18 institutes — IITs, NITs, IIITs, BITS, DTU, NSUT and the big private names. We lead with average and median packages, not the "highest package" circus — because the median is what the middle of the batch actually earns. Every figure is dated by placement batch and source. Where a number comes from a single placement portal, it is flagged as reported, not gospel.
📖 HOW TO READ PLACEMENT STATS
CTC is not take-home. CTC can include joining bonuses, and ESOPs can inflate a headline CTC that never materialises as cash. "Highest package" is an outlier — usually one quant-fund or international offer that tells you nothing about your chances. "Placed %" is measured against students registered for placement, not the full graduating batch — students opting for higher studies or off-campus offers often drop out of the denominator. Branch is everything: at most institutes, CSE/electronics averages are 1.5–3× the institute's overall average, while core branches can sit far below it. Verify every figure against the institute's official placement cell before deciding.
This is a curated directory, not a ranking: these are the institutes we'd recommend researching to our own family. Placement numbers are volatile — a 2024-25 figure does not predict your 2029 batch. Fees, fees, fees: always run the four-year total cost against the median, never the highest. Pair this with the honest India higher-ed guide and the new-grads job playbook.