Civil engineering has emerged as the biggest surprise in the first round of IIT seat preferences for 2026, with top-ranked students showing renewed interest in the branch even as computer science engineering continues to remain the most sought-after choice. The biggest changes were seen at IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi, where civil engineering attracted candidates with much higher ranks compared with last year, a TOI report stated.
At IIT Bombay, civil engineering opened at an All India Rank of 385 in 2026, a major improvement from 2,666 in 2025. IIT Delhi also saw the opening rank move sharply from 3,030 last year to 179 this year. Similar changes were reported at IIT Roorkee and IIT Bhubaneswar, highlighting a shift in how some students are looking at traditional engineering fields.
AI concerns and infrastructure growth push students towards core branches
The renewed interest in civil engineering comes at a time when artificial intelligence is changing expectations around future careers. Experts believe some students are now looking beyond software careers and considering core engineering disciplines that may offer long-term stability.
“AI fears are accelerating the move toward core branches like civil for students seeking stability,” said Bhushan Jamsandekar, an IIT Madras alumnus.
However, computer science engineering continued to maintain its strong position at leading IITs. Initial 2026 admission data showed that cut-offs for computer science at IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi and IIT Madras remained largely unchanged.
IIT Bombay civil engineering gains attention
IIT Bombay civil engineering professor and former head Deepankar Choudhury said the changing preference was expected due to improving opportunities in the sector.
“Campus placements were very good this year across several disciplines, including civil, structural and environmental engineering. Also IIT Bombay Civil stands at all India Rank 1 according to the latest QS ranking. There are fewer graduates, and opportunities are many due to major infrastructure growth in India,” he said.
Experts also pointed towards the country’s expanding infrastructure needs as a reason behind the growing interest in civil engineering.
“Nationally, there is a push for infrastructure. But top performers still dominate computer science. Civil graduates who learn AI tools will be even stronger. It’s a smart recalibration for many students,” said Jamsandekar, who is also head of Narayana CO Campus, Nerul.
Computer science remains the top choice at older IITs
Despite the rise of civil engineering, computer science continued to dominate the IIT admission race. The Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) released the first round of allotments for 67,323 seats across 134 institutions, including IITs and NITs.
At IIT Bombay, computer science remained the toughest programme to enter, opening at Rank 1 and closing at Rank 65 compared with Rank 68 last year.
IIT Delhi’s computer science programme opened at Rank 35 and closed at Rank 123, while IIT Madras opened at Rank 67 and closed at Rank 149.
The trend continued in the female-only supernumerary category, where IIT Bombay closed at Rank 395, followed by IIT Madras at Rank 539 and IIT Delhi at Rank 681.
Older IITs continue to dominate engineering preferences
The popularity of established IITs remained strong. Computer science at IIT Kharagpur closed at Rank 509, followed by IIT Roorkee at Rank 582, IIT Hyderabad at Rank 647 and IIT Guwahati at Rank 810.
The gap widened with the next group of institutes, with IIT BHU Varanasi closing at Rank 1,436 and IIT Indore at Rank 1,639.
Newer IITs see major movement in female supernumerary seats
Some of the biggest changes were recorded among female supernumerary seats at newer IITs. IIT Dharwad saw computer science seats becoming available at ranks more than 3,200 places lower compared with the previous year.
Similar changes were reported at IIT Palakkad, IIT Jammu, IIT Tirupati and IIT Bhubaneswar.
At the same time, computer science became more competitive in some categories at IIT Goa and IIT Ropar, according to Amit Ahuja, career counsellor at Allen.
Several IIT programmes witness major rank changes
Beyond civil and computer science, other engineering programmes also saw noticeable shifts. Physics at IIT Kharagpur became more competitive in some categories, while courses such as biosciences and bioengineering at IIT Roorkee and chemical science and technology at IIT Patna saw lower entry ranks.
IIT Patna recorded the highest number of programmes where opening or closing ranks changed by more than 500 places between 2025 and 2026. IIT Kharagpur, IIT Roorkee and IIT ISM Dhanbad also saw significant movement across multiple disciplines.
The latest admission trends suggest that while computer science remains the first choice for many IIT aspirants, branches like civil engineering are gaining attention as students reassess career opportunities in an AI-driven job market.
