This comparison is for a student or parent choosing between IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Delhi and IIT Roorkee — two of India's most respected government-run engineering institutes. Roorkee, Uttarakhand, is home to the older of the two campuses; Delhi (India's capital) hosts the younger but higher-ranked institute of the pair.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | IIT Delhi | IIT Roorkee | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIRF Overall Rank (2025) | 4th, score 80.67 (source) | 7th, score 71.73 (source) | IIT Delhi |
| NIRF Engineering Rank | 2nd (source) | 6th (source) | IIT Delhi |
| QS Ranking | Not available in sourced data | Not available in sourced data | — |
| Placements (avg package) | ₹25.82 L (source); a separate estimate puts it at ₹16–20 LPA overall (source) | ₹18.34 L (source); a separate estimate puts it at ₹12–16 LPA overall (source) | IIT Delhi (in both source sets) |
| Highest Package | ₹2.00 Cr (source); range estimate ₹1.5–2 Cr (source) | ₹1.71 L per one source (likely a data error — see note below) (source); a separate range estimate puts it at ₹60 L–1 Cr (source) | IIT Delhi |
| Campus Size | Not available in sourced data | Not available in sourced data | — |
| Hostel | Not available in sourced data | Not available in sourced data | — |
| Research Output (NIRF Research & Professional Practice score) | 86.67 (source) | 72.05 (source) | IIT Delhi |
| Alumni Network | Not available in sourced data | Not available in sourced data | — |
| Student Life | Tech fest Tryst, cultural fest Rendezvous (source) | Tech fest Cognizance, cultural fest Thomso (source) | Distinct, not directly comparable |
Note on the package discrepancy: one source lists IIT Roorkee's median package at ₹1.64 L and highest package at ₹1.71 L, both of which look anomalously low compared to that same source's own average package figure (₹18.34 L) and compared to a separate estimate range of ₹60 L–1 Cr for the highest package (source, source). This looks like a data or scraping error in the original source rather than a real figure, so treat that specific ₹1.71 L number with real skepticism.
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose IIT Delhi if:
Choose IIT Roorkee if:
Placements
Snapshot
| Metric | IIT Delhi | IIT Roorkee |
|---|---|---|
| Average Package | ₹25.82 L (source) / ₹16–20 LPA (separate estimate) (source) | ₹18.34 L (source) / ₹12–16 LPA (separate estimate) (source) |
| Highest Package | ₹2.00 Cr (source) | ₹1.71 L per one source (likely erroneous) (source); ₹60 L–1 Cr per a separate estimate (source) |
| Top Recruiters | Not available in sourced data | Not available in sourced data |
Analysis
Every dataset gathered for this comparison places IIT Delhi ahead of IIT Roorkee on headline placement numbers. One comparison source gives IIT Delhi an average package of ₹25.82 L against IIT Roorkee's ₹18.34 L, and a highest package of ₹2.00 Cr against Roorkee's figure (which, as noted above, looks like a data anomaly at ₹1.71 L) (source). A separate, independently sourced estimate for the 2025–26 season narrows the gap somewhat but still shows Delhi ahead: ₹16–20 LPA overall average versus Roorkee's ₹12–16 LPA, and a CSE-specific average of ₹30–45 LPA for Delhi versus ₹18–25 LPA for Roorkee (source). Placement percentage estimates for CSE specifically also favor Delhi, at roughly 88–93% versus Roorkee's roughly 78–85% (source).
IIT Roorkee's own institutional reporting shows real strength at the branch level, however. Per NIRF 2026 data cited by Careers360, IIT Roorkee's UG four-year median package was ₹18 LPA, with PG two-year median at ₹12 LPA and PG five-year median at ₹18 LPA (source). Branch-wise placement rates for 2025 were notably strong in several departments: 99.07% for CSE, 95.80% for Electrical Engineering, 95.79% for Electronics & Communication Engineering, and 89.84% for Mechanical Engineering, though Civil Engineering trailed at 65.12% (source). One source directly comparing the two institutes concludes that "IIT Delhi and IIT Roorkee both offer strong B.Tech programs in Computer Science Engineering, but IIT Delhi has the edge when it comes to placements and career outcomes" (source).
Verdict
Winner: IIT Delhi — every sourced dataset, despite some internal disagreement on exact figures, consistently shows Delhi ahead on average package, highest package, and CSE-specific placement percentage.
