**1. Admission pathway differences**
IIITs admit through JEE Main → JoSAA exclusively. There are 25 IIITs across India: 4 are Institutes of National Importance (IIIT Allahabad, IIITDM Jabalpur, IIITDM Kancheepuram, IIITM Gwalior), and 21 are Public-Private Partnership (PPP) IIITs. IIIT Hyderabad uniquely admits through both JEE Main and its own UGEE entrance.
IITs admit only through JEE Advanced (after qualifying JEE Main top 2.5 lakh). All 23 IITs follow JoSAA-only counselling. No private quota or management quota at IITs.
NITs admit through JEE Main → JoSAA. All 31 NITs use 50% Home State quota and 50% Other State quota for state-domicile students. The quota system makes NIT admissions easier for home-state students.
**2. Placement profile**
IITs (top 5 — Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Kanpur, Kharagpur) have averages of INR 28-35 LPA for CSE / ECE; medians INR 22-28 LPA. Older IITs (Roorkee, Guwahati, Hyderabad) average INR 22-26 LPA for CSE. Newer IITs (Bhilai, Goa, Tirupati, Palakkad, Bhubaneswar) average INR 16-20 LPA.
IIIT Hyderabad averages INR 30-34 LPA for CSE. IIIT Allahabad averages INR 24-26 LPA for IT. IIIT Bangalore averages INR 26-30 LPA for CSE. PPP IIITs (Sricity, Vadodara, Bhopal) average INR 12-18 LPA for CSE.
NIT Trichy and NIT Surathkal lead NIT placements at INR 22-26 LPA for CSE. NIT Warangal, NIT Calicut, NIT Rourkela, NIT Allahabad average INR 18-22 LPA for CSE. Newer NITs (Goa, Sikkim, Mizoram, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh) average INR 12-15 LPA for CSE.
**3. Fee structure (4-year all-in cost)**
IITs: INR 10-12 lakh tuition + INR 6-8 lakh hostel + mess = INR 16-20 lakh total. SC/ST and below INR 5L family income get full tuition waiver.
IIIT-A and PPP IIITs: INR 12-14 lakh tuition + INR 4-6 lakh hostel + mess = INR 16-20 lakh total. IIIT Hyderabad: INR 18-22 lakh total (deemed-university private rates).
NITs: INR 5-7 lakh tuition + INR 4-6 lakh hostel + mess = INR 9-13 lakh total. State quota typically 30-40% cheaper than other-state quota.
**4. Branch availability**
IITs offer the widest range — CSE, ECE, EEE, Mechanical, Civil, Chemical, Aerospace, Mining, Metallurgical, Material Science, Engineering Physics, Mathematics + Computing, plus integrated MTech / dual-degree options. 16-20 branches per IIT.
IIITs are CSE / IT / ECE focused — typically 3-5 branches only (CSE, IT, ECE, sometimes CSD or AI-DS). Narrower branch options.
NITs offer 8-12 branches: CSE, ECE, EEE, Mechanical, Civil, Chemical, Architecture, Material Science, Production, Industrial. Older NITs offer broader branches; newer NITs have 8-9 branches.
**5. Brand recognition**
IIT brand is the strongest globally for engineering — particularly Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Kanpur. NITs are well-recognised within India and South Asia. IIITs are recognised in tech industry circles, especially IIIT Hyderabad and IIIT Allahabad.