Quick Verdict
IIT Delhi wins decisively on Branch Cutoffs: across every metric available — Computer Science, Electronics, Mechanical, and the overall institute-wide JEE Advanced range — IIT Delhi's closing ranks are consistently tighter (lower) than IIT BHU Varanasi's, meaning it takes a better JEE Advanced rank to get in. That said, IIT BHU Varanasi's cutoffs are still highly competitive by any general engineering-admissions standard, and a specific branch there can still be a strong option.
Snapshot
| Metric | IIT Delhi | IIT BHU Varanasi |
|---|---|---|
| CSE closing rank (2026 cycle, approx., Round 5) | 1–98 source | 412–1089 source |
| ECE closing rank (2026 cycle, approx., Round 5) | 99–402 source | 1090–2481 source |
| Mechanical closing rank (2026 cycle, approx., Round 5) | 403–870 source | 2482–3701 source |
| Overall institute cutoff, General category (JEE Advanced 2025) | 35 – 16,252 source | 1,350 – 26,381 source |
| Overall institute cutoff, SC category (JEE Advanced 2025) | 11 – 2,781 source | 282 – 4,793 source |
| Overall institute cutoff, ST category (JEE Advanced 2025) | 8 – 1,641 source | 155 – 1,989 source |
Note: the branch-wise rows (CSE/ECE/Mechanical) and the overall institute-wide rows come from two different sources covering two different admission cycles (2026 vs 2025), so treat them as two separate, internally consistent data sets rather than one blended table — both, however, point the same direction.
Detailed Analysis
IIT Delhi. IIT Delhi, located in Delhi (India's capital and one of the four original IIT campuses set up in 1961 on the recommendation of the Sarkar Committee, alongside Bombay, Madras, and Kanpur source), posts the tightest branch cutoffs of the two institutes across the board. Its Computer Science Engineering closing rank is approximately 1–98, its Electronics closing rank is 99–402, and Mechanical closes at roughly 403–870 in the 2026 admission cycle source. At the whole-institute level, its JEE Advanced 2025 General-category range (rank 35 to 16,252) and its SC/ST ranges are also both tighter than IIT BHU's source.
IIT BHU Varanasi. IIT (BHU) Varanasi — formally converted into an IIT via an Act of Parliament on 29 June 2012, after existing since 1919 as the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University source source — shows meaningfully higher (less selective) closing ranks across the same three branches: CSE at roughly 412–1089, ECE at 1090–2481, and Mechanical at 2482–3701 source. Its overall JEE Advanced 2025 General-category cutoff range (1,350 to 26,381) is likewise wider than IIT Delhi's source. One comparison source frames the overall gap simply as: "Cutoff ranges are similar, with variations by branch and category" — but the branch-level and institute-level numbers both consistently show IIT Delhi requiring a better rank at every point of comparison source.
Trend. The pattern holds in every single row of sourced data: whichever metric you look at — CSE, ECE, Mechanical, or the General/SC/ST institute-wide ranges — IIT Delhi's cutoff is tighter than IIT BHU Varanasi's. There's no branch or category in the available data where IIT BHU's cutoff is lower than IIT Delhi's.
Verdict
IIT Delhi wins on Branch Cutoffs outright — its rank requirements are tighter across Computer Science, Electronics, Mechanical, and every admission category tracked here. IIT BHU Varanasi is the clear runner-up, with cutoffs that are still highly competitive in the national context even if consistently a step behind IIT Delhi's. A reader whose JEE Advanced rank clears IIT BHU's cutoff for a specific branch they want, but not IIT Delhi's cutoff for that same branch, should pick IIT BHU Varanasi — a good branch at BHU is a more realistic and often better outcome than missing out on IIT Delhi altogether or settling for a less-preferred branch there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which IIT has the tighter CSE (Computer Science Engineering) cutoff?
IIT Delhi, with an approximate closing rank of 1–98 versus 412–1089 at IIT BHU Varanasi source.
Q: What does "closing rank" mean?
It's the JEE Advanced rank of the last (highest-numbered) candidate admitted to a given branch in a given counselling round — a lower closing rank means the branch is more selective.
Q: Is IIT Delhi tighter than IIT BHU in every branch, or just some?
Based on the available data (CSE, ECE, and Mechanical), IIT Delhi is tighter in all three branches compared source.
Q: How do the overall (whole-institute) JEE Advanced cutoffs compare?
IIT Delhi's 2025 General-category range was rank 35 to 16,252; IIT BHU Varanasi's was 1,350 to 26,381 source.
Q: Are SC and ST cutoffs also tighter at IIT Delhi?
Yes — IIT Delhi's SC range (11–2,781) and ST range (8–1,641) are both tighter than IIT BHU's SC range (282–4,793) and ST range (155–1,989) source.
Q: Do the branch-level and institute-wide cutoff figures come from the same year?
No — the branch-wise figures are from the 2026 admission cycle and the institute-wide General/SC/ST figures are from JEE Advanced 2025, so they should be read as two separate data sets rather than merged directly source source.
Q: If my rank clears IIT BHU's CSE cutoff but not IIT Delhi's, what should I do?
The sourced data doesn't give personalized advice, but structurally, a rank that clears IIT BHU's CSE cutoff (roughly up to 1089) but falls short of IIT Delhi's CSE cutoff (roughly up to 98) would only be eligible for IIT BHU's CSE program, not IIT Delhi's, based on these closing ranks source.
Related
For the complete picture beyond Branch Cutoffs -- placements, academics, campus life, and more -- see the full IIT Delhi vs IIT BHU Varanasi comparison.