A friendly and practical guide for students and parents about the institute that has been nurturing technical talent for over five decades!

Introduction

Did you know? The National Institute of Technology Surathkal is the only engineering college in India with its own private beach (called NITK Beach) and lighthouse, just a 10-minute walk away from the student hostels. It has a lush green campus and is known for its rich wildlife, with one of the most scenic campus environments in the country.

NIT Surathkal consistently ranks among the top 5 NITs in India. Its unique coastal location, strong alumni network, strong placements, and vibrant campus life make it one of the most sought-after NITs.

What makes NIT Surathkal one of the desired institutes? How does a world-class learning environment combine with the unique campus experience? Let’s dive into what makes this institution an engineering powerhouse on the west coast of India!

Quick Snapshot

Particulars	Details
Established	1960
Location	Surathkal, Mangaluru, Karnataka
Campus Size	296 acres
NIRF 2024 Rank	#17 Engineering, #46 Overall
JEE Main Cut-off (2024)	CSE: Rank~1,615; ECE: Rank~4,227; EEE: Rank~7,132; Mech: Rank~12,380; Civil: Rank~22,939
Notable Alumni	K.V. Kamath, Thomas Zacharia, Suhas L. Yathiraj, Vasudev Kamath, Pramod Madhwaraj

The Story: From REC to NIT

• NIT Surathkal’s journey began in 1960 when it was founded as the Karnataka Regional Engineering College (KREC). The institute was one of the first RECs established by the Government of India in a joint venture with the Government of Karnataka. It was established as part of the Indian government’s initiative to set up engineering colleges in major states to meet India’s growing demand for engineers. In fact, it was one of the first 17 RECs set up by the Government of India.
• In 2002, it was upgraded to NIT. As part of this process, it was granted the status of ‘Deemed University’ and was renamed the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka. Presently, as all the NITs are identified by their location, hence the name ‘NIT Surathkal’ is used instead of NITK.
• In 2007, when the NIT Act was passed by Parliament, the institute was declared an ‘Institute of National Importance’. Since then, NIT Surathkal has consistently been a top performer in national rankings, securing a place among the top engineering institutes in India.
• It is located in Surathkal, a coastal town near Mangalore. Its campus is on the Arabian Sea shore, along the Konkan coast and the Mangalore-Udupi highway. As mentioned, it has a private beach (though not entirely restricted to the general public) and a functional lighthouse, a feature that only a few educational institutions of the world possess.

NIRF Rankings

Over the years, NIT Surathkal has consistently ranked high in NIRF, in terms of teaching, learning resources, research productivity, and placement outcomes. Here is a summary of NIT Surathkal’s NIRF performance over three years:

Year	Engineering Rank	Overall Rank
2024	#17	#46
2023	#12	#38
2022	#10	#27

The Admission Process of NIT Surathkal: A Step-by-Step Guide 

Securing a seat at NIT Surathkal requires strong performance in the JEE Main exam. The entire admission process is handled centrally through the JoSAA counselling. The process involves:

Step 1: Appearing in JEE Main:

This is the first and most crucial step. Your performance, i.e. a high rank in this exam, is essential for securing admission at NIT Surathkal, particularly in the popular branches. This step is followed by JoSAA counselling.

Step 2: Understanding the Seat Matrix:

Before the JoSAA counselling process begins, you must familiarise yourself with the seat matrix at an NIT. Essentially, the seat matrix shows the number of available seats per branch. NIT Surathkal, like all NITs, has a reservation policy that divides seats into two main categories:

• Home State (HS) Quota: As per this quota, 50% of seats are reserved for candidates whose home state is Karnataka. The cut-off ranks are relatively relaxed, meaning HS students face less competition.
• Other State (OS) Quota: The remaining 50% of seats (other than Home Quota) are available for students from all other states of India. Competition is very high in this quota, and the cut-off ranks are significantly lower.

Final seat allocation is done in several rounds based on various factors like your AIR, category (GEN, EWS, OBC, SC, ST), and the choices filled.

Step 3: Participate in JoSAA Counselling:

After the JEE Main results are declared, you must register for the JoSAA counselling. During the counselling process, you will have to fill in your preferred choices of institutes and the branches.

For example, if you get a high rank in JEE Main, you may list CSE as your first choice, and then ECE, EEE, and so on. The most important thing is to understand the cut-off trends from previous years to fill proper choices.

Step 4: Secure Your Seat:

If you are indeed allotted a seat (at NIT Surathkal) in the JoSAA counselling, you can accept it and pay the seat acceptance fee within the timeframe provided by JoSAA. After that, you will be ready to move into your dream career via admission at NIT Surathkal!

Step 5: CSAB Rounds:

Based on the choices you filled, JoSAA allocates seats in multiple rounds. If you are not satisfied with your allotted seat, you can participate in further rounds or wait for the CSAB (Central Seat Allocation Board) special rounds. These CSAB rounds are your chance to secure a seat. This process requires a clear understanding of the rules and guidelines to maximise your chances of admission into the desired branch.

