Quick Facts
- IIT Delhi reported a UG median salary of Rs 19,08,000 in NIRF 2025 filings.
- NIT Trichy charges Rs 62,500 tuition per semester, far below its Rs 14,35,000 median salary.
- Compare median salary against total four year cost before accepting any seat.
In This Article
Placement ROI measures how quickly a graduate’s first salary repays the full cost of the degree. A college with lower fees and a solid median salary can beat a costlier campus with a louder highest package.
Every institution ranked by NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) files its median salary and placement counts with the Ministry of Education. Those filings, published on the official NIRF India Rankings portal, let families compare campuses on verified numbers instead of brochure claims.
Key Takeaways
- Median salary, not the highest package, is the honest number for judging placement ROI at any college.
- Government institutes recover their fees fastest because tuition stays capped while median salaries remain strong.
- Income based fee remission can cut tuition to zero, changing the ROI maths completely for eligible families.
- Placement rate matters as much as salary, since unplaced graduates earn nothing against the same fee.
CampusFeed Take
The most useful number in Indian engineering admissions is also the least advertised. Institutes publicise a single crore rupee offer, yet their own NIRF filings carry a median salary that describes the typical graduate far better. Families comparing seats during JoSAA counselling should read those filings first, because a campus charging Rs 5 Lakh with a Rs 14 Lakh median can outperform a costlier one on repayment speed. CampusFeed expects fee transparency to matter more as NIRF 2026 rankings arrive later this year, since placement disclosures now sit beside cost data in the public domain. By Avinash.
Placement ROI Data: Fees Against Median Salary
Placement ROI compares the total cost of a degree with the median salary its graduates actually receive. The table below uses figures filed by each institute with NIRF for the 2025 ranking cycle, alongside published fee circulars.
| Institute | NIRF 2025 Engineering Rank | Tuition Per Semester | UG Median Salary (2023-24) | Students Placed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIT Madras | 1 | Rs 1,00,000 (approx) | Refer NIRF filing | Refer NIRF filing |
| IIT Delhi | 2 | Rs 1,00,000 | Rs 19,08,000 | 711 of 946 graduates |
| NIT Tiruchirappalli | 9 | Rs 62,500 | Rs 14,35,000 | 791 of 1,029 graduates |
| BITS Pilani | 11 | Refer institute circular | Refer NIRF filing | Refer NIRF filing |
The most striking figure is the gap in tuition. NIT Trichy charges Rs 62,500 per semester against IIT Delhi’s Rs 1,00,000, yet its median salary of Rs 14,35,000 stays within reach of IIT Delhi’s Rs 19,08,000.
About NIRF
NIRF is the official ranking framework of the Ministry of Education, Government of India, launched in 2015 with its first rankings published in 2016. It ranks institutions across categories including Engineering, Management and Overall, scoring them on teaching, research, graduation outcomes, outreach and perception. Every participating institute submits verified placement and salary data through the Data Capturing System, making the NIRF portal a primary source for admission decisions.
How Do You Calculate Placement ROI?
Placement ROI is the ratio between total degree cost and first year median salary. Add four years of tuition, annual charges, one time fees and hostel costs, then divide by the median salary reported in the institute’s NIRF filing.
IIT Delhi lists tuition at Rs 1,00,000 per semester for General, OBC-NCL and EWS students whose annual family income crosses Rs 5 Lakh, according to its 2025 entry fee circular. Against a median salary of Rs 19,08,000, the tuition component of the degree is repaid inside a single year of work.
The same circular records tuition of Rs 33,333 per semester for families earning between Rs 1 Lakh and Rs 5 Lakh, and full remission below Rs 1 Lakh. NIT Trichy applies a comparable structure, with full remission of its Rs 62,500 tuition below Rs 1 Lakh family income and two thirds remission in the Rs 1 Lakh to Rs 5 Lakh band.
Why Median Salary Beats Highest Package
Median salary is the midpoint figure, meaning half the placed graduates earned more and half earned less. Highest package describes one student and tells a family nothing about the outcome their own child should expect.
NIRF filings require the median, which is why they remain the fairest comparison tool available. IIT Delhi placed 711 of 946 graduating students in 2023-24, while NIT Trichy placed 791 of 1,029. Those placement rates deserve equal weight, because a graduate who is not placed earns nothing against the same four year fee.
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Engineering and Technology accounted for 11.8 percent of undergraduate enrolment nationally, according to the Ministry of Education AISHE (All India Survey on Higher Education) 2021-22 report released through PIB. With lakhs of students entering the stream annually, cost comparison affects a very large group of families.
What This Means For You
If you are a student
Look up the NIRF filing of every college on your JoSAA choice list before you lock preferences. The median salary and placement count sit in the same document, so you can judge placement ROI in minutes. A lower ranked government institute may repay its fees faster than a costlier private campus.
If you are a parent
Check the income based fee remission slabs published by each institute. If your annual family income falls below Rs 5 Lakh, tuition at IIT Delhi drops to Rs 33,333 per semester, and below Rs 1 Lakh it becomes nil. These slabs change the affordability picture more than any scholarship advertisement.
If you are a school principal or teacher
Teach Class 12 students to read NIRF filings during counselling sessions. Students who compare median salary against total fees make calmer choices than those chasing headline packages. This single skill reduces family stress across the admission season.
If you work in policy or media
Median salary and placement counts are already public for every ranked institute. Reporting that pairs cost with outcome serves readers better than coverage built around one exceptional offer.
What Is Next
NIRF 2026 rankings are expected later in 2026, and the Data Capturing System submission window has already closed. Fresh median salary figures will arrive with that release. Key dates to track:
- NIRF 2026 rankings: expected in the second half of 2026, date to be notified by the Ministry of Education
- Institute fee circulars: published before each admission round on official websites
Which number will you weigh more heavily this admission season, the fee or the median salary?
Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated: July 22, 2026 at 11:30 IST
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and is based on publicly available information at the time of publishing. Exam dates, cutoffs, fees, deadlines, eligibility criteria, and scholarship details can change without notice. Always verify the latest information from the official portal of the relevant body (NIRF, the Ministry of Education, or the concerned institute) before taking any action. CampusFeed and its authors are not responsible for decisions made based on this article. This is not legal, financial, or career advice. Please consult a qualified professional for individual guidance.
Written by Avinash. Published: July 22, 2026. Updated: July 22, 2026. Have a tip or correction? Write to us at editorial@campusfeed.in.
