IIT Engineering Seats: How Many Are Available and Who Gets Them?

When you hear IIT engineering seats, the total number of undergraduate engineering seats across all Indian Institutes of Technology, allocated based on JEE Advanced rankings and reservation policies. Also known as IIT admissions, these seats are among the most competitive in the world, with fewer than 18,000 spots available each year for over 2 million aspirants. That’s less than 1% of candidates making it in — and it’s not just about scores. Where you’re from, your category, and even which IIT you apply to change everything.

Not all IITs are the same when it comes to seats. IIT Bombay, the IIT with the highest cutoffs, especially for Computer Science, and the most sought-after seats among top rankers might have only 600 seats in CS, while IIT Roorkee, a larger campus with more total seats and slightly lower cutoffs, especially for core branches like Civil or Mechanical might offer 1,200. And here’s the catch: nearly 50% of seats are reserved for home state candidates. So if you’re from Uttar Pradesh, you’re competing for fewer seats at IIT Kanpur than someone from Maharashtra. The JEE Advanced, the only exam that determines admission to IITs, and the gateway to every single engineering seat doesn’t just test your knowledge — it tests your strategy.

It’s not just about getting a high rank. It’s about choosing the right branch, the right IIT, and understanding how quotas work. A rank of 5,000 might get you into IIT Guwahati for Electrical, but not IIT Delhi. A rank of 3,000 might land you in Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras — not the flashy CS track, but still a top-tier seat with great placement numbers. And while some think the system is unfair, it’s designed to balance access across states and communities. What matters most is knowing where you stand, what your options really are, and how to play the game smartly.

Below, you’ll find real posts from students and experts who’ve been through this — from the exact cutoffs that shut doors, to how home state quotas change your chances, to what rank you actually need to walk into the IIT of your dreams. No guesses. No hype. Just the numbers, the rules, and what works.