Quick Verdict
This is a case where the data itself is the story: our sourced research gives detailed, branch-by-branch B.Tech (Bachelor of Technology, the undergraduate engineering degree) cutoffs for IIT (BHU) Varanasi across multiple JEE Advanced counselling rounds, but no comparable branch-wise B.Tech cutoff data for IIT Kanpur careers360. The only Kanpur cutoff figure available is a postgraduate one — a 2023 GATE-based M.Tech (Master of Technology) cutoff for a single specialization — so we cannot declare a branch-by-branch "winner" between the two institutes here without inventing numbers we don't have.
Snapshot
IIT BHU Varanasi — B.Tech JEE Advanced 2025 closing ranks, General category, Round 6 (final round):
| Branch | Closing Rank (Round 6) |
|---|---|
| Computer Science and Engineering | 1,489 |
| Mathematics and Computing | 1,924 |
| Electronics Engineering | 2,635 |
| Electrical Engineering | 3,537 |
| Chemical Engineering | 8,381 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 7,286 |
| Civil Engineering | 10,278 |
| Metallurgical Engineering | 11,398 |
| Mining Engineering | 14,243 |
| Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology | 14,447 |
Source for all rows: careers360
IIT Kanpur — M.Tech GATE cutoff, COAP Round 1, 2023, Microelectronics and VLSI Design (the only Kanpur cutoff figure in our sourced facts):
| Category | Cutoff Score |
|---|---|
| General (GN) | 845 |
| EWS | 762 |
| OBC-NCL | 745 |
| SC | 629 |
| ST | 497 |
Source: pw.live
Note: these two tables are not directly comparable — one is undergraduate JEE Advanced rank data (lower number = more competitive), the other is a postgraduate GATE score cutoff for a single specialization (higher number = more competitive). We're presenting both because they're the only sourced cutoff data we have for each institute, not because they answer the same question.
Detailed Analysis
Within IIT BHU Varanasi's own branch-wise data, the spread is wide and tells a familiar story: the most sought-after branches close at far tighter (lower) ranks than the rest. In the final round of 2025 JEE Advanced counselling, Computer Science and Engineering closed at rank 1,489 and Mathematics and Computing at 1,924, while Mining Engineering (14,243) and Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology (14,447) closed nearly ten times looser careers360. Ranks tighten across rounds as higher-rank students confirm seats and lower-rank students get pulled in during later rounds — for example, Civil Engineering moved from an opening rank of 9,145 in Round 1 to a closing rank of 10,278 by Round 6, and Computer Science moved from 1,350 (Round 1) to 1,489 (Round 6) careers360.
At the postgraduate level, we have a little more cross-institute data, though still for different specializations: IIT Kanpur's GATE cutoff for M.Tech Microelectronics and VLSI Design (COAP Round 1, 2023) was 845 for the general category pw.live, while at IIT BHU, the GATE cutoff for M.Tech Chemical Engineering (general category) was 389, and for Ceramic Engineering it was 200 careers360. Because GATE cutoff scores vary hugely by specialization and by how many students appear in that subject's GATE paper, these numbers don't translate into a simple "Kanpur's harder" or "BHU's harder" conclusion — they're simply different branches.
On the broader ranking picture, sources put IIT Kanpur's 2025 NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) Engineering rank at 4th or 5th, and IIT BHU's at 10th or 14th, depending on the table jagranjosh, entri.app — the exact figures vary, but IIT Kanpur consistently ranks meaningfully higher. One source notes a higher rank tends to "correlate with tighter JEE cutoffs, broader recruiter participation, and deeper research infrastructure" entri.app, suggesting IIT Kanpur's B.Tech cutoffs likely run tighter branch-for-branch — though we lack the actual numbers to confirm this directly. The same source specifically cautions readers to "cross-check branch-specific placement data" and warns that "a slightly lower overall rank doesn't automatically mean a worse outcome for your specific branch or even a career goal" entri.app — advice that applies directly here, since institute-level rank differences don't tell you what a specific branch's cutoff or outcome will be.
Verdict
We can't declare a confident overall winner on branch cutoffs given the data we have: IIT BHU Varanasi's branch-wise B.Tech cutoffs are well documented across all six 2025 counselling rounds careers360, while IIT Kanpur's B.Tech branch cutoffs simply aren't in our sourced facts — only one M.Tech GATE cutoff figure is. If you specifically need IIT BHU's branch cutoffs, the table above is directly usable. If you need IIT Kanpur's B.Tech branch cutoffs, you'll need to consult IIT Kanpur's own admissions data or JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) records directly, since we don't have them here — treat any claim that "Kanpur's cutoffs are always tighter" as a reasonable inference from its higher NIRF rank, not a confirmed fact from this dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What was IIT BHU Varanasi's CSE closing rank in 2025?
1,489 (general category, Round 6, JEE Advanced 2025) careers360.
Q: Which IIT BHU branch has the toughest (tightest) cutoff?
Computer Science and Engineering, closing at rank 1,489 in the final round, followed by Mathematics and Computing at 1,924 careers360.
Q: Which IIT BHU branch has the loosest cutoff?
Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, closing at rank 14,447, followed by Mining Engineering at 14,243 (2025, Round 6, general category) careers360.
Q: Do we have IIT Kanpur's branch-wise B.Tech cutoffs?
No — our sourced facts don't include IIT Kanpur's JEE Advanced branch cutoffs, only a 2023 GATE-based M.Tech cutoff for one specialization, so we can't provide that data here pw.live.
Q: Is IIT Kanpur's cutoff generally tighter than IIT BHU's?
Likely, given IIT Kanpur's consistently higher NIRF Engineering rank, and one source notes higher-ranked institutes tend to have tighter JEE cutoffs generally entri.app — but we don't have the exact IIT Kanpur numbers to confirm this branch-by-branch.
Q: What's IIT BHU's M.Tech GATE cutoff like?
It varies sharply by specialization — Chemical Engineering's general-category cutoff was 389, while Ceramic Engineering's was much lower at 200 careers360.
Q: Should I rely on overall institute rank to judge branch cutoffs?
No — one source specifically advises checking "branch-wise placement and research and not just overall rank," since a lower overall institute rank doesn't automatically mean a worse outcome for a specific branch entri.app.
Q: How many total B.Tech seats does IIT BHU Varanasi offer?
1,589 seats, per its 4-year B.Tech program listing (alongside separate M.Tech, M.Pharma, B.Arch, M.Sc, and Ph.D intakes) collegedekho.
Related
For the complete picture beyond Branch Cutoffs -- placements, academics, campus life, and more -- see the full IIT Kanpur vs IIT BHU Varanasi comparison.