Engineering, Computer Science, Agriculture and Food Engineering
Established in 1951, IIT Kharagpur is the first IIT and a public technical and research university, recognized as an Institute of National Importance. It has the largest campus among IITs and offers a wide range of engineering, science, management, and law programs.
The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, IIT Kharagpur, is the first and one of the largest of the IITs. It opened in 1951 in West Bengal, in the buildings of the former Hijli detention camp, where the British had held political prisoners. The institute has about 13,000 students, around 1,500 faculty and staff members, and about 80,000 graduates. Its campus of roughly 2,100 acres is the largest among the IITs, with its own post office, hospital, schools and sports grounds.
The curriculum covers engineering, science, medicine, architecture, law and management. Departments include mechanical, electrical, civil, mining, metallurgical, agricultural and ocean engineering, together with computer science and architecture. A medical school, a law school and the Vinod Gupta School of Management broaden the offer, and the institute has a strong research tradition in mining, materials and energy.
Many of its graduates have led companies in India and abroad. Sundar Pichai, who later became chief executive of Google and Alphabet, completed a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering here. The institute’s alumni network is large, and graduates work in software, finance, manufacturing and academia. The Nehru Museum of Science and Technology is a small attraction on campus.
Admission to the bachelor’s programmes is through JEE Main and JEE Advanced, with seats allocated by the JoSAA process. Master’s degrees use the GATE exam, and doctoral programmes recruit by interview. International students may apply under the DASA scheme or through scholarship routes. Tuition fees are set by the institute and the government, so check the current tariff.
Teaching is in English. Students live in hostels grouped into halls of residence, each with its own traditions and festivals. Kharagpur is a small railway town about 120 kilometres west of Kolkata, so student life is built around the campus.
Domains taught:
Agriculture, AI and Machine Learning, Engineering, Food Science, Manufacturing, Materials, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
The oldest and largest IIT. Numerous international collaborations for research and academic exchange. Strong industry interface for projects and placements. Offers diverse interdisciplinary programs.
Research:
Extensive research across various disciplines including agriculture and food engineering, AI, advanced manufacturing, earth sciences, and medical science and technology.
Largest and oldest IIT with diverse programs, strong research base, extensive campus and infrastructure, vibrant alumni network.
Cons
Located in a relatively remote town (Kharagpur), very large student body, some older infrastructure along with new developments.
Best For
Students seeking a comprehensive engineering, science, or interdisciplinary education at India’s pioneering IIT, valuing a vast campus, diverse programs, and strong research opportunities.
For students who like the manufacturing, materials and AI and machine learning focus of this school but want another option nearby, Indian Institute of Technology Madras fits well: it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers marine science and robotics as well.
Both schools build their programmes around manufacturing, materials and AI and machine learning, and National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli is the one to compare first within the country, since it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes.
Among national alternatives, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay stands out for its focus on materials, AI and machine learning and software engineering, and it covers nanotechnologies and bioengineering as well, and has almost the same size, at about 12,000 students.
In terms of fields, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi is the nearest neighbour, with materials, AI and machine learning and software engineering again at the core; it covers telecommunications and mechanical engineering as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 11,000 students against roughly 13,000 here.
Both schools build their programmes around materials, AI and machine learning and software engineering, and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur is the one to compare first within the country, since it is smaller, enrolling about 8,000 students against roughly 13,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
University of Leeds offers an international parallel to this school, with food science, materials and AI and machine learning as common ground; it covers robotics and life sciences as well, and is far larger, with about 39,500 students against roughly 13,000 here.
In the United States, Pennsylvania State University teaches much the same core subjects, agriculture, materials and AI and machine learning, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers geotechnics and data analytics as well.
Students considering a move abroad can look at Polytechnique Montréal in Canada, where materials, AI and machine learning and software engineering also form the core, and it covers aerospace and mechanical engineering as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 9,500 students against roughly 13,000 here.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on agriculture, materials and AI and machine learning is University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the United States, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes.
Beyond national borders, The University of Sheffield stands out as a comparable school for manufacturing, materials and AI and machine learning; it is larger, enrolling about 30,000 students against roughly 13,000 here, and is also a public institution.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is IIT Kharagpur?
In Kharagpur, in West Bengal, about 120 kilometres west of Kolkata.
When was it founded?
In 1951, as the first of the IITs.
Where did it start?
In the buildings of the former Hijli detention camp.
How large is it?
About 13,000 students, around 1,500 faculty and staff members, and a campus of roughly 2,100 acres.
What does it teach?
Engineering, science, medicine, architecture, law and management.
Who is a famous alumnus?
Sundar Pichai, who completed a bachelor's degree in metallurgical engineering there.
How do you enter the bachelor's programmes?
Through JEE Main and JEE Advanced, with seats allocated by the JoSAA process.
How do you enter master's programmes?
Through the GATE exam. Doctoral programmes recruit by interview.
What does it cost?
Tuition fees are set by the institute and the government. Check the current tariff.
What is student life like?
Students live in halls of residence, and life is centred on the campus because Kharagpur is a small town.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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