NIRF Rankings 2025 Reveal Why IIT Madras Holds A Decade-Long Engineering Leadership

The NIRF ranking 2025 shows the long-standing streak of IIT Madras for the 10th consecutive year as India's best engineering institute and the 7-year unbroken lead as India's top institute in the overall category. It is also ranked no. 1 in Innovation and the most recent SDG category, while it ranks no. 2 in the research institutions category. But what makes the institute stand out and dominate various categories? The institute checks several boxes that have led to its exceptional achievement. Continue reading to know these factors.

NIRF Rankings 2025: IIT Madras Retains Top Spot, Marks a Decade of Engineering Leadership

On September 4, the Ministry of Education released the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings 2025. This year, the NIRF 2025 ranking was made for 17 categories, introducing Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as the newest category. IIT Madras has maintained its unbroken streak as the top engineering institute in the country. IIT Madras grabbed the #1 rank across several categories like Engineering, Overall, SDG and Innovation. It also ranked #2 among research institutions in India. Notably, IIT Madras has emerged as the best engineering institute for all of 10 years and has achieved #1 in the overall category for the past 7 years.

This exceptional achievement highlights the contribution and significance of IIT Madras as the foremost Institute of National Importance (INI). The NIRF rankings 2025 are based on five generic groups of parameters, namely: Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR); Research and Professional Practice (RP); Graduation Outcome (GO); Outreach and Inclusivity (O&I); and Perception (PR).

IIT M Shows Multi-Dimensional Excellence Across NIRF Parameters

IIT Madras continues to display outstanding performance across the NIRF parameters. Candidates can check IITM’s scores for engineering and overall categories, where the institute has been dominating year on year.

IT Madras's sustained high marks in core areas like academic delivery, research impact, and graduate success, combined with its long-standing reputation, are the reasons for its decade-long supremacy. However, the NIRF reports highlight how it lacks in the outreach and inclusivity part that should be the focus, along with maintaining the other parameters.

Why IIT Madras Leads Again

• Strong Academics & Resources: IIT-M has consistently scored high in Teaching, Learning, and Resources. Its faculty-student ratio is among the best in India, with well-equipped labs, smart classrooms, and a curriculum that blends fundamentals with cutting-edge research.
• Research & Innovation Hub: IIT Madras files dozens of patents every year and has a strong publication record. The IIT Madras Research Park is a unique ecosystem where students, faculty, and companies work together to create real-world technologies. The institute recently topped the Innovation category, reflecting its strength in start-ups, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship.
• Graduate Success: The institute observes the best placement statistics in the country. Its students are recruited by global tech giants, consulting firms, and R&D centres. Many also go on to pursue higher studies at prestigious universities abroad. This is why it scores high in Graduation Outcomes.
• Stellar Reputation: The institute scored a perfect 100 in Perception in the NIRF rankings. This means that academics, industry leaders, and employers see IIT Madras as a trusted source of talent and innovation.
• Leader in Sustainability Initiatives: IIT Madras is at the top of the leaderboard for the SDG category, highlighting its research and innovation on climate change, clean energy, and more.

IIT Madras NIRF Ranking 2025: Placement Recap

The detailed report for IIT Madras NIRF rankings highlights the stellar placement record of the institute. Here are a few highlights of IIT Madras placements:

• For the academic year 2023-24 the total number of graduates was 714. Of these, 153 opted for higher studies, which leaves 561 students remaining. The institute places 549 students with a median salary package of not less than Rs. 17,50,000. Last year, the median salary offered to IIT Madras graduates in its placement season was Rs. 16,63,440.
• The average CTC for the IIT Madras CS department for the year 2023-24 is close to Rs. 65 lakhs. The department records an average CTC of Rs. 52.32 lakhs for its 4-year BTech course, as highlighted in the placement reports of the institute.

With this 10th consecutive No. 1 rank, IIT Madras has proven its merit as India’s leading engineering college. 7th best overall also signifies it is competitive in the right spaces across several parameters.