The Learning Ecosystem

NIT Surathkal campus is located in the coastal town of Surathkal (a suburb of Mangaluru) and offers an excellent blend of natural beauty and top-notch academic facilities. The campus has world-class facilities for learning, research, sports, and recreation.

1. Academics and Offerings

The academic details related to NIT Surathkal are:

• Departments & Schools: NIT Surathkal has 14 academic departments and 11 support centers, which include Engineering, Sciences, Humanities, and Management.

• Undergraduate Programs: It offers primarily B. Tech across 10 different disciplines (like AI, CSE, ECE, Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Chemical, Metallurgy, Production, etc.)

• Postgraduate & Doctoral Programs: The institute offers M. Tech in over 30 specializations; and MBA, MCA, M. Sc. & PhD programs, to students interested in advanced education and research opportunities.

• School of Management: The institute’s School of Management (SoM), which is part of the School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Management, offers an MBA program, known for its quality education and good placements.

2. Academic, Research & Innovation Facilities

• Central Library: NIT Surathkal has a modern, fully automated technical library, with over 1.77 lakh documents, including journals, e-resources and more. It provides access to thousands of online resources through the e-Shodh Sindhu Consortium and offers access to international databases like Scopus and Web of Science.

(e-Shodh Sindhu Consortium is a program run by the Ministry of Education to provide high-quality electronic resources like journals, e-books, and research databases to academic institutions across India)

• Research Centres: It has dedicated, specialized research centres with a focus on nanotechnology, AI, robotics, renewable energy, and coastal & ocean engineering, among others.
• Centres of Excellence: It has several Centres of Excellence, including the Centre for System Design (CSD) and a Centre for Sustainable Technologies. Its Centre for Continuing Education organises workshops and short-term courses.

(A Centres of Excellence is a team or facility in an organisation that provides leadership, expertise, and best practices for a specific area of focus.)

• Innovation & Incubation Hub: It has start-up support structures like Technology Business Incubator (TBI), NITK Science and Technology Entrepreneurs’ Park (NITK-STEP) and The Centre for Technology Incubation & Entrepreneurship Development (CTIED). These provide various types of support to start-ups, such as mentorship, funding, and infrastructure support.
• Digital Infrastructure: NIT Surathkal has a Wi-Fi-enabled campus, virtual classrooms, and top-notch computing facilities.

3. Faculty

• NIT Surathkal has around 300 experienced faculty members.
• Almost all faculty members hold a PhD from reputed premier Indian and foreign institutes.
• Many professors are involved in cutting-edge research and have national and international patents in their name. They are also part of various projects funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), ISRO, DRDO, etc.

4. Hostels & Mess Facilities

• NIT Surathkal has 12 boys’ hostels, 5 for girls and an International Hostel. Recently, new Mega Hostel Towers have been built, which will further add to the capacity.
• Hostels have high-speed internet connections, spacious rooms with study and recreation facilities, gymnasiums, and 24/7 security.
• The campus has multiple mess facilities that operate on a block-wise system, offering a variety of North Indian and South Indian vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisines.

5. Industry Collaboration

• NIT Surathkal has forged strong ties with the industry by entering into Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with numerous national and multinational corporations.
• These collaborations allow students to be part of internships, joint research projects, and on-campus sponsored labs. The list of corporate partners includes big names like Microsoft, Oracle, Bosch, Mercedes-Benz Research, Intel, Infosys, Wipro and many more.

Vibrant Student Culture 

1. Student Diversity:

As 50% of seats are reserved for students from other states of India, the campus of NIT Surathkal is a confluence of different cultures, languages, and traditions.

This diversity helps in developing a truly national spirit, fosters unity and broadens perspectives.”

• Gender Ratio:

NIT Surathkal has been making continuous efforts to encourage more female participation in its courses. As a result, the female student population at the institute has increased from 21.8% in 2019-20 to 23.2% in 2023-24. A breakup of the gender ratio is as follows:

Category	Female	Male
UG Students	23.2%	76.8%
PG Students	~25%	~75%
Faculty gender ratio (Science discipline)	~26.92%	~73.08%

3. Clubs / Societies

NIT Surathkal has a vibrant ecosystem of student clubs, cultural societies, technical teams, and social service groups. There are various student groups that provide opportunities to the students in various streams apart from formal studies.

In fact, NIT Surathkal has more than 50 student-run clubs. These enable students to work on projects, organise events, and build leadership skills. Some such clubs and societies include:

Category	Name of the Clubs / Societies
Technical Clubs	Robotics Club; IEEE Student Branch; ACM Student Chapter, WebClub NITK (Web Enthusiasts’ Club); SARG (Systems Administration and Related Groups); The Flying and Robotics Club (TFRC); E-Cell (Entrepreneurship Cell); Web Enthusiasts’ Club (WEC); OpenSource Club; Blockchain Club
Cultural Societies / Fine Arts	Music Club; Dance Crew; Dramatics Club (The Artery); Film And Media Club (FAMC); Art Circle; Literary Club; Artists’ Forum, Debate Society
Language Groups	Hindi Club (Spicmacay & Literary); Kannada Vedike, Tamil Mandram; Telugu Association
Social Services	National Service Scheme (NSS); NCC (National Cadet Corps), Engineers Without Borders (EWB); Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CSIE); Rotaract Club
Academic/Professional Societies	ASME Student Chapter, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE Club); Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE); Chemical Engineering Association (ChEA), Mechanical Engineering Society

