IIT ISM Dhanbad vs IIT Madras: Courses, Seats, Cutoffs, Fees, Placements and Research (2026)
IIT Madras leads on sponsored research by 1511% (₹1,128.82 crore vs ₹70.05 crore, FY 2024-25). IIT Madras earned 43.0 times as much from consultancy (₹460.28 crore vs ₹10.71 crore, FY 2024-25). IIT Madras has 42% more faculty (720 vs 508, NIRF 2026).
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 Madras | Source (year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Established (year) | 1926 | 1959 | JoSAA 2026 institute profile |
| Location (city, state) | Dhanbad, Jharkhand | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | JoSAA 2026 institute profile josaa.admissions.nic.in |
| Campus area | 393 acres (218 existing, 175 under acquisition) | 650 acres | JoSAA 2026 institute profile |
| Official website | iitism.ac.in | iitm.ac.in | iitism.ac.in |
| NIRF Overall rank | 35 | 1 | NIRF 2025 |
| NIRF Engineering rank | 15 | 1 | NIRF 2025 |
| B.Tech tuition per semester | ₹1,00,000 | ₹1,00,000 | 2026-27 |
| First-semester academic fees | ₹1,41,400 | ₹1,41,402 | 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: full tuition remission; ₹1–5 lakh: two-thirds remission (first-semester total ₹74,735). | 2026-27 |
| Hostel / mess fee | Mess fee about ₹19,500 per semester, charged on top of the admission amount | Seat rent ₹7,500 per semester; hostel fee circular at fees.iitm.ac.in; advance mess charges depend on the mess tender | 2026-27 |
| Total JoSAA seats | 1,210 | 1,118 | JoSAA 2026 |
| UG 4-year median salary | ₹15 lakh | ₹17.78 lakh | 2024-25 |
| UG 4-year placed / graduated | 715 placed of 910 graduates | 631 placed of 781 graduates | 2024-25 |
| UG 5-year (dual) median salary | Not published | ₹22 lakh | 2024-25 |
| PG 2-year median salary | ₹8.39 lakh | ₹15 lakh | 2024-25 |
| PG 2-year placed | 367 | 644 | 2024-25 |
| UG 4-year went for higher studies | 160 | 147 | 2024-25 |
| Total UG 4-year students | Not published | 3,733 | 2024-25 |
| Faculty count | 508 | 720 | NIRF 2026 |
| Full-time PhD students | 1,169 | 2,399 | 2024-25 |
| Full-time PhDs graduated | Not published | 485 | 2024-25 |
| Sponsored research received | ₹70.05 crore | ₹1,128.82 crore | FY 2024-25 |
| Consultancy received | ₹10.71 crore | ₹460.28 crore | FY 2024-25 |
How IIT ISM Dhanbad and IIT Madras differ
- IIT Madras leads on sponsored research by 1511% (₹1,128.82 crore vs ₹70.05 crore, FY 2024-25).
- IIT Madras earned 43.0 times as much from consultancy (₹460.28 crore vs ₹10.71 crore, FY 2024-25).
- IIT Madras has 42% more faculty (720 vs 508, NIRF 2026).
- IIT Madras enrols 2.1 times as much PhD scholars (2,399 vs 1,169, 2024-25).
- IIT ISM Dhanbad admits 8% more students through JoSAA (1,210 vs 1,118, JoSAA 2026).
- IIT Madras reported a ₹2.78 lakh higher 4-year UG median salary (₹17.78 lakh vs ₹15 lakh).
- Tuition is identical at ₹1,00,000 a semester.
- IIT Madras ranks higher in NIRF 2025 Overall (1 vs 35).
- IIT Madras ranks higher in NIRF 2025 Engineering (1 vs 15).
- IIT ISM Dhanbad has more 4-year B.Tech CSE seats (145 vs 87).
- Only IIT ISM Dhanbad offers Electronics and Communication Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mathematics and Computing, Geological Engineering among these two.
- Only IIT Madras offers Aerospace Engineering, Biological Engineering, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics 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 Madras
- B.Tech, B.S. and 5-year dual degree
- B.S. Medical Sciences and Engineering, B.S. Chemistry
- M.Sc, M.Tech, MBA, EMBA, M.A.
- MS (Research) and PhD
- Online B.S. in Data Science and Applications, B.S. in Electronic Systems
Seats per branch
| Branch | IIT ISM Dhanbad | IIT Madras |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical Engineering | 55 | 104 |
| Civil Engineering | 70 | 111 |
| Computer Science and Engineering | 145 | 87 |
| Electrical Engineering | 130 | 154 |
| Electronics and Communication Engineering | 130 | Not offered |
| Engineering Physics | 32 | 42 |
| Environmental Engineering | 50 | Not offered |
| Mathematics and Computing | 75 | Not offered |
| Mechanical Engineering | 130 | 144 |
| Geological Engineering | 21 | Not offered |
| Geophysical Technology | 21 | Not offered |
| Mining Engineering | 60 | Not offered |
| 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 | 54 |
| Biological Engineering | Not offered | 30 |
| Metallurgical and Materials Engineering | Not offered | 54 |
| Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics | Not offered | 50 |
| Computational Engineering and Mechanics | Not offered | 40 |
| Instrumentation and Biomedical Engineering | Not offered | 40 |
| Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering | Not offered | 73 |
| B.S. Physics | Not offered | 12 |
| B.S. Mathematics | Not offered | 20 |
| B.S. Biological Science | Not offered | 30 |
| Aerospace Engineering, 5-year dual degree | Not offered | 9 |
| Engineering Design, 5-year dual degree | Not offered | 64 |
Source: JoSAA 2026 · JoSAA 2026
6 branches appear at both IIT ISM Dhanbad and IIT Madras. What seat counts tell you →
JoSAA cutoffs: opening and closing ranks
OPEN closing ranks, 2024–2026. Lower is harder.
