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Engineering education in North India has grown through institutions established to satisfy infrastructural, industrial, and technological demands in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Many of these universities were formed before India became independent and have since grown into nationally renowned institutions. Some of the oldest engineering colleges in North India are IIT (BHU) Varanasi, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, Harcourt Butler Technical University, etc.
This article discusses the list of the oldest engineering colleges in North India, a year-wise list, along with the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) of 2025 and the general admission process.
List of Oldest Engineering Colleges in North India
The oldest engineering colleges in North India hold an important place in the history of technical education, with some institutions dating back to the pre-independence era. These pioneering institutions were established to meet the growing demands for skilled engineers in infrastructure and industrial development, laying the foundation for the region’s current technological prowess.
Given below is the list of the oldest engineering colleges in North India, year-wise, along with:-
| Oldest Engineering Colleges Name | Year of Establishment | |
| 1847 | 6 | |
| 1886 | 53 | |
| 1919 | 10 | |
| 1921 | - | |
| 1921 | - | |
| 1926 | 15 | |
| 1941 | 30 | |
| 1959 | 4 | |
| 1961 | 2 |
The table above shows the oldest engineering colleges in North India, with IIT Roorkee being the oldest in North India, which was established in 1847, followed by NIT Patna, which was established in 1886 and IIT (BHU) Varanasi, which was established in 1919.
Admission to these engineering colleges in North Indian, especially the centrally-funded institutions like the IITs and NIT, primarily follows a highly competitive centralised process, which includes:-
- National-level entrance examinations like JEE Main and JEE Advanced for NITs and IITs, respectively.
- Qualified candidates participate in a centralised counselling process, such as the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA), where they choose their preferred college and specialisation based on their entrance exam rank.
The oldest engineering colleges in North India represent more than historical milestones; they show the structured growth of technical education in India.
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