IIT Delhi vs IIT Roorkee: Branch Cutoffs Compared

Quick Verdict

IIT Delhi has consistently tighter (more competitive) branch cutoffs than IIT Roorkee across the major engineering branches. For Computer Science Engineering (CSE), Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE), and Mechanical Engineering, IIT Delhi's closing ranks sit noticeably lower — meaning a better (numerically smaller) All India Rank (AIR) is needed to secure a seat — reflecting its higher overall standing in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF, India's official ranking system for higher-education institutions).

Snapshot

Ranks shown are approximate closing ranks from Round 5 of JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) counselling — the body that allocates seats across IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs based on JEE Advanced and JEE Main scores. ([Source: JEE Counselling](https://jeecounselling.in/iit-cutoff-2026))

Detailed Analysis

A JEE Advanced cutoff is the minimum All India Rank (AIR) — a candidate's national rank from the JEE Advanced exam, the entrance test for IIT admission — required to secure a seat in a specific branch at an IIT through JoSAA counselling (JEE Predictor). Cutoffs are published separately for every combination of IIT, branch, category (such as General, SC, ST, OBC), and gender pool, so the "General/Open category" figures referenced here (also called Common Rank List, or CRL, cutoffs) are just one slice of a much larger table (JEE Predictor).

Branch-for-branch, IIT Delhi is clearly more competitive than IIT Roorkee. For CSE, IIT Delhi's closing rank range was 1–98 versus IIT Roorkee's 22–391; for ECE, 99–402 versus 401–1,102; and for Mechanical Engineering, 403–870 versus 1,103–1,872 (JEE Counselling). In every branch tracked, IIT Roorkee's closing rank is at least roughly 2–4 times higher (i.e., less competitive) than IIT Delhi's, which lines up with IIT Delhi's stronger overall NIRF position (rank 4 institute-wide versus IIT Roorkee's rank 9 in this same source's table). Separately, another source notes that a Top 100 AIR is generally the benchmark to get into CSE at IIT Bombay or IIT Delhi specifically — underscoring just how competitive CSE is at Delhi (JEE Predictor).

It's worth noting a broader shift in what counts as "competitive": AI & Data Science and Mathematics and Computing (MnC) programs now have cutoffs that rival or even exceed traditional ECE/Electrical branches at most IITs (JEE Predictor). The sourced facts here don't include IIT Delhi- or IIT Roorkee-specific cutoff numbers for those newer programs, so no direct comparison can be made on that front — but the general trend is real and worth factoring in if you're weighing a newer-generation branch at either institute.

Cutoffs also move year to year. Comparing JoSAA Round 2 closing ranks between 2025 and 2026 (institute-wide, not branch-specific), IIT Delhi's closing rank moved from 10,036 to 12,244 — an increase of 2,208, one of the larger jumps among all IITs that year — while IIT Roorkee moved from 10,549 to 11,126, a smaller shift (Careers360). A rising closing rank generally means a branch or institute became slightly less competitive that year; one source directly attributes part of this to admission becoming "easier" at IIT Delhi (among a few other IITs) in the 2026 cycle (Careers360). Even so, IIT Delhi's institute-wide closing rank of 12,244 remains tighter than IIT Roorkee's 11,126 would suggest at first glance — though these two numbers aren't directly comparable without knowing which branch each closing rank corresponds to, so this year-over-year data is best read as a general competitiveness trend rather than a branch-level fact. For reference, the least competitive (highest closing rank) branch tracked for IIT Roorkee in 2026 was Chemical Sciences (a 5-year BS-MS Dual Degree), closing at 11,126 (Careers360).

Verdict

IIT Delhi wins on Branch Cutoffs — it's the more competitive institute across every branch with directly comparable data (CSE, ECE, Mechanical), consistent with its higher NIRF ranking. IIT Roorkee is the runner-up. The one condition under which a reader should pick IIT Roorkee instead: if your JEE Advanced rank comfortably clears IIT Roorkee's cutoff for your preferred branch but falls short of IIT Delhi's — in that case, a core branch at IIT Roorkee is a stronger outcome than missing out on IIT Delhi altogether or settling for a much less-preferred branch there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Which is harder to get into for CSE — IIT Delhi or IIT Roorkee?

IIT Delhi — its CSE closing rank (1–98) is far tighter than IIT Roorkee's (22–391) (source).

Q: What rank do I need for CSE at IIT Delhi?

Based on Round 5 JoSAA data, a General category AIR of roughly 98 or better was the closing rank for CSE at IIT Delhi (source).

Q: What rank do I need for Mechanical Engineering at IIT Roorkee?

The closing rank range was approximately 1,103–1,872 (source).

Q: Are IIT cutoffs the same every year?

No — they shift annually. Between 2025 and 2026, IIT Delhi's institute-wide JoSAA Round 2 closing rank moved from 10,036 to 12,244, and IIT Roorkee's moved from 10,549 to 11,126 (source).

Q: Do cutoffs differ by category (General, SC, ST, OBC)?

Yes — cutoffs are published separately for every IIT × Branch × Category × Gender-pool combination; the figures in this post refer to the General/Open category (CRL) (source).

Q: Is AI & Data Science more competitive than ECE now?

At most IITs generally, yes — AI & Data Science and Mathematics and Computing cutoffs now rival or exceed ECE/Electrical, though branch-specific figures for IIT Delhi or IIT Roorkee weren't available in the sourced data (source).

Q: What's the least competitive branch at IIT Roorkee?

Per 2026 JoSAA data, Chemical Sciences (5-Year BS-MS Dual Degree) had the highest (least competitive) closing rank tracked for the institute, at 11,126 (source).

Related

For the complete picture beyond Branch Cutoffs — placements, academics, campus life, and more — see the full IIT Delhi vs IIT Roorkee comparison.

Sources