IIT Bombay vs IIT Kanpur: Courses, Seats, Cutoffs, Fees, Placements and Research (2026)
IIT Bombay is 3rd and IIT Kanpur 5th in NIRF 2025 Overall (3rd and 4th in Engineering). Tuition is the same ₹1,00,000 per semester. IIT Kanpur's 4-year UG graduates reported a higher median salary in 2024-25 (₹21.70 lakh vs ₹20.21 lakh). IIT Bombay received more than twice the sponsored research funding (₹798.84 crore vs ₹363.43 crore) and has more faculty (909 vs 636).
Last updated: 13 Oct 2026. Every number links to its official source with the data year.
Who should pick which (our analysis)
- Choose on branch first. In JoSAA 2026, 4-year CSE closed at OPEN rank 67 at IIT Bombay and 283 at IIT Kanpur, and Electrical at 411 and 1,171.
- IIT Bombay suits students who want the top-3 ranks, Mumbai and a large research base.
- IIT Kanpur suits students who want a big, quiet residential campus (1,055 acres), strong B.S. programmes and a higher reported UG median salary.
At a glance
| Point | IIT Bombay | IIT Kanpur | Source (year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Established (year) | Not published | 1959 | josaa.admissions.nic.in (JoSAA 2026 institute profile) |
| Location (city, state) | Mumbai, Maharashtra | Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh | iitb.ac.in josaa.admissions.nic.in |
| Campus area | Not published | 1,055 acres | josaa.admissions.nic.in (JoSAA 2026 institute profile) |
| Official website | iitb.ac.in | iitk.ac.in | iitb.ac.in iitk.ac.in |
| NIRF Overall rank | 3 | 5 | nirfindia.org (NIRF 2025) |
| NIRF Engineering rank | 3 | 4 | nirfindia.org (NIRF 2025) |
| B.Tech tuition per semester | ₹1,00,000 | ₹1,00,000 | acad.iitb.ac.in (2025-26) iitk.ac.in (2026-27) |
| First-semester academic fees | ₹1,28,250 | ₹1,58,415 | acad.iitb.ac.in (2025-26) iitk.ac.in (2026-27) |
| Fee waiver notes | SC, ST and PwD students pay no tuition. | SC, ST, PwD and family income below ₹1 lakh: no tuition. Family income ₹1–5 lakh: one-third tuition (₹33,333). | acad.iitb.ac.in (2025-26) iitk.ac.in (2026-27) |
| Hostel / mess fee | ₹19,400 hostel fee (first semester) + ₹22,500 mess advance | Mess establishment charges ₹13,360 (first semester); seat rent and hall charges are inside the ₹13,855 semester fee | acad.iitb.ac.in (2025-26) iitk.ac.in (2026-27) |
| Total JoSAA seats | 1,363 | 1,240 | josaa.admissions.nic.in (JoSAA 2026) josaa.admissions.nic.in (JoSAA 2026) |
| UG 4-year median salary | ₹20.21 lakh | ₹21.7 lakh | iitb.ac.in (2024-25) iitk.ac.in (2024-25) |
| UG 4-year placed / graduated | 730 placed of 1,017 graduates | 855 placed of 1,205 graduates | iitb.ac.in (2024-25) iitk.ac.in (2024-25) |
| PG 2-year median salary | ₹18 lakh | ₹15.7 lakh | iitb.ac.in (2024-25) iitk.ac.in (2024-25) |
| PG 2-year placed | 779 | 674 | iitb.ac.in (2024-25) iitk.ac.in (2024-25) |
| UG 4-year went for higher studies | 287 | 257 | iitb.ac.in (2024-25) iitk.ac.in (2024-25) |
| Total UG 4-year students | 5,698 | 4,932 | iitb.ac.in (2024-25) iitk.ac.in (2024-25) |
| Faculty count | 909 | 636 | iitb.ac.in (NIRF 2026) iitk.ac.in (NIRF 2026) |
| Full-time PhD students | 3,365 | 2,172 | iitb.ac.in (2024-25) iitk.ac.in (2024-25) |
| Full-time PhDs graduated | 470 | 294 | iitb.ac.in (2024-25) iitk.ac.in (2024-25) |
| Sponsored research received | ₹798.84 crore | ₹363.43 crore | iitb.ac.in (FY 2024-25) iitk.ac.in (FY 2024-25) |
| Consultancy received | ₹157.20 crore | ₹113.61 crore | iitb.ac.in (FY 2024-25) iitk.ac.in (FY 2024-25) |
How IIT Bombay and IIT Kanpur differ
- IIT Bombay received 2.2 times as much sponsored research funding (₹798.84 crore vs ₹363.43 crore, FY 2024-25).
