National Institute of Technology Rourkela
(NIT Rourkela)Last Updated: Jun 10, 2026
Established
1961
Campus Size
640.00 Acres
Total Students
6,500
Faculty
310
Student-Faculty
21:1
NIT Rourkela Cutoff Marks for JEE Main and Entrance Exams
NIT Rourkela (NITR) admission to B.Tech programmes is through JEE Main, followed by seat allocation via JoSAA counselling. Ranked #19 among engineering colleges by NIRF 2024, NIT Rourkela is one of the top 5 NITs and offers B.Tech in 14 specialisations - the widest range among top NITs - including Dual Degree (B.Tech+M.Tech) programmes in Chemical, Ceramic, Metallurgical, and Mining Engineering. With approximately 900-1,060 B.Tech seats, NIT Rourkela sits at the Tier 1-2 boundary in cutoff competitiveness.
Branch-wise Closing Ranks - JoSAA 2024 (Round 5/6, Other State, Gender-Neutral)
Ranks shown are closing ranks. General & EWS use Common Rank List (CRL); OBC-NCL, SC, ST use respective category ranks.
| Branch | General (CR) | OBC-NCL (CR) | SC (CR) | ST (CR) | EWS (CR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science & Engg. | 3,200 | 1,081 | 450 | 200 | 700 |
| Electronics & Comm. Engg. | 7,500 | 3,000 | 1,500 | 650 | 1,900 |
| Electrical Engineering | 8,500 | 3,400 | 1,700 | 740 | 2,200 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 14,500 | 5,800 | 2,900 | 1,500 | 3,800 |
| Chemical Engineering | 16,000 | 6,400 | 3,200 | 1,650 | 4,200 |
| Biotechnology | 29,496 | 11,800 | 6,000 | 3,100 | 7,800 |
| Civil Engineering | 26,250 | 10,500 | 5,300 | 2,700 | 6,800 |
| Metallurgical & Materials (Dual) | 28,568 | 9,899 | 6,290 | 2,260 | 5,539 |
| Mining Engineering (Dual) | 40,000 | 14,000 | 7,200 | 3,700 | 9,500 |
| Ceramic Engineering (Dual) | 45,000 | 16,000 | 8,000 | 4,200 | 10,500 |
| Food Process Engineering | 38,000 | 13,500 | 6,800 | 3,600 | 9,000 |
| Life Science (Integrated) | 42,000 | 15,000 | 7,500 | 3,900 | 9,800 |
Branch-wise Closing Ranks - JoSAA 2023 (Round 6, Other State, Gender-Neutral)
Ranks shown are closing ranks. General & EWS use Common Rank List (CRL); OBC-NCL, SC, ST use respective category ranks.
| Branch | General (CR) | OBC-NCL (CR) | SC (CR) | ST (CR) | EWS (CR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science & Engg. | 4,218 | 1,350 | 550 | 240 | 850 |
| Electronics & Comm. Engg. | 8,500 | 3,400 | 1,700 | 740 | 2,200 |
| Electrical Engineering | 9,500 | 3,800 | 1,900 | 820 | 2,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 15,500 | 6,200 | 3,100 | 1,600 | 4,000 |
| Chemical Engineering | 17,500 | 7,000 | 3,500 | 1,800 | 4,600 |
| Biotechnology | 35,000 | 14,000 | 7,000 | 3,600 | 9,200 |
| Civil Engineering | 29,000 | 11,600 | 5,800 | 3,000 | 7,500 |
| Metallurgical & Materials (Dual) | 32,000 | 12,800 | 6,400 | 3,300 | 8,200 |
| Mining Engineering (Dual) | 45,000 | 18,000 | 9,000 | 4,600 | 11,500 |
| Ceramic Engineering (Dual) | 50,000 | 20,000 | 10,000 | 5,100 | 13,000 |
| Food Process Engineering | 42,000 | 16,800 | 8,400 | 4,400 | 11,000 |
| Life Science (Integrated) | 48,289 | 19,000 | 9,500 | 4,900 | 12,200 |
Year-over-Year Cutoff Trends - JEE Main (General Category, Other State)
Cutoffs across all top NITs tightened significantly from 2023 to 2024, driven by increased JEE Main registrations (exceeding 11 lakh candidates) and growing preference for established NITs. Lower closing rank numbers indicate harder-to-crack cutoffs.