Academics
Snapshot
| Feature | IIT Delhi | IIT Roorkee |
|---|---|---|
| Faculty | 687 (source) | 585 (source) |
| Student Ratio | ~18.3 students per faculty member (computed: 12,543 students / 687 faculty) | ~16.6 students per faculty member (computed: 9,735 students / 585 faculty) |
| Research Output (NIRF RPC score) | 86.67 (source) | 72.05 (source) |
| Curriculum | Not detailed in sourced data beyond general "strong B.Tech programs" framing (source) | Offers an end-of-first-year meritocratic branch-change option, one of a small group of IITs to do so (source) |
Discussion
On raw scale, IIT Delhi has more faculty (687 vs 585) and a larger student body (12,543 vs 9,735), plus a modestly larger annual budget of ₹904.91 crore versus IIT Roorkee's ₹818.60 crore (source). Using those same sourced figures, Roorkee's computed student-to-faculty ratio (about 16.6:1) is actually slightly tighter than Delhi's (about 18.3:1), which could suggest marginally more faculty attention per student at Roorkee — though this is a derived figure, not a directly reported ratio, and neither institute's ratio was reported outright in the source material. On measured research output specifically, Delhi's NIRF "Research and Professional Practice" score (86.67) is well ahead of Roorkee's (72.05) (source), and its NIRF Teaching, Learning & Resources subscore (80.52) also edges out Roorkee's (73.06) (source). One structural academic difference worth noting: IIT Roorkee is named among a small set of IITs (with Madras, Bhilai, and Palakkad) that allow meritorious students to change departments at the end of their first year, a flexibility not listed for IIT Delhi in the same source (source).
Verdict
Winner: IIT Delhi — ahead on faculty count, research score, and teaching-resources score, though Roorkee's slightly tighter computed student-faculty ratio and its branch-change flexibility are genuine points in its favor.
Branch Cutoffs
The sourced facts for this comparison give only overall (not branch-specific) JEE Advanced 2025 opening–closing rank ranges by category, so a branch-by-branch table (CSE, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil) isn't possible with the available data. What is available:
| Category | IIT Delhi (Rank range) | IIT Roorkee (Rank range) |
|---|---|---|
| General | 35 – 16,252 | 91 – 19,396 (source) |
| SC | 11 – 2,781 | 28 – 3,872 (source) |
| ST | 8 – 1,641 | 12 – 1,809 (source) |
IIT Delhi's opening ranks are consistently lower (more competitive) across every category, though the overall insight from the source is that "cutoff ranges are similar, with variations by branch and category" (source). No branch-specific (CSE-only, Mechanical-only, etc.) cutoff figures were available in the sourced research for this specific pair, so no such breakdown is presented here.
Campus Life
IIT Delhi
Pros:
Cons:
IIT Roorkee
Pros:
Cons:
Verdict: Too close to call definitively on lifestyle alone — both maintain distinct, well-established fest cultures, but sourced data doesn't cover campus size, hostels, or amenities in enough depth to declare a clear winner.
Research Opportunities
On the one directly comparable research metric available — the NIRF "Research and Professional Practice" component score — IIT Delhi leads clearly, at 86.67 versus IIT Roorkee's 72.05 (source). Delhi also has a somewhat larger annual budget (₹904.91 crore vs ₹818.60 crore) and more faculty (687 vs 585), both of which are relevant inputs to research capacity even though they aren't direct output measures (source). No sourced data was found on publication counts, patent filings, specific international collaborations, or PhD enrollment numbers for either institute, so this comparison is necessarily limited to the NIRF research subscore and the underlying budget/faculty figures rather than a full research-ecosystem picture.
Verdict: IIT Delhi — its NIRF Research and Professional Practice score is meaningfully higher, and it also has more faculty and a larger budget to draw on.
Alumni Network
| Factor | IIT Delhi | IIT Roorkee |
|---|---|---|
| Startup Founders | Not available in sourced data | Not available in sourced data |
| Notable Alumni | Not available in sourced data | Not available in sourced data |
| Global Presence | Not available in sourced data | Not available in sourced data |
No sourced facts specific to either institute's alumni network, startup founders, notable individual alumni, or global presence were found in this research pass. Rather than fabricate names or figures, this section is left honestly blank — readers wanting alumni-specific detail should consult a dedicated alumni-network comparison.
