Originally established in 1847 as the Thomason College of Civil Engineering, it was converted to an IIT in 2001. IIT Roorkee is a public technical and research university, one of the oldest engineering institutions in Asia.
The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, IIT Roorkee, is one of the oldest engineering institutions in Asia. It started in 1847 as the Thomason College of Civil Engineering, set up in the town of Roorkee to train engineers for the Upper Ganges Canal, one of the largest irrigation projects of its time. It became the University of Roorkee in 1949 and was made an IIT in 2001. The institute has about 9,000 students, around a thousand faculty and staff members and about 55,000 graduates.
The campus covers around 365 acres in the foothills of the Himalayas in the state of Uttarakhand, with colonial-era buildings alongside modern laboratories. Civil engineering remains the historic core, with strengths in water resources, earthquake engineering, hydrology and structural engineering. The departments of electrical, mechanical, chemical, computer science and metallurgical engineering have grown, and the institute also teaches architecture, management, sciences and humanities.
Research focuses on earthquake and disaster science, water and environmental engineering, energy, materials and information technology. The location near the Himalayas provides natural field sites for studies of landslides, glaciers and river systems, and the institute works with government agencies on dams and canals. Graduates are placed in construction, infrastructure, software and public-sector firms.
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 on campus, and the town of Roorkee is small, about 180 kilometres north of Delhi. Haridwar and Rishikesh are within an hour or two, so weekend trips to the mountains and the river Ganges are common.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Civil Engineering, Engineering, Geotechnics, Life Sciences, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
One of the oldest technical institutions in Asia. Strong international collaborations for research and exchange. Partnerships with industry in areas like water resources, disaster management, and infrastructure.
Research:
Leading research in civil engineering (earthquake, hydrology, structures), earth sciences, architecture, biotechnology, and paper technology.
Famous Alumnis:
Amit Singhal, Vinita Gupta, Sir Ganga Ram, Jaiprakash Gaur
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1000
Current students***:
9000
Foreign students***:
1%
Cumulative former students***:
55000
Pros
Historic institution with strong legacy in civil engineering and earth sciences, beautiful campus, significant research in specialized areas.
Cons
Located in a smaller town (Roorkee), some traditional departments may be perceived as less cutting-edge than newer IITs in certain tech fields.
Best For
Students interested in civil engineering, earth sciences, architecture, or other established engineering disciplines, valuing a historic institution with strong research in these areas.
Both schools build their programmes around geotechnics, AI and machine learning and software engineering, and Indian Institute of Technology Dhanbad (IIT ) is the one to compare first within the country, since it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers materials as well.
Indian Institute of Technology Varanasi shares the core fields of this school, namely geotechnics, life sciences and AI and machine learning; it is also a public institution and does not run the mba programmes found here.
Birla Institute of Technology Mesra works in much the same fields, chiefly life sciences, AI and machine learning and software engineering, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers aerospace and robotics as well.
Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology Bhopal shares the core fields of this school, namely civil engineering, AI and machine learning and software engineering; it covers mechanical engineering and electrical and electronics as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 6,000 students against roughly 9,000 here.
Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology Shibpur offers a comparable education in civil engineering, AI and machine learning and software engineering: it does not run the mba programmes found here and covers industrial design and mechanical engineering as well.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
University of Nevada, Reno in the United States pursues a similar profile in geotechnics, life sciences and AI and machine learning, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba.
Abroad, University of Canterbury (New Zealand) covers geotechnics, civil engineering and life sciences in a comparable way, and it covers ecology and sustainability and physics as well, and is far larger, with about 27,121 students against roughly 9,000 here.
The closest overseas parallel on geotechnics and life sciences is Northwest University Xi'an, located in China; it does not run the mba programmes found here and covers chemistry and physics as well.
Looking internationally, Lviv Polytechnic National University in Ukraine is where geotechnics, civil engineering and software engineering get a comparable treatment; it is far larger, with about 30,000 students against roughly 9,000 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 Roorkee?
In Roorkee, in the state of Uttarakhand, India, near Haridwar.
When was it founded?
In 1847 as the Thomason College of Civil Engineering. It became an IIT in 2001.
Why was it created?
To train engineers for the Upper Ganges Canal project.
How large is it?
About 9,000 students and around a thousand faculty and staff members.
What is it best known for?
Civil engineering, water resources, earthquake engineering, hydrology and structural engineering.
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.
Can international students apply?
Yes, under the DASA scheme or through scholarship routes.
What does it cost?
Tuition fees are set by the institute and the government. Check the current tariff.
How far is it from Delhi?
About 180 kilometres to the north.
Architecture, Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Innovation, Sustainable Development
*: 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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