IIT ISM Dhanbad vs IIT Kharagpur: Courses, Seats, Cutoffs, Fees, Placements and Research (2026)
IIT Kharagpur leads on sponsored research by 131% (₹162.10 crore, FY 2023-24 vs ₹70.05 crore, FY 2024-25; different data years). IIT Kharagpur earned 4.3 times as much from consultancy (₹46.15 crore, FY 2023-24 vs ₹10.71 crore, FY 2024-25; different data years). IIT Kharagpur has 76% more faculty (895, NIRF 2025 vs 508, NIRF 2026; different data years).
Last updated: 14 Oct 2026.
Who should pick which (our analysis)
IIT ISM Dhanbad
Our analysis: IIT (ISM) suits you if you are interested in earth resources and energy. Mining Engineering, Mining Machinery, Petroleum Engineering, Mineral and Metallurgical Engineering, Geological Engineering and Geophysical Technology are rare at other IITs. It also has big CSE (145 seats), Electrical (130), ECE (130) and Mechanical (130) intakes, plus a B.Tech Mining + MBA (IIM Mumbai) dual degree.At a glance
Swipe sideways. The first column stays put.
| Point | IIT ISM Dhanbad | IIT Kharagpur | Source (year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Established (year) | 1926 | 1951 | JoSAA 2026 institute profile |
| Location (city, state) | Dhanbad, Jharkhand | Kharagpur, West Bengal | JoSAA 2026 institute profile josaa.admissions.nic.in |
| Campus area | 393 acres (218 existing, 175 under acquisition) | Not published | JoSAA 2026 institute profile |
| Official website | iitism.ac.in | iitkgp.ac.in | iitism.ac.in |
| NIRF Overall rank | 35 | 6 | NIRF 2025 |
| NIRF Engineering rank | 15 | 5 | NIRF 2025 |
| B.Tech tuition per semester | ₹1,00,000 | ₹1,00,000 | 2026-27 2026-27 (tentative) |
| First-semester academic fees | ₹1,41,400 | Not published | 2026-27 |
| Fee waiver notes | SC, ST and PwD: no tuition. Family income below ₹1 lakh: no tuition; ₹1–5 lakh: ₹33,333. JEE (Advanced) CRL rank up to 1000: full tuition waiver for the whole UG programme (conditions apply). | 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 | Mess fee about ₹19,500 per semester, charged on top of the admission amount | Per semester: hall establishment ₹24,354 + mess ₹14,500 + hostel overhead ₹1,177 | 2026-27 2026-27 (tentative) |
| Total JoSAA seats | 1,210 | 1,949 | JoSAA 2026 |
| UG 4-year median salary | ₹15 lakh | ₹19.76 lakh | 2024-25 2023-24 |
| UG 4-year placed / graduated | 715 placed of 910 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 | ₹8.39 lakh | ₹14 lakh | 2024-25 2023-24 |
| PG 2-year placed | 367 | 679 | 2024-25 2023-24 |
| UG 4-year went for higher studies | 160 | 83 | 2024-25 2023-24 |
| Total UG 4-year students | Not published | 4,096 | 2023-24 |
| Faculty count | 508 | 895 | NIRF 2026 NIRF 2025 |
| Full-time PhD students | 1,169 | 3,635 | 2024-25 2023-24 |
| Full-time PhDs graduated | Not published | 519 | 2023-24 |
| Sponsored research received | ₹70.05 crore | ₹162.10 crore | FY 2024-25 FY 2023-24 |
| Consultancy received | ₹10.71 crore | ₹46.15 crore | FY 2024-25 FY 2023-24 |
How IIT ISM Dhanbad and IIT Kharagpur differ
- IIT Kharagpur leads on sponsored research by 131% (₹162.10 crore, FY 2023-24 vs ₹70.05 crore, FY 2024-25; different data years).
- IIT Kharagpur earned 4.3 times as much from consultancy (₹46.15 crore, FY 2023-24 vs ₹10.71 crore, FY 2024-25; different data years).
- IIT Kharagpur has 76% more faculty (895, NIRF 2025 vs 508, NIRF 2026; different data years).
- IIT Kharagpur enrols 3.1 times as much PhD scholars (3,635, 2023-24 vs 1,169, 2024-25; different data years).
- IIT Kharagpur admits 61% more students through JoSAA (1,949 vs 1,210, JoSAA 2026).
