IIT Madras vs IIT Tirupati: Courses, Seats, Cutoffs, Fees, Placements and Research (2026)
IIT Madras leads on sponsored research by 6361% (₹1,128.82 crore vs ₹17.47 crore, FY 2024-25). IIT Madras earned 97.3 times as much from consultancy (₹460.28 crore vs ₹4.73 crore, FY 2024-25). IIT Madras has 4.9 times as much faculty (720 vs 146, NIRF 2026).
Last updated: 14 Oct 2026.
Who should pick which (our analysis)
IIT Tirupati
Our analysis: IIT Tirupati suits you if you want a small, core-engineering IIT in south India. Its six branches are Chemical, Civil, CSE, Electrical, Engineering Physics and Mechanical. Electrical has the most seats (60), and Engineering Physics has just 10.At a glance
Swipe sideways. The first column stays put.
| Point | IIT Madras | IIT Tirupati | Source (year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Established (year) | 1959 | 2015 | JoSAA 2026 institute profile official website |
| Location (city, state) | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh | josaa.admissions.nic.in JoSAA 2026 institute profile |
| Campus area | 650 acres | 548 acres | JoSAA 2026 institute profile |
| Official website | iitm.ac.in | iittp.ac.in | iitm.ac.in |
| NIRF Overall rank | 1 | Not published | NIRF 2025 |
| NIRF Engineering rank | 1 | 57 | NIRF 2025 |
| B.Tech tuition per semester | ₹1,00,000 | ₹1,00,000 | 2026-27 |
| First-semester academic fees | ₹1,41,402 | Not published | 2026-27 |
| Fee waiver notes | 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). | SC, ST and PwD: no tuition. GEN/OBC-NCL/EWS with income below ₹1 lakh: no tuition; ₹1–5 lakh: ₹33,334 per semester. | 2026-27 |
| Hostel / mess fee | Seat rent ₹7,500 per semester; hostel fee circular at fees.iitm.ac.in; advance mess charges depend on the mess tender | Per semester: hostel seat rent ₹7,000; advanced dining charges ₹19,840 | 2026-27 |
| Total JoSAA seats | 1,118 | 254 | JoSAA 2026 |
| UG 4-year median salary | ₹17.78 lakh | ₹15 lakh | 2024-25 |
| UG 4-year placed / graduated | 631 placed of 781 graduates | 128 placed of 222 graduates | 2024-25 |
| UG 5-year (dual) median salary | ₹22 lakh | Not published | 2024-25 |
| PG 2-year median salary | ₹15 lakh | ₹9 lakh | 2024-25 |
| PG 2-year placed | 644 | 118 | 2024-25 |
| UG 4-year went for higher studies | 147 | 69 | 2024-25 |
| Total UG 4-year students | 3,733 | Not published | 2024-25 |
| Faculty count | 720 | 146 | NIRF 2026 |
| Full-time PhD students | 2,399 | 303 | 2024-25 |
| Full-time PhDs graduated | 485 | Not published | 2024-25 |
| Sponsored research received | ₹1,128.82 crore | ₹17.47 crore | FY 2024-25 |
| Consultancy received | ₹460.28 crore | ₹4.73 crore | FY 2024-25 |
How IIT Madras and IIT Tirupati differ
- IIT Madras leads on sponsored research by 6361% (₹1,128.82 crore vs ₹17.47 crore, FY 2024-25).
- IIT Madras earned 97.3 times as much from consultancy (₹460.28 crore vs ₹4.73 crore, FY 2024-25).
- IIT Madras has 4.9 times as much faculty (720 vs 146, NIRF 2026).
- IIT Madras enrols 7.9 times as much PhD scholars (2,399 vs 303, 2024-25).
- IIT Madras admits 4.4 times as much students through JoSAA (1,118 vs 254, 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 Engineering (1 vs 57).
- IIT Madras has more 4-year B.Tech CSE seats (87 vs 53).
- 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 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
IIT Tirupati
- B.Tech (4 years)
Seats per branch
| Branch | IIT Madras | IIT Tirupati |
|---|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineering | 54 | Not offered |
| Chemical Engineering | 104 | 39 |
| Civil Engineering | 111 | 39 |
| Computer Science and Engineering | 87 | 53 |
| Electrical Engineering | 154 | 60 |
| Engineering Physics | 42 | 10 |
| Biological Engineering | 30 | Not offered |
| Mechanical Engineering | 144 | 53 |
| Metallurgical and Materials Engineering | 54 | Not offered |
| Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics | 50 | Not offered |
| Computational Engineering and Mechanics | 40 | Not offered |
| Instrumentation and Biomedical Engineering | 40 | Not offered |
| Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering | 73 | Not offered |
| B.S. Physics | 12 | Not offered |
| B.S. Mathematics | 20 | Not offered |
| B.S. Biological Science | 30 | Not offered |
| Aerospace Engineering, 5-year dual degree | 9 | Not offered |
| Engineering Design, 5-year dual degree | 64 | Not offered |
Source: JoSAA 2026 · JoSAA 2026
6 branches appear at both IIT Madras and IIT Tirupati. About JoSAA seat numbers →
JoSAA cutoffs: opening and closing ranks
OPEN closing ranks, 2024–2026. Lower is harder.
