IIT Delhi vs IIT Palakkad: Courses, Seats, Cutoffs, Fees, Placements and Research (2026)
IIT Delhi leads on sponsored research by 1042% (₹410.54 crore vs ₹35.94 crore, FY 2024-25). IIT Delhi earned 6.1 times as much from consultancy (₹49.60 crore vs ₹8.08 crore, FY 2024-25). IIT Delhi has 4.5 times as much faculty (675 vs 149, NIRF 2026).
Last updated: 14 Oct 2026.
Who should pick which (our analysis)
IIT Palakkad
Our analysis: IIT Palakkad suits you if you prefer small classes. Its six branches are Civil, CSE, Electrical, Mechanical, Data Science and Engineering, and Materials Engineering. Five of them have 50 seats each. A small intake can mean closer contact with faculty.At a glance
Swipe sideways. The first column stays put.
| Point | IIT Delhi | IIT Palakkad | Source (year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Established (year) | Not published | 2015 | JoSAA 2026 institute profile |
| Location (city, state) | New Delhi, Delhi | Kanjikode, Palakkad, Kerala | home.iitd.ac.in JoSAA 2026 institute profile |
| Campus area | Not published | 500 acres | JoSAA 2026 institute profile |
| Official website | home.iitd.ac.in | iitpkd.ac.in | home.iitd.ac.in |
| NIRF Overall rank | 4 | Not published | NIRF 2025 |
| NIRF Engineering rank | 2 | 64 | NIRF 2025 |
| B.Tech tuition per semester | ₹1,00,000 | ₹1,00,000 | 2025-26 2026-27 |
| First-semester academic fees | ₹1,31,000 | Not published | 2025-26 |
| Fee waiver notes | SC, ST and PwD: no tuition. Family income ₹1–5 lakh: one-third tuition (₹33,333); below ₹1 lakh: nil. ₹1,00,000 applies above ₹5 lakh. | SC, ST and PwD: tuition waived. | 2025-26 2026-27 |
| Hostel / mess fee | ₹8,600 institute residence fee (in first-semester fees); mess charges not published in the fee structure | Per semester: hostel seat rent ₹6,500; advance dining charges ₹20,000 (first semester) | 2025-26 2026-27 |
| Total JoSAA seats | 1,249 | 280 | JoSAA 2026 |
| UG 4-year median salary | ₹20 lakh | ₹12 lakh | 2024-25 |
| UG 4-year placed / graduated | 818 placed of 986 graduates | 104 placed of 142 graduates | 2024-25 |
| UG 5-year (dual) median salary | ₹30 lakh | Not published | 2024-25 |
| PG 2-year median salary | ₹19.25 lakh | ₹10.8 lakh | 2024-25 |
| PG 2-year placed | 641 | 47 | 2024-25 |
| UG 4-year went for higher studies | 73 | 15 | 2024-25 |
| Total UG 4-year students | 4,388 | Not published | 2024-25 |
| Faculty count | 675 | 149 | NIRF 2026 |
| Full-time PhD students | 2,954 | 234 | 2024-25 |
| Full-time PhDs graduated | 489 | Not published | 2024-25 |
| Sponsored research received | ₹410.54 crore | ₹35.94 crore | FY 2024-25 |
| Consultancy received | ₹49.60 crore | ₹8.08 crore | FY 2024-25 |
How IIT Delhi and IIT Palakkad differ
- IIT Delhi leads on sponsored research by 1042% (₹410.54 crore vs ₹35.94 crore, FY 2024-25).
- IIT Delhi earned 6.1 times as much from consultancy (₹49.60 crore vs ₹8.08 crore, FY 2024-25).
- IIT Delhi has 4.5 times as much faculty (675 vs 149, NIRF 2026).
- IIT Delhi enrols 12.6 times as much PhD scholars (2,954 vs 234, 2024-25).
- IIT Delhi admits 4.5 times as much students through JoSAA (1,249 vs 280, JoSAA 2026).
- IIT Delhi reported a ₹8.00 lakh higher 4-year UG median salary (₹20 lakh vs ₹12 lakh).
- Tuition is identical at ₹1,00,000 a semester.
- IIT Delhi ranks higher in NIRF 2025 Engineering (2 vs 64).
