the good ROI of the colleges. Joining the top Engineering colleges in Kerala can be worthwhile for you. To check the worth, candidates must check the ROI of each college by comparing tuition fees and average salary. Listed below are the top Kerala Engineering colleges with fees and salary -

College Name

Total Tuition Fee

Annual Average Package

NIT Calicut BTech

INR 5 lakh

INR 8 LPA

Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology BTech

INR 6.25 lakh

INR 10.50 LPA

Source: Official site and may vary.

Read more about Engineering colleges in other locations:

Highest Salary Offered by the Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala

IIST Thirvananthapuram offered the highest placement package of INR 10.50 LPA with the top recruiters participated include Infosys, Adobe, TCS, JSW Group, etc.. Refer to the table below for a detailed overview of the top engineering colleges in Kerala with placement package and the prominent recruiters:

College Name

Average Placement Package

Prominent Recruiters

NIT Calicut Placements

INR 8 LPA

Google, EY, IBM, Intel, Amazon, etc.

Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Placements

INR 10.50 LPA

Infosys, Adobe, TCS, JSW Group, etc.

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)

Specialisations Offered by Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala

Engineering colleges in Kerala offer diversifies specialisations like Aeronautical Engineering, CSE, Civil Engineering, etc. Listed below are the top Kerala Engineering specialisations with the top colleges -

Top Specialisations

Top Colleges

Chemical Engineering

1 (IIST Thiruvananthapuram)

Aeronautical Engineering

1 (IIST Thiruvananthapuram)

Civil Engineering

1 (College of Engineering Trivandrum)

Computer Science Engineering

1 (IIT Palakkad)

Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala: Comparison 2026

The list below shows the comparison of top Engineering colleges in Kerala:

Read More

Selected Filters

Location

Total Fees

Rating

Ownership

Specialization

Exams Accepted

21
NIRF ' 25
(All India)
NIT Calicut - National Institute of Technology
4.1

Placements

4.1

Infrastructure

3.9

Faculty & Course Curriculum

4.0

Crowd & Campus Life

4.4

Value for Money

4.2

Learning Experience

0.0

Course Support

0.0
(395)
Fees: 5.00 Lakh
Salary : 8.00 Lakh
Not Ranked
India Today ' 25
Not Ranked
Times ' 25
19
The Week ' 25
61
NIRF ' 25
(All India)
IIST - Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology
4.1

Placements

3.7

Infrastructure

4.3

Faculty & Course Curriculum

4.4

Crowd & Campus Life

3.6

Value for Money

4.6

Learning Experience

0.0

Course Support

0.0
(57)
Fees: 6.25 Lakh
Salary : 10.50 Lakh
Not Ranked
India Today ' 25
Not Ranked
Times ' 25
Not Ranked
The Week ' 25
64
NIRF ' 25
(All India)
IIT Palakkad - Indian Institute of Technology
3.9

Placements

3.9

Infrastructure

3.9

Faculty & Course Curriculum

4.0

Crowd & Campus Life

4.0

Value for Money

3.9

Learning Experience

0.0

Course Support

0.0
(43)
Fees: 8.00 Lakh
Not Ranked
India Today ' 25
Not Ranked
Times ' 25
Not Ranked
The Week ' 25
101-150
NIRF ' 25
(All India)
College of Engineering, Trivandrum
4.4

Placements

4.3

Infrastructure

4.3

Faculty & Course Curriculum

4.1

Crowd & Campus Life

4.7

Value for Money

4.7

Learning Experience

0.0

Course Support

0.0
(223)
Fees: 27,784
Not Ranked
India Today ' 25
Not Ranked
Times ' 25
Not Ranked
The Week ' 25
Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
On Top Engineering Colleges in Kerala: Ranking, Fees, Admission 2026, Courses, Placements
Q:   Are there any government BTech colleges in Kerala?
A: 

Yes, there are many government BTech colleges in Kerala. Some of them are mentioned below along with their tuition fees and their seat intake:

Public/Government Colleges

Total Tuition Fee

NIRF Ranking 2025

NIT Calicut Admission

INR 5 lakh

21

Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Admission

INR 6.25 lakh

61

IIT Palakkad Admission

INR 8 lakh

64

College of Engineering Trivandrum Admission

INR 28,000

101-150

Source: Official site and may vary.

Q:   How many top ranked Engineering colleges are there in Kerala?
A: 

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.

Q:   Which is the No. 1 Engineering college in Kerala as per NIRF ranking?
A: 

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 2024NIRF 2025

NIT Calicut Ranking

23

2521

Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Ranking

48

5161

IIT Palakkad Ranking

69

6464

Source: Official site and may vary.

Q:   What are the seat intake of BTech and M.Tech courses for the top Engineering colleges in Kerala?
A: 

Candidates can check the table below for the BTech and M.Tech seat intajke of the top Engineering colleges in Kerala -

Top CollegesBTech SeatsMTech Seats
NIT Calicut1,219562
IIST Thiruvananthapuram164253
IIT Palakkad200-
College of Engineering Trivandrum840540

Source: Official site and may vary.

Q:   Is it worth joining the top ranked Engineering colleges in Kerala?
A: 

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

top1 Calicut BTech

INR 5 lakh

INR 8 LPA

Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology BTech

INR 6.25 lakh

INR 10.50 LPA

Source: Official site and may vary.

Other popular Engineering colleges in Kerala

8 Courses
1.05 L - 3 L
6.3 - 6.8 LPA

#37 India Today

15 Courses
31.8 K - 34.6 K
4.15 LPA

#105 India Today

10 Courses
1.6 L - 2 L
3.5

#124 India Today

37.26 K - 6.62 L
6 LPA
10 Courses
12 L - 24 L
4.2
10 Courses
34.6 K
6.5 LPA

#201-300 NIRF

9 Courses
3 L
4.5 LPA

#92 The Week

10 Courses
4.02 L
4 LPA

#93 Times

4 Courses
11.62 L
4.1
7 Courses
5.57 L
4.0
16 Courses
2 L - 3.25 L
3.1
10 Courses
3.3 L
3.5 LPA

Confused about which college or exam to opt for?

Chat with our counsellor.

Get your personalised list of colleges & exams.

11 Courses
24.68 K - 34.6 K
4.02 LPA
8 Courses
23.77 K - 34.6 K
4.5 LPA
9 Courses
2 L
3.76 LPA
13 Courses
34.6 K - 67.22 K
4.5 LPA
7 Courses
1.4 L - 3.01 L
5.5 LPA

#140 Times

13 Courses
3 L - 3.67 L
3.6 LPA
10 Courses
1.05 L - 3 L
4.0
5 Courses
3.5
4 LPA
12 Courses
4.22 L
3 LPA
11 Courses
1.8 L - 2 L
3 LPA
40 K - 1.4 L
4.4
6 Courses
34.6 K
3.7 LPA
7 Courses
3 L
3.5 LPA
7 Courses
34.6 K
3.6 LPA
Select any publisher to see further ranking
NIRF 2025India Today 2025The Week 2025