Complete guide to IIT Palakkad — cutoffs, fees, placements, departments, hostels, campus life, and everything you need for JEE 2025 admissions.
The Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad (IIT Palakkad or IITPKD) was established in 2015 as one of the six new IITs and is the first and only IIT in Kerala — God's Own Country. It operates from its 540-acre permanent campus at Kanjikode, near Palakkad, inaugurated in 2021.
IIT Palakkad is uniquely positioned as Kerala's apex technical institution, benefiting from the state's exceptional education ecosystem — high literacy, strong school infrastructure, and a culture of academic excellence that produces top JEE rankers year after year.
The institute has pioneered a distinctive academic model with an emphasis on Liberal Engineering — integrating humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary thinking directly into engineering programs. It is among the most progressive IITs in curriculum design.
IIT Palakkad has active research partnerships with ISRO's VSSC Thiruvananthapuram, C-DAC, and KSERC, with growing strengths in clean energy, sustainable systems, and computational sciences. Its location near the Western Ghats also informs significant environmental and biodiversity research.
The annual festival Amaze (technical) and Aatmatrisha (cultural) celebrate the spirit of Kerala and the Western Ghats ecosystem, drawing participants from across South India.
IIT Palakkad holds strong positions in both national and international rankings. Below is a comprehensive overview of all major rankings for 2024–2025.
| Ranking Body | Category | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| NIRF | Engineering | #24 |
| NIRF | Overall | #30 |
| Outlook India | Engineering | #25 |
| India Today | Engineering | #26 |
| ARIIA | Innovation | Band B |
| Ranking Body | Category | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| QS World University | Overall | 1201+ |
| QS Asia | Overall | 401–500 |
| Times Higher Education | World Ranking | 1001+ |
| THE Impact Rankings | SDG 4 (Quality Education) | Top 400 Global |
| Scimago Institutions Rankings | Engineering | Top 800 India |
IIT Palakkad offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs across 8+ academic departments.
| Department | B.Tech / B.Des | M.Tech / M.Sc | PhD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science & Engineering | YES | YES | YES |
| Electrical Engineering | YES | YES | YES |
| Mechanical Engineering | YES | YES | YES |
| Civil Engineering | YES | YES | YES |
| Mathematics | — | YES | YES |
| Physics | — | YES | YES |
| Chemistry | — | YES | YES |
| Humanities & Social Sciences | — | — | YES |
The fee structure at IIT Palakkad is government-regulated. Below is a detailed breakdown for B.Tech students for 2025–26. All amounts are approximate and subject to revision.
| Fee Head | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition Fee (per semester) | ₹1,07,500 |
| Hostel Rent (per semester, approx.) | ₹10,000 – ₹15,000 |
| Mess Charges (per semester, approx.) | ₹22,000 – ₹26,000 |
| Gymkhana / Institute Activity Fee | ₹2,000 |
| Medical Insurance (annual) | ₹2,500 |
| One-Time Admission / Security Deposit | ~₹10,000 |
| Total Estimated Per Year | ~₹3.00 – ₹3.50 Lakh |
| Total Estimated for B.Tech (4 years) | ~₹12 – ₹14 Lakh |
SC/ST Students: Full tuition fee waiver per GoI directive.
EWS / OBC-NCL with family income < ₹5 LPA: Full tuition fee waiver.
Family income ₹5–9 LPA: Two-thirds tuition fee reimbursement via MCM.
MCM Scholarship: Family income < ₹4.5 LPA — tuition + partial hostel covered.
M.Tech: ~₹18,000–20,000 per semester tuition. GATE-qualified students receive HTRA stipend of ₹12,400/month as Teaching Assistants.
PhD: Minimal or no tuition fees. Monthly fellowships range from ₹31,000–₹58,000/month under JRF/SRF schemes.
The table below shows the official Round 6 JoSAA 2025 closing ranks for IIT Palakkad B.Tech programs across all reservation categories.
👉 Scroll horizontally to view OBC / SC / ST closing ranks →
| Program | General (GN) | OBC-NCL | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science and Engineering (B.Tech) | 5,200 | 1,872 | 947 | 475 |
| Electrical Engineering (B.Tech) | 9,200 | 3,312 | 1,676 | 840 |
| Mechanical Engineering (B.Tech) | 14,000 | 5,040 | 2,550 | 1,277 |
| Civil Engineering (B.Tech) | 17,500 | 6,300 | 3,185 | 1,595 |
| Mathematics & Computing (B.Tech) | 7,100 | 2,556 | 1,293 | 648 |
* Gender-Neutral GN Pool. Round 6 JoSAA 2025. Source: JoSAA official portal.