| Branch | 2024 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science & Engg. | 3,200 | 4,218 | ↓ 1,018 (much tighter) |
| Electronics & Comm. Engg. | 7,500 | 8,500 | ↓ 1,000 (tighter) |
| Electrical Engineering | 8,500 | 9,500 | ↓ 1,000 (tighter) |
| Mechanical Engineering | 14,500 | 15,500 | ↓ 1,000 (tighter) |
| Civil Engineering | 26,250 | 29,000 | ↓ 2,750 (tighter) |
| Biotechnology | 29,496 | 35,000 | ↓ 5,504 (much tighter) |
| Mining Engineering (Dual) | 40,000 | 45,000 | ↓ 5,000 (tighter) |
| Ceramic Engineering (Dual) | 45,000 | 50,000 | ↓ 5,000 (tighter) |
Key Factors Affecting NIT Rourkela Cutoffs
- JEE Main Difficulty & Candidate Pool: JEE Main 2024 saw over 11 lakh registrations. Increased participation raises competition, tightening cutoff ranks at top NITs.
- Home State vs Other State Quota: 50% of seats are reserved for Odisha domicile candidates (HS quota). HS cutoffs are typically 2-4x more relaxed in rank terms than OS cutoffs for the same branch.
- Branch Popularity Shifts: CSE, AI, and Data Science branches have seen the sharpest tightening due to the IT sector boom. Core engineering branches (Mechanical, Civil) have seen moderate tightening as students increasingly prefer these at top NITs over CSE at lower-ranked colleges.
- Supernumerary Female Seats: JoSAA provides additional female-only seats beyond the regular intake. These have separate (typically more relaxed) closing ranks.
- Reservation Policy: Category reservation follows Government of India norms: OBC-NCL 27%, SC 15%, ST 7.5%, EWS 10%. Category-wise cutoffs use respective category ranks, not Common Rank List.
Admission Process Overview
- JEE Main (B.Tech): Qualify JEE Main Paper 1 (conducted by NTA). Minimum eligibility: 75% in Class 12 (65% for SC/ST) with Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects.
- JoSAA Counselling: Register on the JoSAA portal, fill college-branch preference list, and participate in 5-6 rounds of centralised seat allocation based on JEE Main All India Rank.
- CSAB Special Rounds: After JoSAA, CSAB conducts 1-2 special rounds for vacant seats at NITs and other government institutes.
- Document Verification: Report to the allotted institute with original documents for verification and fee payment.
- GATE (M.Tech): For M.Tech admission, qualify GATE and participate in CCMT (Centralized Counselling for M.Tech) with multiple rounds of allotment based on GATE score.
NIT Rourkela GATE Cutoff 2023 for M.Tech Admission (CCMT)
Scores are GATE normalised marks (out of 1000). Admission through CCMT centralised counselling.
| M.Tech Specialisation | General | OBC-NCL | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science & Engg. | 610 | 566 | 430 | 340 |
| Information Security | 590 | 540 | 410 | 320 |
| Software Engineering | 570 | 520 | 400 | 310 |
| VLSI & Embedded Systems | 530 | 480 | 370 | 290 |
| Power Electronics & Drives | 460 | 420 | 320 | 250 |
| Structural Engineering | 420 | 380 | 290 | 230 |
| Thermal Science & Energy | 351 | 308 | 250 | 200 |
| Chemical Engineering | 420 | 380 | 290 | 230 |
NIT Rourkela vs Other Top NITs - JEE Main Cutoff Comparison 2024 (General, Other State)
| Branch | NIT Trichy | NIT Surathkal | NIT Warangal | NIT Calicut | NIT Rourkela |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSE (Gen OS) | 1,224 | 1,615 | 2,186 | 4,482 | 3,200 |
| ECE (Gen OS) | 3,691 | 5,662 | 5,014 | 7,433 | 7,500 |
| EEE (Gen OS) | 8,996 | 6,322 | 8,257 | 11,415 | 8,500 |
| Mechanical (Gen OS) | 13,500 | 12,500 | 13,000 | 23,766 | 14,500 |
| Civil (Gen OS) | 18,965 | 32,691 | 25,857 | 31,500 | 26,250 |
| Chemical (Gen OS) | 13,950 | 19,080 | 22,000 | 34,500 | 16,000 |
Lower rank number = harder to crack. NIT Trichy consistently has the tightest cutoffs among all NITs for CSE. NITK Surathkal and NIT Warangal compete closely for 2nd/3rd position.
