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

When you hear IIT seats, the total number of undergraduate engineering positions offered across all Indian Institutes of Technology each year. Also known as IIT engineering seats, these are the gateways to some of the most competitive and respected technical programs in the world. In 2024, there were just over 17,000 IIT seats available across all 23 IITs. That’s not a lot when you consider over 1 million students take JEE Main just to qualify for JEE Advanced, where only the top 250,000 get a shot at grabbing one of those spots.

Not all seats are created equal. The hardest ones to get are in Computer Science at IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi—cutoffs there often require a rank under 100. Then there are seats reserved for students from the home state of each IIT, which can drop the required rank by hundreds for local applicants. And don’t forget the categories: SC, ST, OBC-NCL, and EWS get separate quotas, which changes how the numbers play out. A student with a rank of 5,000 might get into a mid-tier IIT in a reserved category but miss out entirely in the general pool.

It’s not just about rank. The JEE Advanced, the final entrance exam used to select students for IIT undergraduate programs. Also known as IIT entrance exam, it tests not just memory but problem-solving under pressure. The questions are designed to separate those who’ve practiced smart from those who’ve just crammed. And the truth? Most students who crack it didn’t study 12 hours a day—they studied the right things, consistently, with feedback. They did past papers, tracked their mistakes, and focused on weak areas instead of chasing perfection.

What about the other engineering seats in India, the millions of undergraduate positions offered outside the IIT system. Also known as NIT seats, IIIT seats, state engineering colleges, they are just as important. Many of them offer better placement packages than some IITs, especially in niche fields like robotics or renewable energy. But because they don’t carry the IIT name, they get overlooked. That’s why so many students end up stressed, chasing a single dream, when there are dozens of real paths to a great engineering career.

If you’re aiming for an IIT seat, you need to know the numbers, the rules, and the real game behind the rankings. You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room—you just need to be the most prepared, the most consistent, and the most strategic. Below, you’ll find real insights from students who’ve been there: how many hours actually matter, which IIT is truly the hardest to enter, what cutoffs look like year after year, and how home state quotas change everything. No fluff. Just facts that help you plan better.