Quick Verdict
On the National Institutional Ranking Framework's (NIRF — the Indian government's official annual ranking of higher-education institutions) 2025 Overall Ranking, IIT Bombay (Mumbai) beats IIT Kharagpur (West Bengal) on academics: Bombay scores 81.62 (rank 3) against Kharagpur's 73.99 (rank 6), and Bombay leads on four of the five underlying parameters — teaching resources, research output, graduation outcomes, and perception. Kharagpur only edges ahead on one narrow metric: outreach and inclusion.
Snapshot
| Feature | IIT Bombay | IIT Kharagpur |
|---|---|---|
| NIRF Overall Rank (2025) | 3rd | 6th |
| NIRF Overall Score (2025) | 81.62 | 73.99 |
| Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR) | 83.79 | 77.73 |
| Research & Professional Practice (RPC) | 83.05 | 71.21 |
| Graduation Outcomes (GO) | 86.04 | 81.52 |
| Outreach & Inclusion (OI) | 60.13 | 60.63 |
| Perception | 83.35 | 69.51 |
| Total Courses Offered | Not specified in sourced facts | 202, across 9 streams |
Source: NIRF India — 2025 Overall Ranking; course count from Shiksha
Detailed Analysis
The clearest, most granular data available for this comparison is the NIRF's official 2025 Overall Ranking, which scores institutions across five weighted parameters. IIT Bombay outscores IIT Kharagpur on four of them: Teaching, Learning & Resources (83.79 vs. 77.73), Research and Professional Practice (83.05 vs. 71.21), Graduation Outcomes (86.04 vs. 81.52), and Perception (83.35 vs. 69.51) (NIRF India). Kharagpur's only lead is on Outreach & Inclusion, and it's a thin one — 60.63 versus Bombay's 60.13. It's worth flagging that this table is titled "Overall Ranking," meaning it spans all disciplines and institution types, not engineering alone — so it's a broad institutional comparison rather than an engineering-specific academic score.
Other sources in this batch give partly conflicting signals on rank, which is worth being upfront about rather than smoothing over. BYJU'S states that "as per the 2022 NIRF ranking, IIT Bombay ranked 3 in the overall category" and that "IIT Kharagpur is one of the top five IITs in India" (BYJU'S) — consistent with Bombay's rank-3 position above, though it doesn't pin down Kharagpur's exact number. CollegeAndFees.com, meanwhile, states "IIT Bombay (founded 1958, NIRF #3) and IIT Kharagpur (founded 1951, NIRF #5)" (CollegeAndFees) — putting Kharagpur at #5, not #6. These are likely different ranking years or reporting cycles rather than a single contradiction; either way, every source in this batch agrees Bombay ranks ahead of Kharagpur, even if the exact gap (5th vs. 6th) isn't fully consistent across sources.
On course breadth specifically, Shiksha notes that "IIT Kharagpur — Indian Institute of Technology offers 202 Courses across 9 Streams," and separately claims (as its own editorial view, not a neutral ranking) that "the campus at IIT Bombay is better and more student-friendly than IIT Kharagpur" (Shiksha). No comparable total-course figure for IIT Bombay appeared in this batch's sourced facts, so a direct course-count comparison isn't possible here. Separately, selectyouruniversity.com notes infrastructure includes "17+ hostels, well-equipped, Wi-Fi, and AC in some" in its IIT Bombay vs. IIT Kharagpur comparison, though the sourced text doesn't make clear which institute (or both) this figure specifically describes (selectyouruniversity.com).
On admissions demand, BYJU'S adds that "most of the JEE toppers choose IIT Bombay to do their dream course" and that IIT Bombay "is the second oldest IIT in India," while Kharagpur "is the first IIT in India" (BYJU'S) — establishing Kharagpur's historical primacy even as Bombay currently attracts more top scorers.
Verdict
Winner: IIT Bombay, based on its lead in the NIRF 2025 Overall Ranking (3rd vs. 6th) and on four of five underlying academic parameters, reinforced by its top-JEE-topper draw noted by BYJU'S. Runner-up: IIT Kharagpur, which is the better pick if breadth of course offerings (202 courses across 9 streams, with no comparable figure sourced for Bombay) or its marginal edge in Outreach & Inclusion matters more to you than the overall NIRF gap — or simply if you value being at India's first-ever IIT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is IIT Bombay's NIRF 2025 Overall Rank?
A: 3rd, with a score of 81.62 (NIRF India).
Q: What is IIT Kharagpur's NIRF 2025 Overall Rank?
A: 6th, with a score of 73.99, per the official NIRF table — though other sourced pages put its rank at "top five" (BYJU'S) or "#5" (CollegeAndFees), so treat the exact rank as somewhat source-dependent (NIRF India; BYJU'S; CollegeAndFees).
Q: Does IIT Bombay beat IIT Kharagpur on every NIRF parameter?
A: Almost — Bombay leads on Teaching, Learning & Resources, Research & Professional Practice, Graduation Outcomes, and Perception; Kharagpur leads narrowly only on Outreach & Inclusion (NIRF India).
Q: How many courses does IIT Kharagpur offer?
A: 202 courses across 9 streams (Shiksha).
Q: How many courses does IIT Bombay offer?
A: Not specified in the sourced facts for this comparison.
Q: Which institute is older?
A: IIT Kharagpur, founded in 1951 as India's first IIT; IIT Bombay followed in 1958 (BYJU'S).
Q: Is IIT Bombay's campus considered more student-friendly?
A: Shiksha's own comparison page states this as its editorial view, not as an objective ranking metric (Shiksha).
Q: Which institute do more JEE Advanced toppers choose?
A: IIT Bombay, according to BYJU'S (BYJU'S).
Related
For the complete picture beyond Faculty and Academics — placements, academics, campus life, and more — see the full IIT Bombay vs IIT Kharagpur comparison.