How hard is it to get into IIT Bombay?

Getting into IIT Bombay is extremely difficult, considered one of the toughest engineering institutes globally, with a minuscule acceptance rate (around 0.5-0.6%) due to millions of applicants for limited seats (~1,200 B.Tech) through the highly competitive JEE Advanced, often requiring top ranks (under 500 for general category). It demands intense, consistent preparation, deep conceptual understanding, and immense perseverance over a vast pool of India's brightest students.

Is getting into IIT Bombay hard?

Getting into IIT is actually harder than getting into MIT or Oxford. Yes, you heard that right. Every year, around 1.9 to 2 lakh students appear for the JEE Advanced exam and only about 17 to 18 thousand make it to the IITs. Now let us compare this with some top global universities.

Is IIT harder than Harvard?

It's difficult to say which is objectively "harder" as IIT and Harvard have vastly different admission processes, but IIT admissions are statistically much harder due to extremely low acceptance rates (often <1%) based solely on intense exams (JEE Advanced), while Harvard's holistic review (essays, extracurriculars, grades) has slightly higher, but still very low, rates (~3-4%). Many argue that cracking the IIT exam requires unparalleled, single-minded focus and test-taking skill, making it harder to get in, whereas Harvard's complexity and focus on overall profile make it a different, but equally tough, challenge. 

Is IIT Bombay the hardest college to get into?

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay, India)

One of India's top engineering institutes, IIT Bombay is extremely competitive. The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Advanced) for the IITs is considered one of the toughest standardized tests in the world, with acceptance rates often well below 2% for top ranks.

What rank do you need to get into IIT Bombay?

The candidates aspiring to get admission in the IIT Bombay usually need a rank in the first 500. A rank within 4500 is generally required for admission in the new IITs. For admission into IITs, applicants are required to secure 250 marks and above in JEE Advanced and secure a percentile range of 85-95.

Why are IITs so Tough to Crack?

Did Mukesh Ambani clear IIT-JEE?

It is true! Mukesh Ambani cleared IITJEE and secured a rank good enough that he even joined IIT Bombay. When the inter-science results were announced later, he left IITB to join ICT, Mumbai(then UDCT) to pursue Chemical Engineering.

Is IIT tougher than MIT?

Both MIT and IIT are incredibly tough, but in different ways: IIT is known for its notoriously difficult, single-shot entrance exam (JEE Advanced), making admission extremely competitive based on exam performance, while MIT has a highly holistic review process that is also very hard to get into due to global competition and rigorous academic/personal profile demands, though its coursework emphasizes practical application and may feel less theoretically punishing than some IIT grading curves. Getting into an IIT might be statistically harder due to the low acceptance rate from a massive applicant pool, but MIT's admission process tests a broader range of skills and creativity. 

What is the #1 hardest school to get into?

There isn't one single #1 hardest school, as it changes slightly by year and criteria, but Harvard University, Stanford University, MIT, and Caltech consistently rank among the top with extremely low acceptance rates (often 3-4%) and intense competition for spots, though other top global universities like Oxford and Tsinghua are also incredibly selective. Harvard is frequently cited as the hardest due to its high volume of applications and focus on global leadership potential, while Caltech is known for its extreme difficulty in STEM. 

Who got 360 out of 360 in IIT?

Meet man, IIT-JEE topper, who scoring 360 out of 360, went to IIT Bombay with AIR 1, skipped place... IIT JEE Topper Kalpit Veerwal achieved the All India ...

Which IIT topper went to MIT?

Chitraang Murdia – A Prodigy and JEE Topper who studied at IIT, MIT & UC Berkeley.

What is the hardest subject in IIT?

Mathematics is widely known as the most difficult subject in JEE Main.

Why did Bill Gates quit Harvard?

In 1975, the MITS Altair 8800 was released based on the Intel 8080 CPU, and Gates and Allen saw the opportunity to start their own computer software company. Gates dropped out of Harvard that same year. His parents were supportive of him after seeing how much he wanted to start his own company.

Is IIT Bombay better than MIT?

Choose IIT if you want world-class education at an affordable cost, mainly for an Indian career, and can ace JEE Advanced. Choose MIT if you seek global exposure, international peers, world-leading research, and are ready for higher application competition and costs.

What is the 80/20 rule in JEE Mains?

But in the race for the JEE Main Exam, hard work without strategy is just running on a treadmill. You're sweating, but you aren't going anywhere. This is where the 80/20 Rule comes in. Simply put: 80% of your marks will come from 20% of your efforts.

Is IIT Bombay stressful?

It appears that 76% of the students polled acknowledged that they experienced stress and attributed it to academics; 14% claimed the reasons were non-academic in nature; and the remaining 10% said they felt no stress at all.

Where do top 1% send kids to college?

The "top 1%" of students, referring to those from the highest income brackets, tend to attend elite universities like MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, and Yale that consistently rank high in national and global lists, with some even having more students from the top 1% income bracket than the bottom 60% combined, according to The New York Times data. Top-ranked institutions like MIT, Princeton, Harvard, and Stanford are frequent top contenders in various 2026 rankings from U.S. News & World Report and Times Higher Education. 

What is the easiest ivy?

Cornell is considered the “easiest” Ivy League to get into because it has the highest Ivy League acceptance rate.

Where do the 1% go to college?

The 1% of the wealthiest Americans disproportionately attend highly selective, elite universities, particularly Ivy League schools (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Brown, Penn, Columbia) and other top institutions like MIT, Stanford, Duke, and UChicago, where they make up a large percentage of the student body, often outnumbering students from the bottom 60% of income earners combined. Liberal arts colleges and prestigious public universities also attract many wealthy students, with specific examples including WashU St. Louis, UVA, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Vanderbilt, and Johns Hopkins.
 

Did Mukesh Ambani study in IIT Bombay?

Mukesh Ambani - Yeah, you read the name right. Mukesh Ambani, India's richest person since 2008, cleared IIT-JEE and joined IIT Bombay. It is believed that he left IIT-B to join ICT, Mumbai (then UDCT) to pursue Chemical Engineering as the Inter-Science results were announced a few weeks later.

Is IIT or Harvard better?

Frequently Asked Questions on Harvard vs IIT

If you compare the University rankings, Harvard ranks higher than IITs and IIMs, because of 3 parameters - student to faculty ratio, % of international students, and % of international faculty.

Is an IIT degree valid in the USA?

Graduates from IITs and MIT can work in the U.S. using OPT and H-1B visas, but the results vary.

Is an MBA from IIT Bombay worth it?

Absolutely! Top IITs like Bombay, Delhi, and Madras have established MBA programs that stand out for their lower fees, excellent ROI, and strong placements. What makes them even better? Students from all degrees can apply, and even those with lower academics have a fair shot.