- The latest published 4-year UG median salary is ₹15 lakh at IIT ISM Dhanbad (2024-25) and ₹19.76 lakh at IIT Kharagpur (2023-24). The years differ, so compare with care.
- Tuition is identical at ₹1,00,000 a semester.
- IIT Kharagpur ranks higher in NIRF 2025 Overall (6 vs 35).
- IIT Kharagpur ranks higher in NIRF 2025 Engineering (5 vs 15).
- IIT ISM Dhanbad has more 4-year B.Tech CSE seats (145 vs 140).
- Only IIT ISM Dhanbad offers Electronics and Communication Engineering, Engineering Physics, Environmental Engineering, Mathematics and Computing among these two.
- Only IIT Kharagpur offers Aerospace Engineering, Agricultural and Food Engineering, Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering, Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering among these two.
Worked out from the official numbers above.
Courses and seats
IIT ISM Dhanbad
- B.Tech (4 years)
- Bachelor of Technology and MBA (5 years, dual degree)
- Integrated Bachelor of Science-Master of Science (5 years)
IIT Kharagpur
- B.Tech (4 years)
- B.S. (4 years)
- B.Arch (5 years)
Seats per branch
| Branch | IIT ISM Dhanbad | IIT Kharagpur |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical Engineering | 55 | 115 |
| Civil Engineering | 70 | 119 |
| Computer Science and Engineering | 145 | 140 |
| Electrical Engineering | 130 | 113 |
| Electronics and Communication Engineering | 130 | Not offered |
| Engineering Physics | 32 | Not offered |
| Environmental Engineering | 50 | Not offered |
| Mathematics and Computing | 75 | Not offered |
| Mechanical Engineering | 130 | 172 |
| Geological Engineering | 21 | Not offered |
| Geophysical Technology | 21 | Not offered |
| Mining Engineering | 60 | 113 |
| Mining Machinery Engineering | 56 | Not offered |
| Petroleum Engineering | 90 | Not offered |
| Mineral and Metallurgical Engineering | 45 | Not offered |
| B.Tech Mining Engineering and MBA in Logistic and Supply Chain Management (IIM Mumbai) (5-year Bachelor of Technology and MBA dual degree) | 60 | Not offered |
| Physical Science (5-year Integrated Bachelor of Science-Master of Science) | 20 | Not offered |
| Chemical Science (5-year Integrated Bachelor of Science-Master of Science) | 20 | Not offered |
| Aerospace Engineering | Not offered | 70 |
| Agricultural and Food Engineering | Not offered | 93 |
| Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering | Not offered | 70 |
| 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 |
| 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
6 branches appear at both IIT ISM Dhanbad and IIT Kharagpur. About JoSAA seat numbers →
JoSAA cutoffs: opening and closing ranks
OPEN closing ranks, 2024–2026. Lower is harder.
| Branch | IIT ISM Dhanbad | 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 |
| Applied Geology (5-yr) | 16011 | 17892 | – | – | – | – |
| Applied Geophysics (5-yr) | 15591 | 17507 | – | – | – | – |
| Architecture (5-yr) | – | – | – | 20427 | 19141 | 24582 |
| Artificial Intelligence | – | – | – | 898 | 953 | 1043 |
| B.Tech Mining Engineering and MBA in Logistic and Supply Chain Management (IIM Mumbai) (5-yr) | – | 16770 | 15372 | – | – | – |
| Biomedical Engineering | – | – | – | – | – | 10089 |
| Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering | – | – | – | 7972 | 9224 | 10683 |
| Chemical Engineering | 11398 | 11980 | 13029 | 4848 | 5222 | 5803 |
| Chemical Science (5-yr) | – | 18334 | 18977 | – | – | – |
| Chemistry | – | – | – | 12488 | 12321 | 14760 |
| Civil Engineering | 12996 | 13778 | 15329 | 6992 | 7774 | 8816 |
| Computer Science and Engineering | 3846 | 3585 | 4167 | 415 | 466 | 509 |
| Economics | – | – | – | 5263 | 6063 | 6450 |
| Electrical Engineering | 7567 | 7603 | 8319 | 2016 | 1985 | 2190 |
| Electronics and Communication Engineering | 5982 | 5839 | 5925 | – | – | – |
| Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering | – | – | – | 1448 | 1485 | 1660 |