- IIT Delhi has more 4-year B.Tech CSE seats (99 vs 50).
- Only IIT Delhi offers Electrical Engineering (Power and Automation), Chemical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Energy Engineering among these two.
- Only IIT Palakkad offers Data Science and Engineering among these two.
Worked out from the official numbers above.
Courses and seats
IIT Delhi
- B.Tech (4 years)
- Dual degree B.Tech + M.Tech (5 years)
- B.S. Chemistry
- B.Tech Design
- Abu Dhabi campus B.Tech (4 branches)
- M.Tech, M.Sc, MBA, M.Des and PhD
IIT Palakkad
- B.Tech (4 years)
Seats per branch
| Branch | IIT Delhi | IIT Palakkad |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science and Engineering | 99 | 50 |
| CSE, 5-year dual degree | 37 | Not offered |
| Electrical Engineering | 110 | 50 |
| Electrical Engineering (Power and Automation) | 54 | Not offered |
| Mechanical Engineering | 85 | 50 |
| Civil Engineering | 110 | 50 |
| Chemical Engineering | 75 | Not offered |
| Chemical Engineering, dual degree | 46 | Not offered |
| Engineering Physics | 63 | Not offered |
| Materials Engineering | 40 | 30 |
| Energy Engineering | 40 | Not offered |
| Mathematics and Computing | 89 | Not offered |
| Mathematics and Computing, dual degree | 33 | Not offered |
| Industrial / Production Engineering | 83 | Not offered |
| Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering | 60 | Not offered |
| Textile Technology | 85 | Not offered |
| Engineering and Computational Mechanics | 40 | Not offered |
| B.S. Chemistry | 40 | Not offered |
| B.Tech Design | 20 | Not offered |
| Abu Dhabi campus (4 branches) | 40 | Not offered |
| Data Science and Engineering | Not offered | 50 |
Source: JoSAA 2026 · JoSAA 2026
5 branches appear at both IIT Delhi and IIT Palakkad. How seats are counted →
JoSAA cutoffs: opening and closing ranks
OPEN closing ranks, 2024–2026. Lower is harder.
| Branch | IIT Delhi | IIT Palakkad | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
| Abu Dhabi Campus - Chemical Engineering | – | 5712 | 6145 | – | – | – |
| Abu Dhabi Campus - Computer Science and Engineering | – | 1761 | 1788 | – | – | – |
| Abu Dhabi Campus - Electrical Engineering | – | – | 3436 | – | – | – |
| Abu Dhabi Campus - Energy Engineering | – | 5590 | 4465 | – | – | – |
| Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering | 4849 | 4999 | 4990 | – | – | – |
| Chemical Engineering | 2221 | 2548 | 2724 | – | – | – |
| Chemical Engineering (5-yr) | 3646 | 3454 | 3968 | – | – | – |
| Chemistry | – | 8528 | 8823 | – | – | – |
| Civil Engineering | 4169 | 4302 | 4901 | 15812 | 16753 | 18196 |
| Computer Science and Engineering | 116 | 126 | 128 | 6199 | 6454 | 7625 |
| Computer Science and Engineering (5-yr) | 204 | 186 | 212 | – | – | – |
| Data Science and Engineering | – | – | – | 8084 | 8640 | 9484 |
| Design | – | 12217 | 12730 | – | – | – |
| Electrical Engineering | 625 | 605 | 612 | 9625 | 10396 | 10926 |
| Electrical Engineering (Power and Automation) | 810 | 823 | 823 | – | – | – |
| Energy Engineering | 2707 | 2668 | 2965 | – | – | – |
| Engineering and Computational Mechanics | 1194 | 1103 | 1107 | – | – | – |
| Engineering Physics | 2560 | 2565 | 2435 | – | – | – |
| Materials Engineering | 3797 | 3736 | 3706 | – | – | 18397 |
| Mathematics and Computing | 332 | 323 | 338 | – | – | – |
| Mathematics and Computing (5-yr) | 417 | 355 | 403 | – | – | – |
| Mechanical Engineering | 1782 | 1862 | 2205 | 12540 | 12606 | 14360 |
| Production and Industrial Engineering | 3089 | 3223 | 3402 | – | – | – |
| Textile Technology | 6102 | 5733 | 6580 | – | – | – |
All categories and seat pools
| Institute | Branch | Category | Seats | Year | Round | Opening | Closing |
|---|
Source: josaa.nic.in, final rounds.
