NITs sit between IITs and BITS/private colleges in both selectivity and output. For students ranked 5,000-30,000 in JEE Main, NITs often offer the best balance of cost (~₹1.5L/yr), placements, and brand value. Here's the 2026 ranking.
Top 10 NITs for CSE
1. NIT Tiruchirappalli (Trichy)
JEE Main Cutoff (General, Home State)::~1,200
Cutoff (OS)::~3,500
CSE Avg Package::₹22 LPA
Highest::₹85 LPA
2. NIT Warangal
Cutoff (HS)::~1,500 | (OS): ~3,800
CSE Avg::₹21 LPA | **Highest:** ₹72 LPA
3. NIT Surathkal (Karnataka)
Cutoff (HS)::~1,800 | (OS): ~4,200
CSE Avg::₹20 LPA
4. NIT Rourkela
Cutoff (HS)::~3,500 | (OS): ~5,500
CSE Avg::₹16 LPA
5. NIT Calicut
Cutoff (HS)::~4,000 | (OS): ~6,500
CSE Avg::₹15 LPA
6. MNIT Jaipur
Cutoff (HS)::~3,800 | (OS): ~7,000
CSE Avg::₹14 LPA
7. MNNIT Allahabad (Prayagraj)
Cutoff (HS)::~5,500 | (OS): ~8,000
CSE Avg::₹14 LPA
8. VNIT Nagpur
Cutoff (HS)::~5,800 | (OS): ~8,500
CSE Avg::₹13 LPA
9. NIT Kurukshetra
Cutoff (HS)::~6,500 | (OS): ~10,000
CSE Avg::₹13 LPA
10. NIT Surat (SVNIT)
Cutoff (HS)::~7,500 | (OS): ~11,000
CSE Avg::₹12 LPA
Home State vs Other State Quota
NIT admissions split 50:50 between home state (HS) and other state (OS) candidates:
HS quota::Easier cutoff for candidates whose 10+2 was completed in that NIT's state
OS quota::Open to all; cutoff is 2-3x tighter
Tip: If your home state has a strong NIT (Trichy/Warangal/Surathkal), HS quota is your best bet.
Fees & Living Cost
Head
NIT Trichy
NIT Warangal
|------|-----------|--------------|
Tuition
₹1.50 L/yr
₹1.50 L/yr
Hostel
₹30-40k/yr
₹25-35k/yr
Mess
₹35-45k/yr
₹30-40k/yr
**Total/yr**
**~₹2.3 L**
**~₹2.15 L**
Compare to BITS Pilani at ₹5.4 L/yr — NIT is roughly half the cost.
Preparation Tips
Use SeekCampus's predictor tool to check which NIT and branch you can get based on your JEE Main rank.