IIT vs NIT vs IIIT — A Data-Driven Guide for JEE Aspirants

You’ve written JEE. Your rank is in. Now comes the JOSAA counselling marathon — seven rounds of “should I take this seat or gamble on a better one?” To make that decision well, you need facts, not feelings.

Understanding the Three Systems

The IIT System (23 institutes)

Originally 5 colleges established between 1951-1963, now expanded to 23. The older IITs (Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Kanpur, Kharagpur) are in a class of their own — globally ranked, exceptional alumni networks, and research output that competes with international universities.

The newer IITs (established 2008-2016 — Hyderabad, Indore, Ropar, Patna, Bhubaneswar, Gandhinagar, Jodhpur, Roorkee was actually older, Varanasi/BHU, Tirupati, Palakkad, Dharwad, Bhilai, Goa, Jammu) vary significantly. Some have matured quickly (IIT Hyderabad, IIT Indore) while others are still building infrastructure and faculty.

Admission: JEE Advanced only. Top ~2.5% of JEE Main qualifiers sit for Advanced, and roughly 50% of those get a seat somewhere.

Fees: ₹2–2.5L per year. Fee waivers available for family income below ₹5L.

The NIT System (31 institutes)

National Institutes of Technology spread across every large state. The top NITs (Trichy, Warangal, Surathkal, Allahabad, Rourkela, Calicut, Nagpur) have excellent reputations and placement records that rival several newer IITs.

NIT Trichy CSE students regularly receive offers of ₹15–30 LPA. NIT Warangal has strong recruiter relationships with companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft.

Admission: JEE Main score. 50% of seats are Home State Quota — a massive advantage if your NIT of interest is in your state.

Fees: ₹1.5–3L per year. Slightly cheaper than IITs in most cases.

The IIIT System (25 institutes, varying types)

Indian Institutes of Information Technology — primarily IT/CS-focused. The standout is IIIT Hyderabad, arguably the best undergraduate CS program in India (yes, including IITs). IIIT Allahabad, IIIT Delhi, and IIIT Bangalore are also excellent.

Many IIITs operate on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, which means higher fees but industry-integrated curriculum.

Admission: JEE Main score (most IIITs). IIIT Hyderabad has its own entrance (UGEE).

Fees: ₹2–4L per year (PPP model IIITs can be higher).

Placement Data That Actually Matters

Forget “highest package” numbers. A single ₹2 crore international offer skews everything. Look at median salary — the amount the average student from that college earns.

College Tier	Median Package (CSE)	Median Package (Non-CSE)
Old IITs (Top 5)	₹20–30 LPA	₹12–18 LPA
Other Old IITs + IIT Roorkee, BHU	₹16–22 LPA	₹10–14 LPA
New IITs (established post-2008)	₹12–18 LPA	₹7–12 LPA
Top 5 NITs (Trichy, Warangal, Surathkal, etc.)	₹14–22 LPA	₹8–14 LPA
Other NITs (mid-tier)	₹8–14 LPA	₹5–9 LPA
IIIT Hyderabad	₹22–30 LPA	N/A (mostly CS)
Top IIITs (Allahabad, Delhi, Bangalore)	₹14–22 LPA	N/A
Other IIITs	₹8–14 LPA	₹5–8 LPA

These are approximate figures based on publicly available information and student reports. Actual numbers vary by year.

The takeaway: top NITs and top IIITs compete directly with newer IITs on placements. The gap only widens significantly when comparing against old IITs.

The Branch vs College Question

This deserves its own decision framework:

CSE at a top NIT vs a lower branch at a mid IIT — CSE at the NIT wins for career prospects. Companies hiring software engineers want CS/IT students. A mechanical engineering graduate from IIT Goa may have the IIT brand, but companies won’t shortlist them for SDE roles the way they’ll shortlist CSE students from NIT Trichy.

CSE at a top IIIT vs a mid branch at a new IIT — Similar logic. If your goal is a tech career, CSE at IIIT Hyderabad is better than most branches at most IITs.

Core branch at an old IIT vs CSE at a mid NIT — This is where it gets interesting. Old IIT brand opens doors beyond placements — research opportunities, international grad school, consulting, civil services. If you’re open to non-tech careers, the old IIT core branch has unique value.

Rule of thumb: If your career goal is clear (software engineering), optimize for branch. If your career goal is uncertain, optimize for college brand — the stronger the college, the more doors it opens for exploration.

Research and Higher Education

If you’re considering an academic career or want to do an MS/PhD from a top international university, the hierarchy matters differently:

Old IITs → Best research infrastructure, most internationally connected faculty, strong recommendation letters. IIT Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Kanpur, Kharagpur graduates are well-known at MIT, Stanford, CMU, and other top programs.

IIIT Hyderabad → Exceptional for CS research specifically. Faculty publish in top venues. Strong connections with research labs globally.

Top NITs → Good for MTech options. For international PhD applications, the brand is known but not as strong as IIT.

Newer IITs / Other IIITs → Growing research profiles. Will take another decade to build international recognition comparable to old IITs.

Campus Life Beyond Academics

This matters more than you think for a four-year experience.

Old IITs have massive campuses, decades of cultural traditions, well-funded student clubs (from robotics to theater to entrepreneurship cells), alumni events, and a social ecosystem that shapes your personality as much as your academics.

NITs have active cultural and technical festivals (NIT Trichy’s Pragyan and Festember, NIT Warangal’s Technozion, NIT Surathkal’s Engineer). Campus communities are strong, and regional culture adds flavor.

IIITs are generally smaller campuses with less extracurricular depth (exceptions exist — IIIT Hyderabad has a thriving research and club culture). If you want the traditional “college experience” with fests, sports, and 300-person hostels, IIITs may feel limited.

How to Actually Make the Decision

At the JOSAA counselling table, you’ll have a rank and a list of possible seats. Sort your preferences this way:

1. CSE/IT at any old IIT (if your rank allows) — the combination of brand + branch is unbeatable
2. CSE at IIIT Hyderabad or top IIIT (Allahabad, Delhi) — tech career equivalent to IIT CSE
3. CSE at a top 5 NIT (Trichy, Warangal, Surathkal, Allahabad, Calicut) — excellent placements, proven track record
4. Any branch at a top 5 old IIT (only if you’re genuinely open to non-tech careers or plan to branch-change)
5. CSE/IT at newer IITs or mid-tier NITs — solid options
6. Non-CSE at newer IITs — IIT brand helps but placement ceiling is lower for non-CS branches at new campuses

Don’t freeze over this decision. Any of these options puts you in the top 2-3% of Indian engineering graduates. What you do with the four years matters vastly more than the logo on your degree.