- IIT Bombay earned 38% more from consultancy (₹157.20 crore vs ₹113.61 crore, FY 2024-25).
- IIT Bombay has 43% more faculty (909 vs 636, NIRF 2026).
- IIT Bombay has 55% more full-time PhD students (3,365 vs 2,172, 2024-25).
- IIT Bombay offers 10% more JoSAA seats (1,363 vs 1,240, JoSAA 2026).
- IIT Kanpur reported a ₹1.49 lakh higher 4-year UG median salary (₹21.7 lakh vs ₹20.21 lakh).
- Both charge the same B.Tech tuition: ₹1,00,000 per semester.
- IIT Bombay ranks higher in NIRF 2025 Overall (3 vs 5).
- IIT Bombay ranks higher in NIRF 2025 Engineering (3 vs 4).
- IIT Bombay has more 4-year B.Tech CSE seats (199 vs 129).
- Only IIT Bombay offers Engineering Physics, Energy Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, Environmental Science and Engineering among these two.
- Only IIT Kanpur offers Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Intelligent Systems among these two.
Worked out from the official numbers above.
Courses and seats
The JoSAA seat totals are close (1,363 vs 1,240), but IIT Bombay has more CSE seats (199 vs 129) and IIT Kanpur has more Electrical seats (192 vs 112).
IIT Bombay
- B.Tech (4 years)
- B.Tech + M.Tech dual degree (5 years)
- B.Des
- B.S. (4 years)
- M.Tech, M.Sc, MBA, M.Des and PhD
IIT Kanpur
- B.Tech (4 years)
- B.S. (4 years)
- BT-MT and BS-MS dual degrees
- B.Cyber
Seats per branch
| Branch | IIT Bombay | IIT Kanpur |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science and Engineering | 199 | 129 |
| Electrical Engineering | 112 | 192 |
| Electrical Engineering, 5-year dual degree | 91 | Not offered |
| Mechanical Engineering | 203 | 149 |
| Civil Engineering | 146 | 148 |
| Chemical Engineering | 125 | 104 |
| Engineering Physics | 58 | Not offered |
| Aerospace Engineering | 73 | 69 |
| Metallurgical / Materials Engineering | 105 | 85 |
| Energy Engineering | 47 | Not offered |
| Industrial Engineering and Operations Research | 40 | Not offered |
| Environmental Science and Engineering | 46 | Not offered |
| B.S. Chemistry | 35 | 49 |
| B.S. Economics | 40 | 52 |
| B.S. Mathematics | 18 | Not offered |
| B.S. Applied Geophysics | 25 | Not offered |
| Biological Sciences and Bioengineering | Not offered | 53 |
| Intelligent Systems | Not offered | 30 |
| B.S. Mathematics and Scientific Computing | Not offered | 64 |
| B.S. Physics | Not offered | 45 |
| B.S. Earth Sciences | Not offered | 43 |
| B.S. Statistics and Data Science | Not offered | 28 |
Source: josaa.admissions.nic.in (JoSAA 2026) · josaa.admissions.nic.in (JoSAA 2026)
What this means
Seats are the total for each branch across all categories, including female-supernumerary seats, from the JoSAA seat matrix. More seats in a branch usually means a wider range of closing ranks, so your chances can be better in a branch with more seats.