6. Sports & Recreation

• NIT Surathkal’s campus has various sports facilities like Cricket & football grounds, multiple basketball courts, an athletics track, gym facilities, an international-standard swimming pool and indoor facilities like badminton, tennis & squash courts.
• Due to the location (adjacent to the beach) of the campus, unique sports activities such as beach volleyball, surfing.
• Students get ample opportunities to be part of various fitness clubs and departmental sports meets.

4. Cultural Events

NIT Surathkal hosts various fests, including:

Category	Clubs/Societies
Incident	This is the annual cultural festival and is one of the largest in South India. It features performances involving music, dance, and shows by artists and bands.
Engineer	This is the technical festival, and features a variety of events, workshops, and competitions related to technical aspects like robotics, coding etc.
Reminiscence	The annual inter-departmental cultural fest where different academic departments compete in various events.
Crescendo	The intra-institution cultural festival where different hostel blocks compete against each other in a variety of events.
Phoenix	The annual intra-institution sports festival that promotes a culture of fitness and healthy competition among students.

NIT Surathkal Placements 2024: Average & Highest Packages

NIT Surathkal has an excellent placement record, and companies from diverse sectors like IT, core engineering, consulting, and finance visit the campus for the recruitment drive.

The institute’s Department of Training and Placement undertakes the responsibility of connecting students with recruiters.

Particulars	2023-24	2022-23	2021-22
Highest Salary	₹55 LPA	₹54.75 LPA	₹45.03 LPA
Average Salary	₹24.56 LPA	₹29.23 LPA	₹23.03 LPA
Placement Percentage	73%	93%	93%

NIT Surathkal Fees 2024–25: Category-Wise B. Tech Costs

The total fee for the four-year B. Tech program (including tuition, hostel, mess and other charges) is around ₹8 lakhs for general category students. The fee structure is comparable to other NITs, and the institute also provides tuition fee waivers based on parental income and category.

1. NIT Surathkal Fee Structure for 2024-25 (B. Tech Costs)

Particulars	Gen/OBC/EWS (>₹5 lakh/year)	Gen/OBC/EWS (₹1–5 lakh/ year)	Gen/OBC/EWS (<₹1 lakh/ year)	SC/ST/PwD
Tuition Fee	₹1,25,000	₹41,667	NIL	NIL
Other Charges	₹22,000	₹22,000	₹22,000	₹22,000
Hostel & Mess Charges	₹45,000	₹45,000	₹45,000	₹45,000
Total First Year Fee	₹1,92,000	₹1,08,667	₹67,000	₹67,000

Alumni Impact

NIT Surathkal’s alumni have made significant contributions in India and abroad, in various spheres of industry like technology, business, academia, and public service. Some notable names include:

Names	Details
K. V. Kamath	Former Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Bank, Former Chairman of Infosys, Former President of the New Development Bank (BRICS Bank)
Thomas Zacharia	Former Director, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA
Suhas L. Yathiraj	IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, Silver medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Vasudev Kamath	Renowned Indian painter and former President of the Bombay Art Society
Pramod Madhwaraj	Indian politician, former Minister of State for Fisheries, Youth Empowerment and Sports, Government of Karnataka

Comparison with Other Top Institutions

A comparison of NIT Surathkal on various parameters with the other top NITs in India for a better overall perspective is as follows:

Metric	NIT Surathkal	NIT Trichy	NIT Rourkela	NIT Calicut	NIT Warangal
NIRF 2024 Ranking (Engineering)	17	9	13	21	28
Highest International Package (2024)	55 LPA	52.89 LPA	62.44 LPA	43.2 LPA	88 LPA
B. Tech Average Package (2024)	₹24.56 LPA	₹14.35 LPA	₹14.1 LPA	₹13.3 LPA	₹10.7 LPA (Median)
B.Tech Placement Rate (2024)	73%	88.9%	NA	72%	86%
Campus Size	296 acres	800 acres	650 acres	300 acres	250 acres

Why Choose NIT Surathkal?

Here’s why students and parents consider NIT Surathkal a great investment in education:

• Consistent rankings: NIT Surathkal is consistently ranked among the top 3 NITs and top 15 engineering colleges in India.

• Research-Oriented Culture: It has various research centres, and highly qualified faculty and provides opportunities to get involved in real-world projects and develop problem-solving skills.
• Top Placements: The institute boasts one of the best placement records among all NITs, with high average packages.
• Unique campus life: The campus location at the beach provides a unique and refreshing environment for learning and personal growth.
• Locational Advantage: It is located in the industrial and IT hub of Mangalore and thus provides excellent opportunities for internships and industry interaction.
• Affordable fee: It has an affordable fee structure compared to private colleges.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)