Top Engineering Colleges in India

All students who are fascinated and amused by the science involved in an engineering degree believe strongly that engineering, indeed, can change the functioning of the world. Engineering students not only study and analyse the world but also hold a central position which has the power to bring about the much-needed evolution. James Kip Finch, an American educator and engineer, has opined that engineers are, have always been and will always be makers of a new history. The study of engineering involves myriad things like - implementing scientific theories practically, using new technological innovations and doing mathematical calculations to design and realistically create machines or structures or system software (and its processes) that have the potential to make engineering the generally desired degree among all science nerds. 

There are about a hundred amazing specialisations that engineering students can select and opt for while making their way through a B.Tech. degree. Apparently, India constructively produces more than a few thousands of engineers every year. With the increase in the number of students aspiring to be engineers, there is an equal rise in the number of engineering colleges. However, it will not be far-flung to mention that there are only a handful of top engineering colleges in India among all the colleges getting established just to provide seats for the rampant rise in aspirants of engineering. 

In the journey of realising which engineering college and which engineering stream would fit you in the best possible way, there will be confusion and chaos. However, we are here to resolve your dilemma by providing you with all the necessary and basic information in a single place. 

Top Engineering Colleges in India (based on NIRF ranking) 

The National Institutional Ranking Framework’s ranking of top engineering colleges in India is released every year by MHRD (Ministry of Human Resource Development). From IITs to the private engineering colleges, the ranking covers all types of engineering educational institutions. The core committee of MHRD elects an ‘Expert Committee’ who thereby prepares the ranking list of institutes from various streams. The parameters that are the determining factors for the ranking are - learning environment, the profile of the faculty, terms and conditions for economically disadvantaged candidates and several others.

Top Engineering Colleges in India (based on Careers360 ranking) 

The sole aim and intention of Careers360 are to find the best colleges in different domains so that the applicants can scour through the options available. This also helps students to find out whether they will be able to adapt into the ecosystem prevailing in the colleges, for example - if the average fees are affordable or not, if the placement after graduation is well-fitting or not. The colleges are divided into clusters based on the data collected by Careers360.

In the academic arena of the nation, engineering has been the most progressive one of all others. There are around 3000-3500 institutes offering B.Tech. or its equivalent degrees. Among all those colleges, this list contains the top 10 according to Careers360. 

Top Engineering Colleges in India

Top Engineering Colleges in India Placement-wise 

Other than splendid and intellectual faculty, one factor that determines whether the college is good or not is the placement performance of the college. Having an engineering degree is not the end of the road; the main objective is to get a stellar placement for all the hard work you put in during those years of B.Tech. and M.Tech. degrees. The placement record of the college must be consistent. Make sure you do not end up choosing a college whose placement rates fluctuate more than high tides and low tides. To deal with all confusion and distortion of the idea of best engineering college for you, we have tabulated top engineering colleges on the basis of placement facility - 

Top Engineering Colleges in India Region-wise

When the country’s five year plan was going on for the second time, a variety of projects were launched based on a variety of industries. Soon, it came to the conclusion that there is a much-needed demand for trained engineers to deal with the workload of those industrial projects. Hence, regional engineering colleges came into existence. It was proclaimed that every state would have its own engineering college. Despite the decision to just build one engineering institution per region, the numbers started increasing. All the regional engineering colleges are not renowned or have the fundamentally necessary equipment or facility. So, we are going to provide you with a list of top engineering colleges in the four regions/zones of India - North India, South India, West India, and East India.

Top Engineering Colleges in North India

Top Engineering Colleges in South India

Top Engineering Colleges in East India

Top Engineering Colleges in West India

Top Engineering Colleges in India - JEE Mains Cut-off

Candidates get a vague notion of whether they will get admission into the top-tier IITs in India when the results of Joint Entrance Exam Mains comes out. Among all those students who sit for this exam with high aspirations, only about 2 Lakh students qualify for JEE Advanced exam. The factors that determine the JEE Mains cut-off are as follows -

The number of students or aspirants trying their luck at this exam

A sum-up of available seats for students

The level of toughness of the exam of the year in the concern

Amount of application forms submitted for a particular stream of engineering

Category matters too (General/OBC/SC/ST)

We have listed top engineering colleges (NITs) which offer the best CSE and ME programs based on JEE Mains qualifying cut-off list - 

Similarly, there are other colleges which accept JEE scores for admission into various other streams of engineering like - civil engineering, chemical engineering, petroleum engineering, aerospace engineering, and so many more. 

Top Engineering Colleges Fees-wise 

Not every applicant for an engineering degree can afford to educate himself in private engineering colleges. Considering the affordability of education, there are certain public colleges that are renowned for offering the best possible engineering degree in lesser annual fees compared to private colleges. Among all the colleges available, there are 90 private colleges and 90 public colleges of engineering while the remaining ones are public-private engineering institutes. Here, we have listed down top engineering colleges based on fees so that you get a fair idea of which college will fit into your financial status. 

Admission Process for Engineering Colleges in India 

Admission in engineering courses can be taken at various levels of education, like - under-graduation, post-graduation, diploma level and even Ph.D. For selection in any of the available engineering education levels, there are certain eligibility criteria that the candidates must fulfil. 

The admission process for UG degree in engineering has the following conditions -

To get admitted in BE or B.Tech degree at any college, reputed or not, candidates must have completed their 10+2 exams in science stream with the three mandatory subjects - Physics, Maths and Chemistry. Also, another term is that the candidate must have obtained a minimum aggregate of 60 percent in the exams.

