NIRF Ranking 2026: Will NIT Rourkela Join the Top 10 Engineering Colleges List This Year?

The NIRF Ranking 2026 for the Engineering category is awaited by students and institutes across India. Among the institutes to watch this year is the National Institute of Technology Rourkela (NIT Rourkela), which has shown a notable improvement in its NIRF Engineering ranking over the past five years. Read more below.

NIRF Ranking 2026: Will NIT Rourkela Join the Top 10 Engineering Colleges List This Year?

National Institute of Technology Rourkela (NIT Rourkela) ranked 13th in NIRF 2025, putting it just three places away from the elite top 10 engineering colleges list. The institute improved from Rank 20 in 2021 to Rank 15 in 2022 before slipping to Rank 16 in 2023 and Rank 19 in 2024. However, NIT Rourkela made a significant recovery in 2025, climbing six places to Rank 13. Its NIRF Engineering score also increased from 63.38 in 2024 to 66.62 in 2025.

As of 2025, the only NIT consistently ranked in the top 10 engineering colleges is the National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli. NIT Trichy secured 9th rank in the NIRF engineering category rankings.

NIT Rourkela NIRF Ranking: 5-Year Trend

NIT Rourkela's Engineering ranking has fluctuated over the last five editions, but the overall five-year trend shows improvement.

Can NIT Rourkela Enter the Top 10 in NIRF 2026?

The 2025 ranking provides a positive direction for NIT Rourkela. The institute improved by six positions in a single year and is now only three places outside the Top 10.

However, entering the Top 10 will depend on its performance across NIRF parameters and the performance of other engineering institutes. NIRF evaluates institutes on areas including teaching, learning and resources, research and professional practices, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity, and perception.

Therefore, NIT Rourkela's recent improvement shows the possibility for it to enter the NIRF 2026 top 10 engineering colleges list. However, it cannot be predicted with certainty until the NIRF Engineering Ranking 2026 is released.

What Does the NIRF Ranking Mean for Students?

NIT Rourkela has remained among India's leading engineering institutes throughout the five years. For JEE Main aspirants, its improving NIRF position can be considered alongside factors such as branch-wise placements, academic facilities, fees, campus infrastructure and previous-year JoSAA cutoffs. The NIRF Ranking 2026 will reveal whether NIT Rourkela can continue its upward movement and finally break into India's Top 10 engineering colleges.

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