| Branch | IIT ISM Dhanbad | IIT Madras | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
| Aerospace Engineering | – | – | – | 2815 | 3211 | 3278 |
| Aerospace Engineering (5-yr) | – | – | – | 2984 | 2808 | 3389 |
| Applied Geology (5-yr) | 16011 | 17892 | – | – | – | – |
| Applied Geophysics (5-yr) | 15591 | 17507 | – | – | – | – |
| Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics | – | – | – | 419 | 306 | 226 |
| B.Tech Mining Engineering and MBA in Logistic and Supply Chain Management (IIM Mumbai) (5-yr) | – | 16770 | 15372 | – | – | – |
| Biological Engineering | – | – | – | 5755 | 5261 | 6440 |
| Biological Science | – | – | – | 10682 | 10290 | 12204 |
| BS in Mathematics | – | – | – | – | – | 1804 |
| Chemical Engineering | 11398 | 11980 | 13029 | 3972 | 4116 | 4162 |
| Chemical Science (5-yr) | – | 18334 | 18977 | – | – | – |
| Civil Engineering | 12996 | 13778 | 15329 | 5688 | 6112 | 6225 |
| Computational Engineering and Mechanics | – | – | – | – | 1309 | 1314 |
| Computer Science and Engineering | 3846 | 3585 | 4167 | 159 | 171 | 151 |
| Electrical Engineering | 7567 | 7603 | 8319 | 838 | 849 | 749 |
| Electronics and Communication Engineering | 5982 | 5839 | 5925 | – | – | – |
| Engineering Design (5-yr) | – | – | – | 3656 | 3380 | 3093 |
| Engineering Physics | 10778 | 11711 | 11713 | 1858 | 1441 | 1316 |
| Environmental Engineering | 15291 | 16752 | 17683 | – | – | – |
| Geological Engineering | – | – | 17791 | – | – | – |
| Geophysical Technology | – | – | 17147 | – | – | – |
| Instrumentation and Biomedical Engineering | – | – | – | – | 4366 | 4011 |
| Metallurgical and Materials Engineering | – | – | – | 4748 | 5499 | 5398 |
| Mathematics and Computing | 4956 | 4335 | 4938 | – | – | – |
| Mechanical Engineering | 9875 | 10273 | 11303 | 2310 | 2468 | 2619 |
| Mineral and Metallurgical Engineering | 13599 | 14875 | 15480 | – | – | – |
| Mining Engineering | 14762 | 15455 | 16037 | – | – | – |
| Mining Machinery Engineering | 15321 | 16579 | 16855 | – | – | – |
| Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering | – | – | – | 7404 | 7433 | 8354 |
| Petroleum Engineering | 12310 | 12709 | 13921 | – | – | – |
| Physical Science (5-yr) | – | 18368 | 17355 | – | – | – |
| Physics | – | – | – | – | 3804 | 3918 |
| Physics (5-yr) | – | – | – | 2742 | – | – |
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 Madras 151 (2026). What a closing rank means →
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 Madras: SC, ST and PwD: no tuition. Family income below ₹1 lakh: full tuition remission; ₹1–5 lakh: two-thirds remission (first-semester total ₹74,735)..
Hostel / mess fee: IIT ISM Dhanbad: Mess fee about ₹19,500 per semester, charged on top of the admission amount. IIT Madras: Seat rent ₹7,500 per semester; hostel fee circular at fees.iitm.ac.in; advance mess charges depend on the mess tender.
The first-semester bill is higher at IIT Madras than at IIT ISM Dhanbad by ₹2. Understanding the fee bill →
Research, labs and projects
Notable labs / facilities
IIT ISM Dhanbad
- Central Research Facility (CRF)
josaa.admissions.nic.in (JoSAA 2026 institute profile)
IIT Madras
- Sophisticated Analytical Instruments Facility (SAIF)
- Material Science Research Centre (MSRC)
- Central Electronics Centre (CEC)
- AQUA high-performance computing cluster (11,680 cores, 30 GPUs)
josaa.admissions.nic.in (JoSAA 2026 institute profile)
For industry consultancy, IIT Madras earns the most of the two. Why research funding matters →
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 Madras 151 (2026).
- 6 branches appear at both IIT ISM Dhanbad and IIT Madras. Compare the branch you want, not just the name.
- The first-semester bill is higher at IIT Madras than at IIT ISM Dhanbad by ₹2. Understanding the fee bill →
- IIT ISM Dhanbad is in Dhanbad, Jharkhand; IIT Madras is in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Think about distance from home.
FAQ
Which is better, IIT ISM Dhanbad or IIT Madras?
Neither is clearly better on paper: IIT ISM Dhanbad ranks 35 and IIT Madras ranks 1 overall (NIRF 2025). Compare the branch you can get.
Is the B.Tech fee the same at IIT ISM Dhanbad and IIT Madras?
Yes: ₹1,00,000 tuition per semester at both.
Which has better placements, IIT ISM Dhanbad or IIT Madras?
By median pay, IIT Madras leads (₹17.78 lakh against ₹15 lakh).
How many CSE seats do IIT ISM Dhanbad and IIT Madras have?
IIT ISM Dhanbad: 145. IIT Madras: 87.
Which does more research, IIT ISM Dhanbad or IIT Madras?
IIT Madras, by sponsored research money: ₹1,128.82 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
- iitm.ac.in
- iitm.ac.in › NIRF_Overall_2026.pdf
- josaa.admissions.nic.in › openingclosingrankarchieve
- josaa.admissions.nic.in › CurrentORCR
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