M.Tech (GATE) cutoffs
No verified GATE cutoffs yet. How M.Tech admission works →
CSE OPEN closing ranks: IIT Delhi 128 (2026), IIT Palakkad 7,625 (2026). Opening and closing ranks explained →
Fees
Fee waiver notes: IIT Delhi: SC, ST and PwD: no tuition. Family income ₹1–5 lakh: one-third tuition (₹33,333); below ₹1 lakh: nil. ₹1,00,000 applies above ₹5 lakh.. IIT Palakkad: SC, ST and PwD: tuition waived..
Hostel / mess fee: IIT Delhi: ₹8,600 institute residence fee (in first-semester fees); mess charges not published in the fee structure. IIT Palakkad: Per semester: hostel seat rent ₹6,500; advance dining charges ₹20,000 (first semester).
Research, labs and projects
Notable labs / facilities
IIT Delhi
- Central Research Facility (CRF): open to users inside and outside IIT Delhi with online booking; FESEM, single-crystal XRD, micro-Raman, AFM
- New CRF building and workshop at the Sonipat campus
crf.iitd.ac.in (2026)
IIT Palakkad
- Central Instrumentation Facility (CIF)
- Central Micro-Nano Fabrication Facility (CMFF)
- Central Facility for Materials and Manufacturing Engineering (CFMM)
- 'Chandra' high-performance computing cluster
josaa.admissions.nic.in (JoSAA 2026 institute profile)
For industry consultancy, IIT Delhi earns the most of the two. Research money, explained →
IIT Palakkad: what these numbers mean
Tuition is ₹1,00,000 per semester and is waived for SC, ST and PwD students. Other first-semester items include hostel seat rent of ₹6,500 and advance dining charges of ₹20,000. NIRF 2026 data shows 104 of 142 four-year graduates placed in 2024-25, at a median of ₹12 lakh. 15 went for higher studies. PG (2-year) graduates had a median of ₹10.8 lakh. Sponsored research was ₹35.94 crore in FY 2024-25, which is solid for a young institute. Research facilities include a Central Instrumentation Facility, a Central Micro-Nano Fabrication Facility, a materials and manufacturing facility, and the 'Chandra' high-performance computing cluster. The campus uses sustainable green buildings. The NIRF list names 149 faculty and 234 full-time PhD scholars. Use the cutoff table to see how closing ranks for each branch moved between 2024, 2025 and 2026.How to choose
- Check your rank against the cutoff table first. CSE OPEN closing ranks: IIT Delhi 128 (2026), IIT Palakkad 7,625 (2026).
- 5 branches appear at both IIT Delhi and IIT Palakkad. Compare the branch you want, not just the name.
- IIT Delhi is in New Delhi, Delhi; IIT Palakkad is in Kanjikode, Palakkad, Kerala. Think about distance from home.
FAQ
Is the B.Tech fee the same at IIT Delhi and IIT Palakkad?
Both charge ₹1,00,000 per semester.
Which has better placements, IIT Delhi or IIT Palakkad?
IIT Delhi has the higher UG median: ₹20 lakh vs ₹12 lakh (NIRF).
How many CSE seats do IIT Delhi and IIT Palakkad have?
IIT Delhi: 99. IIT Palakkad: 50.
Which does more research, IIT Delhi or IIT Palakkad?
Sponsored research: IIT Delhi ₹410.54 crore, IIT Palakkad ₹35.94 crore.
Sources
- home.iitd.ac.in
- nirfindia.org › OverallRanking
- nirfindia.org › EngineeringRanking
- academics.iitd.ac.in › Fee-Structure_2025-26_UG-Entry-S…
- josaa.admissions.nic.in › InstProfile
- home.iitd.ac.in › NIRF_2026_Overall_Indian Institute of…
- crf.iitd.ac.in
- josaa.admissions.nic.in › InstProfile
- iitpkd.ac.in
- iitpkd.ac.in › 4bc0d928-8fa0-42e6-8140-a54bf872535f.pdf
- josaa.admissions.nic.in › openingclosingrankarchieve
- josaa.admissions.nic.in › CurrentORCR
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