IIT Guwahati vs IIT Kharagpur: Courses, Seats, Cutoffs, Fees, Placements and Research (2026)
IIT Guwahati received 13% more sponsored research funding (₹182.62 crore, FY 2024-25 vs ₹162.10 crore, FY 2023-24; different data years). IIT Guwahati leads on industry consultancy by 25% (₹57.83 crore, FY 2024-25 vs ₹46.15 crore, FY 2023-24; different data years). IIT Kharagpur has a 81% larger faculty (895, NIRF 2025 vs 495, NIRF 2026; different data years).
Last updated: 14 Oct 2026.
Who should pick which (our analysis)
IIT Guwahati
Our analysis: IIT Guwahati suits you if you want an established IIT with strong research funding and are happy to study in the North-East. All its JoSAA seats are 4-year B.Tech, including Data Science and AI, Energy Engineering, and Biosciences and Bioengineering.At a glance
Swipe sideways. The first column stays put.
| Point | IIT Guwahati | IIT Kharagpur | Source (year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Established (year) | 1994 | 1951 | JoSAA 2026 institute profile |
| Location (city, state) | Guwahati, Assam | Kharagpur, West Bengal | JoSAA 2026 institute profile josaa.admissions.nic.in |
| Campus area | 700 acres | Not published | JoSAA 2026 institute profile |
| Official website | iitg.ac.in | iitkgp.ac.in | iitg.ac.in |
| NIRF Overall rank | 11 | 6 | NIRF 2025 |
| NIRF Engineering rank | 8 | 5 | NIRF 2025 |
| B.Tech tuition per semester | ₹1,00,000 | ₹1,00,000 | 2026-27 2026-27 (tentative) |
| First-semester academic fees | ₹1,63,800 | Not published | 2026-27 |
| Fee waiver notes | SC, ST and PwD: no tuition. Parental income below ₹1 lakh: tuition fully waived; ₹1–5 lakh: pay one-third (total at admission ₹97,133). | SC, ST and PwD: no tuition. Family income below ₹1 lakh: no tuition; ₹1–5 lakh: ₹33,333. | 2026-27 2026-27 (tentative) |
| Hostel / mess fee | Per semester: hostel rent ₹2,000 + maintenance ₹3,500 + electricity and water ₹3,500 + hostel fund ₹2,200; adjustable mess advance ₹22,000 | Per semester: hall establishment ₹24,354 + mess ₹14,500 + hostel overhead ₹1,177 | 2026-27 2026-27 (tentative) |
| Total JoSAA seats | 962 | 1,949 | JoSAA 2026 |
| UG 4-year median salary | ₹17 lakh | ₹19.76 lakh | 2024-25 2023-24 |
| UG 4-year placed / graduated | 663 placed of 902 graduates | 517 placed of 668 graduates | 2024-25 2023-24 |
| UG 5-year (dual) median salary | Not published | ₹20 lakh | 2023-24 |
| PG 2-year median salary | ₹12 lakh | ₹14 lakh | 2024-25 2023-24 |
| PG 2-year placed | 415 | 679 | 2024-25 2023-24 |
| UG 4-year went for higher studies | 209 | 83 | 2024-25 2023-24 |
| Total UG 4-year students | Not published | 4,096 | 2023-24 |
| Faculty count | 495 | 895 | NIRF 2026 NIRF 2025 |
| Full-time PhD students | 1,724 | 3,635 | 2024-25 2023-24 |
| Full-time PhDs graduated | Not published | 519 | 2023-24 |
| Sponsored research received | ₹182.62 crore | ₹162.10 crore | FY 2024-25 FY 2023-24 |
| Consultancy received | ₹57.83 crore | ₹46.15 crore | FY 2024-25 FY 2023-24 |
How IIT Guwahati and IIT Kharagpur differ
- IIT Guwahati received 13% more sponsored research funding (₹182.62 crore, FY 2024-25 vs ₹162.10 crore, FY 2023-24; different data years).
- IIT Guwahati leads on industry consultancy by 25% (₹57.83 crore, FY 2024-25 vs ₹46.15 crore, FY 2023-24; different data years).
- IIT Kharagpur has a 81% larger faculty (895, NIRF 2025 vs 495, NIRF 2026; different data years).
- IIT Kharagpur runs a 111% bigger PhD programme (3,635, 2023-24 vs 1,724, 2024-25; different data years).
- IIT Kharagpur offers 2.0 times as much JoSAA seats (1,949 vs 962, JoSAA 2026).
- The latest published 4-year UG median salary is ₹17 lakh at IIT Guwahati (2024-25) and ₹19.76 lakh at IIT Kharagpur (2023-24). The years differ, so compare with care.