JoSAA cutoffs: opening and closing ranks
Closing ranks in the final JoSAA round, OPEN category, gender-neutral seats (JEE Advanced CRL). Lower means harder to get.
| Branch | IIT Bombay | IIT Kanpur | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
| Aerospace Engineering | 2394 | 2361 | 2638 | 3638 | 3805 | 4015 |
| Applied Geophysics | – | 8343 | 7301 | – | – | – |
| Biological Sciences and Bioengineering | – | – | – | 6952 | 7105 | 7837 |
| BS in Mathematics | 1191 | 1067 | 1042 | – | – | – |
| Chemical Engineering | 2545 | 2464 | 2833 | 4015 | 4280 | 4436 |
| Chemistry | 7430 | 7228 | 7838 | 10498 | 10482 | 11668 |
| Civil Engineering | 4046 | 4250 | 4417 | 5948 | 6161 | 7177 |
| Computer Science and Engineering | 68 | 66 | 67 | 252 | 271 | 283 |
| Earth Sciences | – | – | – | 10058 | 10108 | 10774 |
| Economics | 2408 | 2372 | 2272 | 3106 | 3310 | 3650 |
| Electrical Engineering | 496 | 433 | 411 | 1290 | 1146 | 1171 |
| Electrical Engineering (5-yr) | 973 | 841 | 844 | – | – | – |
| Energy Engineering | 2689 | 2584 | 2605 | – | – | – |
| Engineering Physics | 1719 | 1539 | 1575 | – | – | – |
| Environmental Science and Engineering | 4718 | 4777 | 5473 | – | – | – |
| Industrial Engineering and Operations Research | 1726 | 1273 | 834 | – | – | – |
| Intelligent Systems | – | – | – | – | – | 1134 |
| Materials Science and Engineering | 4193 | 4345 | 3995 | 6008 | 6337 | 6533 |
| Mathematics and Scientific Computing | – | – | – | 990 | 1179 | 1270 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 1685 | 1834 | 1900 | 2776 | 2771 | 3178 |
| Physics | – | – | – | 5508 | 5691 | 5723 |
| Statistics and Data Science | – | – | – | 1030 | 1270 | 1409 |
All categories and seat pools
| Institute | Branch | Category | Seats | Year | Round | Opening | Closing |
|---|
Source: JoSAA opening and closing ranks (josaa.nic.in), final round of each year.
M.Tech (GATE) cutoffs
We have not found official, department-wise GATE cutoffs for these institutes that we could verify for the last three years, so none are shown. Check each department's M.Tech admissions page and the COAP portal.
What this means
The opening rank is the best rank admitted in that category, and the closing rank is the last rank admitted in the final round. Your JEE (Advanced) category rank must be at or better than the closing rank to have had a seat that year. Cutoffs move every year, so look at the trend over three years, not one number. Female-only seats are supernumerary seats for female candidates; PwD ranks are separate lists.
What this means
M.Tech admissions at IITs use GATE scores through COAP and the institute's own process. Cutoffs are set by each department and are published only by some institutes in some years.
Fees
Fee waiver notes: IIT Bombay: SC, ST and PwD students pay no tuition.. IIT Kanpur: SC, ST, PwD and family income below ₹1 lakh: no tuition. Family income ₹1–5 lakh: one-third tuition (₹33,333)..
Hostel / mess fee: IIT Bombay: ₹19,400 hostel fee (first semester) + ₹22,500 mess advance. IIT Kanpur: Mess establishment charges ₹13,360 (first semester); seat rent and hall charges are inside the ₹13,855 semester fee.
What this means
Tuition is the main fee, but the first-semester bill also includes one-time and hostel charges. Fee waivers are set by the government: SC, ST and PwD students pay no tuition at IITs, and students from lower-income families pay reduced or no tuition. Check the latest fee notice for the exact income limits.
Placements
IIT Kanpur placed 855 of 1,205 4-year UG graduates in 2024-25, and IIT Bombay placed 730 of 1,017. Both figures come from the same NIRF 2026 data year.
UG 4-year placed / graduated: IIT Bombay: 730 placed of 1,017 graduates. IIT Kanpur: 855 placed of 1,205 graduates.
What this means
The median salary is the middle value: half of the placed students earned more and half earned less. It is a fairer guide than the "highest package", which only one student gets. Compare it with the number placed out of those who graduated, and remember that many students choose higher studies instead.
