Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
भारतीय प्रौद्योगिकी संस्थान रुड़की
India's oldest engineering institution, founded in 1847 to train engineers for the Ganges Canal and made an IIT in 2001.
- Students
- 10,682
- 4,615 undergraduates
- Tuition
- ₹200K
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1847
- QS World Ranking
- #335
- 2027 edition
About IIT Roorkee
IIT Roorkee began in 1847 as the College of Civil Engineering, set up to train engineers and surveyors for the Ganges Canal; it became the Thomason College of Civil Engineering, then the University of Roorkee in 1949, and on 21 September 2001 the Government of India made it the country's seventh Indian Institute of Technology. It is often described as India's oldest engineering institution.
Today it has more than 10,300 students and 500-plus faculty across 23 departments, from civil, electrical and computer science and engineering to earthquake engineering, hydrology, architecture and planning, design and management. Alongside B.Tech programmes it offers B.Arch, B.Des and integrated degrees, and IIT Roorkee organised the JEE (Advanced) 2026 exam on behalf of all IITs.
Undergraduate admission follows the national IIT system: Indian students qualify through JEE (Main), sit JEE (Advanced) and pick programmes through JoSAA counselling, while foreign nationals register for JEE (Advanced) directly. IIT Roorkee suits students who want a large residential campus in a small city, with unusual departments such as Earthquake Engineering, Hydrology, and Paper and Packaging Technology alongside the core engineering branches.
Śramaṃ vinā na kimapi sādhyam
“Nothing can be achieved without hard work” — university motto
Why students choose IIT Roorkee
IIT Roorkee's Department of Earthquake Engineering and its hydrology and water-resources departments reflect a civil-engineering tradition dating back to the Ganges Canal.
It was ranked 7th Overall and 6th in Engineering in India's NIRF 2025 rankings.
Median salary for placed 4-year UG graduates was ₹18 lakh in 2024-25, according to the institute's NIRF 2026 data.
Foreign nationals among the top 20 joining from listed countries pay the same tuition as Indian students.
Admissions
2027 entry via JEE (Advanced) 2027 and JoSAA 2027 (rules shown are from the 2026 cycle)
Selectivity
IIT Roorkee does not publish an acceptance rate. For 2026, only the top 2,50,000 JEE (Main) candidates (plus directly registered foreign nationals) could sit JEE (Advanced), and seats were allotted by rank through JoSAA; about 1,100 first-year seats are sanctioned in 4-year UG programmes.
Typical entry requirements
| Indian Class XII (CBSE, state boards and equivalents) | Qualify in the top 2,50,000 of JEE (Main), then a strong JEE (Advanced) rank; Class XII with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics and 75% aggregate or top 20 percentile |
|---|---|
| Foreign nationals and OCI/PIO (F) | Direct JEE (Advanced) registration without JEE (Main); for 2026, born on or after 1 October 2001 and a maximum of two attempts in consecutive years; seats are supernumerary, capped at 10% of each course |
Deadlines
- JEE (Advanced) 2026 direct registration for foreign nationals (reference) Non-binding Passed2 May 2026
Opened 6 April 2026; fee payment until 4 May 2026. Registration for JEE (Main)-qualified candidates ran 23 April to 2 May 2026.
- JEE (Advanced) 2026 exam (reference) Non-binding Passed17 May 2026
Two compulsory three-hour papers, organised by IIT Roorkee; followed by JoSAA seat allocation rounds.
These are 2026-cycle dates from the JEE (Advanced) 2026 information brochure. The JEE (Advanced) 2027 schedule had not been published on the pages checked.
How to apply
Indian nationals take JEE (Main), then JEE (Advanced) if they are in the top 2,50,000, and choose IIT Roorkee programmes during JoSAA counselling. Foreign nationals register directly for JEE (Advanced) (2026 fee at centres in India: USD 100 for SAARC residents, USD 200 for others; at centres abroad: USD 200 and USD 300) and compete for supernumerary seats. DASA does not cover IITs. Selected candidates then complete document verification and registration at IIT Roorkee.
What admissions looks for
- A high JEE (Advanced) rank: seats are allotted strictly by rank and category through JoSAA.
- Class XII with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics meeting the 75% or top-20-percentile criterion.
- For foreign nationals, a JEE (Advanced) rank good enough for a supernumerary seat in the chosen course.
Tips for applying to IIT Roorkee
- 1 Look beyond computer science when filling JoSAA choices: Roorkee has departments few IITs offer, such as Earthquake Engineering, Hydrology, Paper and Packaging Technology, and Architecture and Planning.
- 2 B.Arch aspirants should check the JEE (Advanced) brochure for the Architecture Aptitude Test that follows the main exam.
- 3 Foreign nationals from the countries on IIT Roorkee's list should aim for the top 20 among those joining: they pay Indian-level tuition instead of double.