- Both charge the same B.Tech tuition: ₹1,00,000 per semester.
- IIT Kharagpur ranks higher in NIRF 2025 Overall (6 vs 11).
- IIT Kharagpur ranks higher in NIRF 2025 Engineering (5 vs 8).
- IIT Kharagpur has more 4-year B.Tech CSE seats (140 vs 114).
- Only IIT Guwahati offers Chemical Science and Technology, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics among these two.
- Only IIT Kharagpur offers Aerospace Engineering, Agricultural and Food Engineering, Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering among these two.
Worked out from the official numbers above.
Courses and seats
IIT Guwahati
- B.Tech (4 years)
IIT Kharagpur
- B.Tech (4 years)
- B.S. (4 years)
- B.Arch (5 years)
Seats per branch
| Branch | IIT Guwahati | IIT Kharagpur |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical Engineering | 92 | 115 |
| Chemical Science and Technology | 60 | Not offered |
| Civil Engineering | 117 | 119 |
| Computer Science and Engineering | 114 | 140 |
| Electronics and Communication Engineering | 104 | Not offered |
| Electronics and Electrical Engineering | 62 | Not offered |
| Engineering Physics | 68 | Not offered |
| Mathematics and Computing | 72 | Not offered |
| Mechanical Engineering | 119 | 172 |
| Data Science and Artificial Intelligence | 60 | Not offered |
| Biosciences and Bioengineering | 74 | Not offered |
| Energy Engineering | 20 | Not offered |
| Aerospace Engineering | Not offered | 70 |
| Agricultural and Food Engineering | Not offered | 93 |
| Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering | Not offered | 70 |
| Electrical Engineering | Not offered | 113 |
| Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering | Not offered | 150 |
| Instrumentation Engineering | Not offered | 44 |
| Manufacturing Science and Engineering | Not offered | 66 |
| Metallurgical and Materials Engineering | Not offered | 93 |
| Mining Engineering | Not offered | 113 |
| Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture | Not offered | 80 |
| Industrial and Systems Engineering | Not offered | 72 |
| Artificial Intelligence | Not offered | 50 |
| Biomedical Engineering | Not offered | 30 |
| B.S. Chemistry | Not offered | 45 |
| B.S. Economics | Not offered | 59 |
| B.S. Physics | Not offered | 49 |
| B.S. Mathematics and Computing | Not offered | 69 |
| B.S. Applied Geology | Not offered | 52 |
| B.S. Exploration Geophysics | Not offered | 45 |
| B.Arch (5 years) | Not offered | 40 |
Source: JoSAA 2026 · JoSAA 2026
They have 4 branch names in common. About JoSAA seat numbers →
JoSAA cutoffs: opening and closing ranks
OPEN closing ranks, 2024–2026. Lower is harder.
| Branch | IIT Guwahati | IIT Kharagpur | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
| Aerospace Engineering | – | – | – | 4745 | 4872 | 5297 |
| Agricultural and Food Engineering | – | – | – | 10770 | 11111 | 12603 |
| Applied Geology | – | – | – | 12893 | 13685 | 15872 |
| Architecture (5-yr) | – | – | – | 20427 | 19141 | 24582 |
| Artificial Intelligence | – | – | – | 898 | 953 | 1043 |
| Biomedical Engineering | – | – | – | – | – | 10089 |
| Biosciences and Bioengineering | 9178 | 10727 | 12170 | – | – | – |
| Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering | – | – | – | 7972 | 9224 | 10683 |
| Chemical Engineering | 5363 | 6053 | 6915 | 4848 | 5222 | 5803 |
| Chemical Science and Technology | 6834 | 7958 | 9262 | – | – | – |
| Chemistry | – | – | – | 12488 | 12321 | 14760 |
| Civil Engineering | 7670 | 9021 | 9883 | 6992 | 7774 | 8816 |
| Computer Science and Engineering | 623 | 792 | 822 | 415 | 466 | 509 |
| Data Science and Artificial Intelligence | 995 | 1078 | 1286 | – | – | – |
| Economics | – | – | – | 5263 | 6063 | 6450 |
| Electrical Engineering | – | – | – | 2016 | 1985 | 2190 |
| Electronics and Communication Engineering | 1658 | 1829 | 1988 | – | – | – |
| Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering | – | – | – | 1448 | 1485 | 1660 |
| Electronics and Electrical Engineering | 2217 | 2195 | 2247 | – | – | – |
| Energy Engineering | 5920 | 6610 | 6728 | – | – | – |
| Engineering Physics | 5686 | 7117 | 6121 | – | – | – |
| Exploration Geophysics | – | – | – | 12413 | 12443 | 14923 |
| Industrial and Systems Engineering | – | – | – | 4364 | 4329 | 4699 |
| Instrumentation Engineering | – | – | – | 2481 | 2741 | 2600 |
| Manufacturing Science and Engineering | – | – | – | 6067 | 6547 | 6984 |
| Metallurgical and Materials Engineering | – | – | – | 7104 | 7708 | 8502 |
| Mathematics and Computing | 1021 | 1276 | 1366 | 1329 | 1336 | 1428 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 4523 | 4892 | 5642 | 3613 | 4016 | 4588 |
| Mining Engineering | – | – | – | 10218 | 10765 | 11962 |
| Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture | – | – | – | 9098 | 10074 | 11219 |
| Physics | – | – | – | 9672 | 10939 | 9572 |
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 Guwahati 822 (2026), IIT Kharagpur 509 (2026). How to read cutoffs →
Fees
Fee waiver notes: IIT Guwahati: SC, ST and PwD: no tuition. Parental income below ₹1 lakh: tuition fully waived; ₹1–5 lakh: pay one-third (total at admission ₹97,133).. IIT Kharagpur: SC, ST and PwD: no tuition. Family income below ₹1 lakh: no tuition; ₹1–5 lakh: ₹33,333..