| Branch | IIT Madras | IIT Tirupati | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
| Aerospace Engineering | 2815 | 3211 | 3278 | – | – | – |
| Aerospace Engineering (5-yr) | 2984 | 2808 | 3389 | – | – | – |
| Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics | 419 | 306 | 226 | – | – | – |
| Biological Engineering | 5755 | 5261 | 6440 | – | – | – |
| Biological Science | 10682 | 10290 | 12204 | – | – | – |
| BS in Mathematics | – | – | 1804 | – | – | – |
| Chemical Engineering | 3972 | 4116 | 4162 | 14341 | 15636 | 15969 |
| Civil Engineering | 5688 | 6112 | 6225 | 15429 | 16548 | 17682 |
| Computational Engineering and Mechanics | – | 1309 | 1314 | – | – | – |
| Computer Science and Engineering | 159 | 171 | 151 | 5024 | 5034 | 6030 |
| Electrical Engineering | 838 | 849 | 749 | 8816 | 9468 | 9677 |
| Engineering Design (5-yr) | 3656 | 3380 | 3093 | – | – | – |
| Engineering Physics | 1858 | 1441 | 1316 | 12605 | 12915 | 13132 |
| Instrumentation and Biomedical Engineering | – | 4366 | 4011 | – | – | – |
| Metallurgical and Materials Engineering | 4748 | 5499 | 5398 | – | – | – |
| Mechanical Engineering | 2310 | 2468 | 2619 | 11509 | 12143 | 12618 |
| Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering | 7404 | 7433 | 8354 | – | – | – |
| 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 Madras 151 (2026), IIT Tirupati 6,030 (2026). How to read cutoffs →
Fees
Fee waiver notes: 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).. IIT Tirupati: SC, ST and PwD: no tuition. GEN/OBC-NCL/EWS with income below ₹1 lakh: no tuition; ₹1–5 lakh: ₹33,334 per semester..
Hostel / mess fee: IIT Madras: Seat rent ₹7,500 per semester; hostel fee circular at fees.iitm.ac.in; advance mess charges depend on the mess tender. IIT Tirupati: Per semester: hostel seat rent ₹7,000; advanced dining charges ₹19,840.
Research, labs and projects
Notable labs / facilities
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)
IIT Tirupati
- Centre of Excellence in Smart Manufacturing & Electric Vehicle Technologies (with Wipro and Siemens)
josaa.admissions.nic.in (JoSAA 2026 institute profile)
For industry consultancy, IIT Madras earns the most of the two. Sponsored vs consultancy →
IIT Tirupati: what these numbers mean
Tuition is ₹1,00,000 a semester if your family earns above ₹5 lakh. It is ₹33,334 between ₹1 lakh and ₹5 lakh, and nil below ₹1 lakh or for SC, ST and PwD students. Hostel seat rent is ₹7,000 and advanced dining charges of ₹19,840 per semester. NIRF 2026 data shows 128 of 222 four-year graduates placed in 2024-25, at a median of ₹15 lakh. 69 more went for higher studies, a high share. So many students here choose research or a master's after B.Tech. Sponsored research was ₹17.47 crore in FY 2024-25. In 2024, the institute set up a Centre of Excellence in Smart Manufacturing and Electric Vehicle Technologies with Wipro and Siemens. That is useful if you like EVs or manufacturing.How to choose
- Check your rank against the cutoff table first. CSE OPEN closing ranks: IIT Madras 151 (2026), IIT Tirupati 6,030 (2026).
- 6 branches appear at both IIT Madras and IIT Tirupati. Compare the branch you want, not just the name.
- IIT Madras is in Chennai, Tamil Nadu; IIT Tirupati is in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Think about distance from home.
FAQ
Is the B.Tech fee the same at IIT Madras and IIT Tirupati?
Both charge ₹1,00,000 per semester.
Which has better placements, IIT Madras or IIT Tirupati?
IIT Madras has the higher UG median: ₹17.78 lakh vs ₹15 lakh (NIRF).
How many CSE seats do IIT Madras and IIT Tirupati have?
IIT Madras: 87. IIT Tirupati: 53.
Which does more research, IIT Madras or IIT Tirupati?
Sponsored research: IIT Madras ₹1,128.82 crore, IIT Tirupati ₹17.47 crore.
Sources
- josaa.admissions.nic.in › InstProfile
- iitm.ac.in
- nirfindia.org › OverallRanking
- nirfindia.org › EngineeringRanking
- iitm.ac.in › NIRF_Overall_2026.pdf
- iittp.ac.in › aboutus
- josaa.admissions.nic.in › InstProfile
- iittp.ac.in
- files.iittp.ac.in › NIRF_Overall_2026.pdf
- josaa.admissions.nic.in › openingclosingrankarchieve
- josaa.admissions.nic.in › CurrentORCR
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