IITs in India: Seats, Coaching, and What It Really Takes to Get In

When people talk about IITs in India, India's premier engineering institutes that admit students through the JEE Advanced exam. Also known as Indian Institutes of Technology, they are the most sought-after engineering schools in the country, with each seat carrying high value and fierce competition. These aren’t just universities—they’re gateways to careers that shape India’s tech and infrastructure future.

The number of IIT seats, the total number of undergraduate engineering positions available across all IITs each year is tightly controlled and published annually by JOSAA. In 2025, there are just over 20,000 seats across 23 IITs, with reservation categories and branch preferences splitting those spots even further. That means less than 1 in 100 JEE Advanced applicants gets in. It’s not about studying harder—it’s about studying smarter. And that’s where IIT JEE coaching, structured, intensive preparation programs designed specifically for the JEE Advanced exam comes in. Top institutes like Allen, Resonance, and FIITJEE don’t just teach syllabus—they teach strategy, time management, and exam psychology. But coaching isn’t mandatory. Many students crack JEE Advanced with self-study, YouTube, and free resources. The real differentiator? Consistency. The ability to keep going after the first failed mock test.

What most people don’t tell you is that IIT admission isn’t just about marks. It’s about how you handle pressure, how you prioritize subjects, and whether you’ve practiced enough real problems—not just theory. Biology isn’t the focus here. It’s physics, math, and chemistry, but not equally. High-yield chapters in organic chemistry and mechanics carry more weight than obscure topics. And while coaching centers push their own syllabus, the official JEE Advanced pattern always wins. You need to know the exam’s rhythm, not just the content.

If you’re thinking about joining the IIT race, you’re not alone. But you need to know what you’re signing up for. Below, you’ll find real data on total IIT seats, which coaching institutes produce the most IITians, and what actually works for students who make it in—not just the hype.