| Engineering Physics | 10778 | 11711 | 11713 | – | – | – |
| Environmental Engineering | 15291 | 16752 | 17683 | – | – | – |
| Exploration Geophysics | – | – | – | 12413 | 12443 | 14923 |
| Geological Engineering | – | – | 17791 | – | – | – |
| Geophysical Technology | – | – | 17147 | – | – | – |
| 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 | 4956 | 4335 | 4938 | 1329 | 1336 | 1428 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 9875 | 10273 | 11303 | 3613 | 4016 | 4588 |
| Mineral and Metallurgical Engineering | 13599 | 14875 | 15480 | – | – | – |
| Mining Engineering | 14762 | 15455 | 16037 | 10218 | 10765 | 11962 |
| Mining Machinery Engineering | 15321 | 16579 | 16855 | – | – | – |
| Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture | – | – | – | 9098 | 10074 | 11219 |
| Petroleum Engineering | 12310 | 12709 | 13921 | – | – | – |
| Physical Science (5-yr) | – | 18368 | 17355 | – | – | – |
| 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 ISM Dhanbad 4,167 (2026), IIT Kharagpur 509 (2026). How to read cutoffs →
Fees
Fee waiver notes: IIT ISM Dhanbad: SC, ST and PwD: no tuition. Family income below ₹1 lakh: no tuition; ₹1–5 lakh: ₹33,333. JEE (Advanced) CRL rank up to 1000: full tuition waiver for the whole UG programme (conditions apply).. IIT Kharagpur: SC, ST and PwD: no tuition. Family income below ₹1 lakh: no tuition; ₹1–5 lakh: ₹33,333..
Hostel / mess fee: IIT ISM Dhanbad: Mess fee about ₹19,500 per semester, charged on top of the admission amount. IIT Kharagpur: Per semester: hall establishment ₹24,354 + mess ₹14,500 + hostel overhead ₹1,177.
Research, labs and projects
Notable labs / facilities
IIT ISM Dhanbad
- Central Research Facility (CRF)
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 Kharagpur earns the most of the two. Sponsored vs consultancy →
IIT ISM Dhanbad: what these numbers mean
Tuition is ₹1,00,000 a semester. The admission total is ₹1,41,400, and a mess fee of about ₹19,500 is added on top. SC, ST and PwD students pay no tuition. So do families earning under ₹1 lakh, while those earning ₹1–5 lakh pay ₹33,333. A useful extra: students with a JEE (Advanced) CRL rank up to 1000 get full tuition waiver for the whole UG programme, subject to conditions. NIRF 2026 data shows 715 of 910 four-year graduates placed in 2024-25, at a median of ₹15 lakh. Another 160 went for higher studies. Sponsored research was ₹70.05 crore in FY 2024-25. The NIRF list names 508 faculty, and there is a Central Research Facility for instruments. The campus is 393 acres, of which 218 acres are in use.How to choose
- Check your rank against the cutoff table first. CSE OPEN closing ranks: IIT ISM Dhanbad 4,167 (2026), IIT Kharagpur 509 (2026).
- 6 branches appear at both IIT ISM Dhanbad and IIT Kharagpur. Compare the branch you want, not just the name.
- IIT ISM Dhanbad is in Dhanbad, Jharkhand; IIT Kharagpur is in Kharagpur, West Bengal. Think about distance from home.
FAQ
Which is better, IIT ISM Dhanbad or IIT Kharagpur?
Neither is clearly better on paper: IIT ISM Dhanbad ranks 35 and IIT Kharagpur ranks 6 overall (NIRF 2025). Compare the branch you can get.
Is the B.Tech fee the same at IIT ISM Dhanbad and IIT Kharagpur?
Yes: ₹1,00,000 tuition per semester at both.
Which has better placements, IIT ISM Dhanbad or IIT Kharagpur?
By median pay, IIT Kharagpur leads (₹19.76 lakh against ₹15 lakh).
How many CSE seats do IIT ISM Dhanbad and IIT Kharagpur have?
IIT ISM Dhanbad: 145. IIT Kharagpur: 140.
Which does more research, IIT ISM Dhanbad or IIT Kharagpur?
IIT Kharagpur, by sponsored research money: ₹162.10 crore vs ₹70.05 crore.
Sources
- josaa.admissions.nic.in › InstProfile
- iitism.ac.in
- nirfindia.org › OverallRanking
- nirfindia.org › EngineeringRanking
- iitism.ac.in › submitted-data-overall-nirf-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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