- 4 Keep income certificates ready: families earning under ₹5 lakh a year get two-thirds of tuition waived, and under ₹1 lakh pay no tuition.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in INR
SC, ST and PwD students and families earning under ₹1 lakh a year pay no tuition, and families earning ₹1-5 lakh pay one third. First-year totals for 2026-27, including semester charges, hostel, mess advance and deposits, are ₹1,55,550 (autumn) and ₹1,39,050 (spring) for GEN/EWS/OBC students, and ₹55,550 and ₹39,050 for SC/ST/PwD students.
- ₹2,94,600 (₹1,55,550 autumn + ₹1,39,050 spring)
- First-year total, GEN/GEN-EWS/OBC (2026-27)
- ₹94,600
- First-year total, SC/ST/PwD (2026-27)
- ₹4,94,600
- First-year total, foreign nationals paying 200% tuition (2026-27)
- ₹7,500 per semester
- Hostel accommodation and electricity
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (autumn and spring)
B.Tech Civil Engineering
The discipline the institution was founded for in 1847, to train engineers for the Ganges Canal.
B.Tech Computer Science and Engineering
Alumni include Amit Singhal, who headed Google's Search team for 15 years.
B.Arch (5-year)
IIT Roorkee was ranked 1st in India's NIRF 2025 Architecture and Planning ranking.
B.Tech Electrical Engineering
The electrical engineering department dates from 1897.
B.Des
A newer design degree from the Department of Design, with its own admission process.
Research
- The Department of Earthquake Engineering was set up by alumnus Jai Krishna and was India's first earthquake engineering department.
- The Department of Hydro and Renewable Energy and the Department of Water Resources Development and Management continue the institute's water-engineering heritage.
- IIT Roorkee spent over ₹113 crore on new laboratory equipment in 2024-25, according to its NIRF 2026 data.
Schools & faculties
- Department of Civil Engineering
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering
- Department of Electrical Engineering
- Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
- Department of Earthquake Engineering
- Department of Hydrology
- Department of Architecture and Planning
- Department of Design
- Department of Management Studies
Of 1,067 students graduating from 4-year UG programmes in 2024-25, 711 were placed at a median salary of ₹18 lakh and 356 went on to higher studies (NIRF 2026 data).
Student life
IIT Roorkee is largely residential: most students live in the campus's 16 hostels, including girls' hostels such as Sarojini, Kasturba and Himalaya Bhawan, and the first-year fee structure includes hostel charges and a mess advance. The historic white main building and its lawns anchor a campus of 365 acres in the town of Roorkee. Thomso, the annual cultural festival, has been held since 1982, and extracurricular life is organised largely around the hostels and student clubs.
- Thomso, the annual cultural festival, first held in 1982.
- 16 hostels on campus, including a co-ed hostel.
- Main campus of 365 acres, plus a campus in Saharanpur.
Housing. Hostel accommodation is included in the standard fee structure (₹5,000 accommodation plus ₹2,500 electricity per semester in 2026-27, with a separate mess advance).
Location
Roorkee is a small city in Uttarakhand on the Ganges Canal, whose construction led to the institute's founding in 1847. Life is quieter than in India's big metros, and the institute also runs a campus in Saharanpur and an extension centre in Greater Noida. Dehradun, the state capital, is the nearest city with an airport.
Nearest airport: Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun (DED)
Notable alumni
- AS Amit SinghalFormer senior vice president at Google who headed its Search team for 15 years
- SG Sir Ganga RamCivil engineer and philanthropist, called the father of modern Lahore; 1873 graduate
- AN Ajudhiya Nath KhoslaEngineer, Governor of Orissa and Padma Vibhushan recipient
- RA Rakesh AgrawalComputer scientist known for pioneering data mining; member of the US National Academy of Engineering
- NJ Naveen JainEntrepreneur; founder of InfoSpace and Moon Express
- VG Vinita GuptaFounder of Quick Eagle Networks, the first Indian-origin woman to take her company public
- NP Narendra PatniFounder of Patni Computer Systems
Frequently asked questions
How do I get into IIT Roorkee?
Indian students must be in the top 2,50,000 of JEE (Main), sit JEE (Advanced) and choose IIT Roorkee programmes through JoSAA counselling; seats go by rank and category.
Can international students apply to IIT Roorkee?
Yes. Foreign nationals register directly for JEE (Advanced) without taking JEE (Main) and compete for supernumerary seats of up to 10% per course. DASA does not cover IITs.
What are IIT Roorkee's B.Tech fees?
For 2026-27 new entrants, tuition is ₹1,00,000 per semester for GEN/EWS/OBC students, with full waivers for SC/ST/PwD and family income below ₹1 lakh. The first-year total including hostel and mess is ₹2,94,600.
How much do foreign students pay at IIT Roorkee?
Most foreign nationals pay ₹2,00,000 tuition per semester (double the Indian fee); the top 20 joining from countries on IIT Roorkee's list pay the Indian rate of ₹1,00,000.
What is the average package at IIT Roorkee?
IIT Roorkee reports a median salary of ₹18 lakh for placed 4-year UG graduates in 2024-25 (NIRF 2026 data); 711 of 1,067 graduates were placed and 356 chose higher studies.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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