The admission process for PG degree in engineering has the following terms and conditions -

To get admitted in the next strata of education after UG degree, that is, in ME or M.Tech course, the condition is that students must have finished or passed their B.Tech exams and have secured a valid score in the GATE entrance exam.

The admission process for UG Diploma in engineering has the conditions -

Applicants need to have finished their class 10 board exams with a minimum of 35 percent in two subjects - science and maths.

The admission process for PG Diploma in engineering has these conditions -

There are only a handful of institutes that offer PG Diploma degree, and IIT Gandhinagar is one of them. The eligibility criteria for admission is similar to that of M.Tech. 

The admission process for a PhD in engineering has the following conditions -

The prerequisite is that all candidates appearing for PhD must have done their B.Tech. and M.Tech. in a relevant field by securing a minimum of 55 percent aggregate score.

Most popular Engineering Streams

Among the 100 of specialisation streams available in engineering, let us choose three and find out the top five colleges in each of those streams. The list is given below -

Aerospace Engineering: - One of the most sought-after streams in engineering is Aerospace Engineering. Now, the top 5 colleges in India which offer this course with an impeccable standard of imparting of education are -

1.  IIT Madras - NIRF Ranking is 1

2. IIT Bombay - NIRF Ranking is 3

3. IIT Kharagpur - NIRF Ranking is 5

4. IIEST Shibpur - NIRF Ranking is 21

5. Amity University, Noida - NIRF Ranking is 32

Marine Engineering: - Another well-known stream in engineering is Marine Engineering. Now, the top 5 colleges in India which offer this course with amazing faculty are -

1.  Indian Maritime University, Chennai

2. Vels Academy of Maritime Studies, Chennai

3. Tolani Maritime Institute, Mumbai

4. Maharashtra Academy of Naval Education and Training, Pune

5. International Maritime Institute, Noida

Petroleum Engineering: - One of the most business and global economy-oriented engineering streams is Petroleum Engineering. Now, the top 5 colleges which offer this course are -

1.  Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai

2. Indian School of Mines University, Dhanbad

3. University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun

4. Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Gandhinagar

5. Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Pune 

How to select the best engineering college in India? 

There is no ‘perfect’ engineering college universally for all students, but there are engineering colleges that are ‘perfect’ for you, if not for anybody else. We are going to provide you with some guidelines that will help you narrow down your choices and ultimately pick the most feasible one for you. 

·  It is mandatory that you select a specialisation stream that you are passionate about. Doing this will help you feel motivated to work hard for getting the degree. Also, choosing a specific stream will help you narrow down the number of engineering colleges that offer this stream in the best possible way.

·  Make a rough draft of the criteria that need to be met before you take admission in the college. The criteria are -

1. Is your choice of degree available?

2. Is the location going to work for me?

3. What is the distance of the college from my home?

4. Is it a government college or a private college?

5. Can I afford the tuition cost?

6. Is there any financial aid available for students with an economically disadvantaged background like me?

7.  How are the placements like?

8. What kind of exposure to internships will I get?

9. Does it have a diverse student body?

10. Are the faculty and facilities suitable for me? 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 1. Will it be possible to pursue a B.Tech degree and Diploma degree simultaneously?

It is only possible to do this if you do a regular in-college B.Tech course and you do Diploma through a distance course or a certificate course. However, managing both the degrees at the same time might be exhausting. It all depends on the time management capabilities of the individual.

2. What are the top 3 fields of specialisations that can be pursued after the completion of B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering?

The leading specialisations available for candidates pursuing B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering are Nanotechnology, Mechanics and Mechatronics plus Robotics. 

3. What should be done after finishing B.Tech?

After B.Tech, there are a few options that can be pursued. For example - ME or M.Tech can be done. Then, if you want to get a job in the management sector, then you can do an MBA. Another option is that you do a few internships in both public and private domains so that you can decide which career path works the best for you – technical line or management line. 

4. Which is one of the top engineering colleges in India?

IITs have the reputation of being the leading engineering educational institutions of India. As such, the most prominent engineering college in India is IIT Madras, according to different rankings.

 5. What are the top 3 job prospects for engineering students?

Three of the most popular career prospects for engineering students are software engineer, mechanical engineer and design engineer.

6. Mention some of the popular engineering entrance exams that candidates can apply for.

Some of the most popular engineering entrance exams in India are JEE Mains and Advanced, WBJEE, MHT CET, GUJCET and so many more.

7. How much course fee on an average needs to be paid while doing engineering in India?

It has been found out that nearly 60 percent of engineering colleges charge an annual course fee of 5 lakh and above. The exact fees will vary according to the college with government colleges charging much lower fees as compared to private engineering colleges.  

8. Mention 5 of the most desired specialisation in the engineering department.

Some of the most popular specialisations in engineering are Aeronautical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering and Biotechnology Engineering.

9. Is there any NRI quota in Pune Institute of Computer Technology?

No, there is no NRI quota available in PICT.

10. Mention 5 short-term courses that can be pursued after B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering.

Engineering students can pursue the following short-term courses for improving their career prospects, i.e. Diploma in VLSI Design, Telecom Protocol Development, Diploma in Embedded Systems Design, Communication Engineering and Diploma in Wireless Technology.