IIT Palakkad CSE — accessible for students in the 5,000–5,500 band. Kerala's only IIT CSE seat with a progressive liberal engineering curriculum.
Good option for students interested in data science and theoretical CS in South India's thriving tech ecosystem.
Proximity to VSSC Thiruvananthapuram (ISRO) and Kerala's electronics industry makes this a strong EE program for space and defence careers.
| Sector | Offers | Avg. CTC |
|---|---|---|
| IT / Software | 80+ | ₹15–30 LPA |
| Engineering & Core | 38+ | ₹11–18 LPA |
| Analytics / Data Science | 22+ | ₹14–26 LPA |
| Finance & BFSI | 15+ | ₹13–28 LPA |
| PSU / Government | 18+ | ₹10–16 LPA |
| Research & Development | 14+ | ₹12–20 LPA |
| Management Consulting | 8+ | ₹15–28 LPA |
| Startups | 8+ | ₹10–20 LPA |
| Branch | Avg. CTC | Placement % |
|---|---|---|
| CSE | ₹26+ LPA | 86%+ |
| Maths & Computing | ₹22+ LPA | 82% |
| EE | ₹17+ LPA | 72% |
| Mechanical | ₹12+ LPA | 62% |
| Civil Engg. | ₹10+ LPA | 55% |
| Year | Avg. CTC | Highest Domestic CTC | Companies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | ₹17.50 LPA | ₹80 L | 120+ |
| 2022–23 | ₹15.80 LPA | ₹70 L | 105+ |
| 2021–22 | ₹14.20 LPA | ₹60 L | 90+ |
| 2020–21 | ₹12.60 LPA | ₹52 L | 78+ |
| 2019–20 | ₹11.00 LPA | ₹44 L | 65+ |
IIT Palakkad's 540-acre permanent campus at Kanjikode sits in the lush greenery of Palakkad district — the 'Gateway of Kerala' — surrounded by paddy fields, the Nelliyampathy hills, and the edge of the Western Ghats.
All incoming B.Tech students are guaranteed hostel accommodation. IIT Palakkad has 6+ hostels.
| # | Hostel Name | Type | Approx. Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Hostel 1 — Nila (Boys) | Boys | 280+ |
| 02 | Hostel 2 — Bharathapuzha (Boys) | Boys | 270+ |
| 03 | Hostel 3 — Meenachil (Boys) | Boys | 260+ |
| 04 | Hostel 4 — Kabani (Boys) | Boys | 250+ |
| 05 | Hostel 5 — Periyar (Girls) | Girls | 220+ |
| 06 | PG & PhD Hostel — Chaliyar | PG / PhD | 150+ |
IIT Palakkad is building focused research capabilities in clean energy, computational sciences, and environmental engineering, with annual research expenditure growing past ₹70 crore — impressive for a 10-year-old institute.
IIT Palakkad's Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) and the Technology IHub Foundation support 25+ startups focused on agritech, cleantech, and education technology — serving Kerala's rural and coastal communities.
The institute collaborates with Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) and benefits from the state's strong startup policy, connecting IIT Palakkad ventures to Kerala's vibrant technology ecosystem and global Malayali diaspora networks.
IIT Palakkad provides a comprehensive financial support system through government, institute, and private scholarships.
| Scholarship / Fellowship | Eligibility | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| MCM (Merit-Cum-Means) Scholarship | Family income < ₹4.5 LPA + CPI criteria | ₹30,000/yr + partial fee waiver |
| Free Messing (SC/ST) | All SC/ST B.Tech students | Free mess + full tuition waiver |
| GoI Post-Matric SC/ST Scholarship | SC/ST from qualifying states | ₹1,200/month + maintenance |
| INSPIRE Fellowship (DST) | Top 1% JEE/Board, Science stream | ₹80,000/yr + ₹20,000 mentor grant |
| Aditya Birla Scholarship | Top JEE Adv. rankers, CSE/EE at IITs | ₹65,000/year |
| Reliance Foundation Scholarship | Merit & means-based UG students | Up to ₹2 Lakh/year |
| Kerala State Scholarship (KPCR) | Kerala domicile students | ₹10,000–₹20,000/year |
| HTRA Fellowship (M.Tech, GATE) | All GATE-qualified M.Tech students | ₹12,400/month assistantship |
| JRF / SRF Fellowship (PhD) | PhD via CSIR / UGC / IIT Palakkad | ₹31,000–₹58,000/month |
| Institute Assistantship (IA) | PhD students without external fellowship | ₹31,000/month + HRA |
Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad
Kanjikode, Palakkad, Kerala – 678623
India
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