Student Perspective
Pros and Cons
| IIT Delhi | IIT Roorkee |
|---|---|
| ✓ Higher NIRF Overall (4th) and Engineering (2nd) ranks | ✓ India's oldest engineering institution, founded 1847 |
| ✓ Higher average and highest packages across sourced datasets | ✓ Very strong branch-specific placement rates (CSE 99.07%, EE 95.80%) |
| ✓ Higher NIRF Research and Professional Practice score (86.67) | ✓ Offers meritocratic first-year branch-change option |
| ✗ No sourced alumni-network or campus-size data available | ✗ Lower NIRF Overall (7th) and Engineering (6th) ranks |
| ✗ Some source disagreement on exact package figures | ✗ Lower average package and research score across sourced data |
Final Verdict
Across every metric where sourced data allows a direct comparison — NIRF Overall and Engineering rank, average and highest package, and NIRF research score — IIT Delhi comes out ahead of IIT Roorkee. That said, a reader should still lean toward IIT Roorkee if what matters most is its historical pedigree as India's oldest engineering institution, its very strong branch-specific placement percentages (particularly in CSE, Electrical, and Electronics & Communication Engineering), or its meritocratic first-year branch-change policy — a structural feature not documented for IIT Delhi in the available research.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which is better overall, IIT Delhi or IIT Roorkee?
A: IIT Delhi, based on higher NIRF Overall and Engineering ranks and stronger placement figures across every sourced dataset (source, source).
Q: Which IIT is older, Delhi or Roorkee?
A: IIT Roorkee, by a wide margin — it traces back to 1847, while IIT Delhi was established in 1961; Roorkee only became an IIT in 2001–2002 (source).
Q: What is the average package at each institute?
A: One source reports ₹25.82 L for IIT Delhi and ₹18.34 L for IIT Roorkee (source); a separate estimate gives ranges of ₹16–20 LPA and ₹12–16 LPA respectively (source).
Q: Is IIT Roorkee's placement data reliable?
A: Mostly, but one source's specific median (₹1.64 L) and highest (₹1.71 L) package figures for Roorkee appear to be data errors, since they're inconsistent with that same source's average package figure and with a separate independent estimate (source, source).
Q: Which branches have the best placement rates at IIT Roorkee?
A: CSE led at 99.07% in 2025, followed by Electrical Engineering (95.80%) and Electronics & Communication Engineering (95.79%); Civil Engineering trailed at 65.12% (source).
Q: Does IIT Delhi or IIT Roorkee allow branch changes?
A: IIT Roorkee is documented as one of a small group of IITs (with Madras, Bhilai, and Palakkad) offering meritorious students an end-of-first-year branch-change option; this same flexibility isn't listed for IIT Delhi in the sourced material (source).
Q: Which institute has more faculty?
A: IIT Delhi, with 687 faculty members versus IIT Roorkee's 585 (source).
Q: How do their research profiles compare?
A: IIT Delhi's NIRF Research and Professional Practice score (86.67) is notably higher than IIT Roorkee's (72.05) (source).
Q: Are their JEE Advanced cutoffs very different?
A: IIT Delhi's opening and closing ranks are consistently lower (more competitive) than Roorkee's across the General, SC, and ST categories, though the source describes the ranges as broadly similar overall (source).
Q: Is there data on hostel facilities or campus size for either institute?
A: No — this research pass did not surface any sourced figures on campus size or hostel facilities for either IIT Delhi or IIT Roorkee.
Q: What are each institute's signature festivals?
A: IIT Delhi hosts Tryst (technical) and Rendezvous (cultural); IIT Roorkee hosts Cognizance (technical) and Thomso (cultural) (source).
Q: Is there alumni network data available for this comparison?
A: No — this research pass found no sourced data on startup founders, notable alumni, or global alumni presence for either institute.
At a Glance
| If you care about... | Choose |
|---|---|
| Placements | IIT Delhi — higher average and highest package across sourced datasets |
| Research | IIT Delhi — higher NIRF Research and Professional Practice score (86.67 vs 72.05) |
| Campus | Data insufficient to declare a winner; both have distinct, established fest cultures |
| Coding Culture | IIT Delhi — higher CSE-specific average package and placement rate |
| Higher Studies | Data not available in sourced research for either institute |
| Brand Value | IIT Delhi — higher NIRF Overall rank (4th vs 7th) and Perception subscore (92.23 vs 51.24) |
| International Exposure | Data not available in sourced research for either institute |