Hostel / mess fee: IIT Guwahati: Per semester: hostel rent ₹2,000 + maintenance ₹3,500 + electricity and water ₹3,500 + hostel fund ₹2,200; adjustable mess advance ₹22,000. IIT Kharagpur: Per semester: hall establishment ₹24,354 + mess ₹14,500 + hostel overhead ₹1,177.
Research, labs and projects
Notable labs / facilities
IIT Guwahati
- Central Instruments Facility (CIF)
- IITG Research Park
- Technology Incubation Centre (TIC)
josaa.admissions.nic.in (JoSAA 2026 institute profile)
IIT Kharagpur
- Central Research Facility (CRF), open to outside organisations
- Central Library, one of the largest technical libraries in Asia
josaa.admissions.nic.in (JoSAA 2026 institute profile)
For industry consultancy, IIT Guwahati earns the most of the two. Sponsored vs consultancy →
IIT Guwahati: what these numbers mean
The first-semester fee is ₹1,63,800, plus medical charges at actual cost. Tuition (₹1,00,000) is waived for SC, ST and PwD students. It is also waived if your parents earn under ₹1 lakh a year. Between ₹1 lakh and ₹5 lakh, you pay one-third, and the admission total drops to ₹97,133. NIRF 2026 data shows 663 of 902 four-year graduates placed in 2024-25, at a median of ₹17 lakh. 209 more chose higher studies. That is one of the largest higher-studies groups in this batch, so many students here move on to research. Sponsored research brought in ₹182.62 crore in FY 2024-25, and consultancy ₹57.83 crore. The Central Instruments Facility, a Research Park and a Technology Incubation Centre support labs and start-ups. The NIRF list names 495 faculty and 1,724 full-time PhD scholars, so research projects are easy to find.How to choose
- Rank first, name second. CSE OPEN closing ranks: IIT Guwahati 822 (2026), IIT Kharagpur 509 (2026).
- They have 4 branch names in common. Shortlist by branch before institute.
- IIT Guwahati is in Guwahati, Assam; IIT Kharagpur is in Kharagpur, West Bengal. Weigh travel and living costs.
FAQ
Which is better, IIT Guwahati or IIT Kharagpur?
On NIRF 2025 Overall, IIT Guwahati is #11 and IIT Kharagpur is #6. Your branch matters more than this gap.
Is the B.Tech fee the same at IIT Guwahati and IIT Kharagpur?
Both charge ₹1,00,000 per semester.
Which has better placements, IIT Guwahati or IIT Kharagpur?
IIT Kharagpur has the higher UG median: ₹19.76 lakh vs ₹17 lakh (NIRF).
How many CSE seats do IIT Guwahati and IIT Kharagpur have?
IIT Guwahati: 114. IIT Kharagpur: 140.
Which does more research, IIT Guwahati or IIT Kharagpur?
Sponsored research: IIT Guwahati ₹182.62 crore, IIT Kharagpur ₹162.10 crore.
Sources
- josaa.admissions.nic.in › InstProfile
- iitg.ac.in
- nirfindia.org › OverallRanking
- nirfindia.org › EngineeringRanking
- iitg.ac.in › NIRF_Engineering_2026.pdf
- josaa.admissions.nic.in › InstProfile
- iitkgp.ac.in
- nirfindia.org › IR-O-U-0573.pdf
- josaa.admissions.nic.in › openingclosingrankarchieve
- josaa.admissions.nic.in › CurrentORCR
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