Research, labs and projects
IIT Bombay leads on sponsored research (₹798.84 crore vs ₹363.43 crore) and consultancy (₹157.20 crore vs ₹113.61 crore) in 2024-25.
Notable labs / facilities
IIT Bombay
- Centre for Sophisticated Instruments and Facilities (CSIF): instruments in eight groups incl. microscopy, spectroscopy, fabrication and biological analysis
- Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility (SAIF), set up in 1976 with DST support: 600 MHz NMR, 300 kV HR-TEM, FEG-SEM, ToF-SIMS, SAXS
saif.iitb.ac.in (2026)
IIT Kanpur
- Airstrip on campus (used by the Aerospace Engineering department and the Gliding Club)
josaa.admissions.nic.in (JoSAA 2026 institute profile)
What this means
Sponsored research is money given by government and industry for research projects in that year. Consultancy is paid work done for industry. Higher figures mean more projects, labs and chances for students to work on real problems.
How to choose
- List the branches your JoSAA rank can realistically get at both, using the cutoff table above.
- Compare those branches, not only the institute name.
- Check which fee waivers you qualify for.
- Think about the city, the cost of living and the distance from home.
- Look at dual-degree and minor options in each curriculum.
FAQ
Which is better, IIT Bombay or IIT Kanpur?
In NIRF 2025 Overall, IIT Bombay is ranked 3 and IIT Kanpur is ranked 5. In Engineering, IIT Bombay is 3 and IIT Kanpur is 4. The official data is close at this level, so the right choice depends on your branch and personal fit.
Is the B.Tech fee the same at IIT Bombay and IIT Kanpur?
B.Tech tuition is ₹1,00,000 per semester at IIT Bombay and ₹1,00,000 at IIT Kanpur (2025-26). Fee waivers apply for eligible students; see the fees section.
Which has better placements, IIT Bombay or IIT Kanpur?
The 4-year UG median salary was ₹20.21 lakh at IIT Bombay (2024-25) and ₹21.7 lakh at IIT Kanpur (2024-25), from NIRF data.
How many CSE seats do IIT Bombay and IIT Kanpur have?
The JoSAA seat matrix lists 199 B.Tech CSE seats at IIT Bombay and 129 at IIT Kanpur (JoSAA 2026).
Which does more research, IIT Bombay or IIT Kanpur?
IIT Bombay received ₹798.84 crore in sponsored research (FY 2024-25) and IIT Kanpur received ₹363.43 crore (FY 2024-25).
What is a closing rank?
It is the last JEE (Advanced) category rank that got a seat in that branch in the final JoSAA round. If your rank is at or better than it, you would have got a seat that year. It changes every year.
Sources
- https://www.iitb.ac.in
- https://www.nirfindia.org/Rankings/2025/OverallRanking.html
- https://www.nirfindia.org/Rankings/2025/EngineeringRanking.html
- https://acad.iitb.ac.in/sites/default/files/Fee Circular for UG New Entrants 2025.pdf
- https://acad.iitb.ac.in/ug-new-entrants-fees
- https://josaa.admissions.nic.in/applicant/seatmatrix/InstProfile.aspx?instcd=102
- https://www.iitb.ac.in/sites/default/files/2026-04/NIRF_IITBombay_2026_Overall_Category.pdf
- http://www.saif.iitb.ac.in/facility.html
- https://josaa.admissions.nic.in/applicant/seatmatrix/InstProfile.aspx?instcd=109
- https://www.iitk.ac.in
- https://www.iitk.ac.in/dosa/data/Fee-Structure-for-New-UG-for-2026-2027-1st-07-07-26.pdf
- https://www.iitk.ac.in/data/nirf/nirf-2026/Overall-2026.pdf
- https://josaa.admissions.nic.in/applicant/seatmatrix/openingclosingrankarchieve.aspx
- https://josaa.admissions.nic.in/applicant/SeatAllotmentResult/CurrentORCR.aspx
Found an error? Tell us through the contact page and we will check it against the official source.