How to Check NIT Rourkela Cutoff
- Visit the official JoSAA website: josaa.admissions.nic.in
- Navigate to "Opening & Closing Ranks" under Seat Matrix section
- Select the academic year, institute name (National Institute of Technology Rourkela), programme, and round
- The portal displays opening and closing ranks for each branch by category and quota (HS/OS)
- For M.Tech GATE cutoffs, visit the CCMT portal: ccmt.admissions.nic.in and navigate to the OR-CR section
NIT Rourkela JEE Main Cutoff (2023)
| Year | Branch / Programme | Category | Opening Rank | Closing Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Round 1 | General | 3,218 | 6,842 |
| 2023 | Round 1 | OBC-NCL | 1,204 | 2,518 |
| 2023 | Round 1 | SC | 342 | 764 |
NIT Rourkela GATE Cutoff (2023)
| Year | Branch / Programme | Category | Cutoff Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Round 1 | General | 648.00 |
| 2023 | Round 1 | OBC-NCL | 583.00 |
| 2023 | Round 1 | SC | 431.00 |
Frequently Asked Questions - NIT Rourkela Cutoff
Q: What JEE Main rank is needed for CSE at NIT Rourkela?
CSE at NIT Rourkela requires a JEE Main rank within approximately 3,200 (General, Other State) as per JoSAA 2024. This translates to roughly a 99.65+ percentile. The cutoff tightened significantly from 4,218 in 2023. For Home State (Odisha), CSE closes around rank 7,807-7,853.
Q: What are Dual Degree programmes at NIT Rourkela?
NIT Rourkela offers integrated B.Tech+M.Tech (5-year) Dual Degree programmes in Chemical, Ceramic, Metallurgical & Materials, and Mining Engineering. These have more relaxed cutoffs (rank 28,568-50,000) and guarantee an M.Tech degree in 5 years instead of the separate 4+2 year path.
Q: What is the GATE cutoff for M.Tech at NIT Rourkela?
M.Tech CSE at NIT Rourkela requires a GATE score of approximately 610 (General) via CCMT 2024, with the overall range spanning 351-610 across all specialisations. NIT Rourkela offers 775 M.Tech seats - the most among the top 5 NITs.
Q: How does NIT Rourkela compare with other top NITs?
NIT Rourkela sits at the Tier 1-2 boundary. CSE OS General closes at ~3,200 - more relaxed than NIT Trichy (1,224), NITK (1,615), or NITW (2,186), but tighter than most other NITs. NIT Rourkela is ranked #19 (NIRF) and has the widest branch selection among top NITs with 14 specialisations.
Q: What are the easiest branches at NIT Rourkela?
Ceramic Engineering Dual Degree has the most relaxed cutoff at rank ~45,000 (General OS) in 2024. Life Science Integrated (42,000), Mining Engineering Dual (40,000), and Food Process Engineering (38,000) are also accessible - requiring approximately a 93-95 percentile in JEE Main.
Q: Does NIT Rourkela have a Home State advantage for Odisha students?
Yes. 50% of seats are reserved for Odisha domicile candidates. HS cutoffs are significantly more relaxed - CSE HS closes at ~7,807 compared to OS at ~3,200. For lower-demand branches like Civil, HS cutoffs can go up to rank 35,000-41,000.