IISc vs IISER vs NISER: A Complete Guide

India is a developing country, and innovation and scientific research are critical in defining the pace at which it advances. When talking about the state of research in our nation, it is hard to avoid highlighting the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore, the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)- Kolkata, Pune, Bhopal, Mohali, Thiruvananthapuram, Tirupati and Berhampur, and the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) in Bhubaneswar. These are the premiere institutes in India that contribute to the country’s advanced research in almost every scientific field and impart high-quality education to undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD students. While IISc is over 100 years old, the other two were founded less than 20 years ago. Though all are top research institutes, some differences exist, which you might be confused about. This blog will explain to you how these three institutes differ from each other.

In this blog, we will discuss the differences in the following factors:

• Academic structure 
• Scholarships 
• Placements 
• Research funding
• NIRF ranking
• Seats
• Entrance examination

Disclaimer

We aim to provide a neutral point of view about these institutes and will not make any negative or false claims about any institution. We intend to provide accurate information based on our personal experience living in a research institute in India. We will use corrected data and avoid defaming any institutions. We encourage readers to be cautious of fake profiles and incorrect information online.

Academic Structure:

IISc provides various courses to undergraduates, post-graduate and PhD students. For undergraduates, there is a four-year B.Tech in Mathematics and Computing and a four-year Bachelor of Science (BS) in Research. The B.Tech degree has courses like algorithm and programming, AI-ML, Data structures, probability and statistics and others. Students also need to take a few electives among various courses in physics, biology, earth science and chemistry. In the BS program, students need to study all subjects for three semesters (1.5 years) and can take a major after that. Major is offered in various subjects like physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, materials and earth sciences. The final two semesters are reserved for a thesis, which determines the success of a BS degree. After getting a BS degree, students have the option to complete a Masters degree from IISc by continuing further for one more year.

The academic structure of both IISER and NISER is based on a 5-year BS-MS program. At IISER, students study all subjects in the first year and choose their pre-major in the second year. In contrast, at NISER, students study PCMB, communications, sociology, economics, and humanities in the first year and directly get their major in the second year. IISER students do their coursework in the third and fourth years, while NISER students have two years of MSc courses in the fourth and fifth years. Both institutions allow students to do a minor degree in some other subjects, giving them complete independence in choosing their subject.

IISc has an excellent reputation in Physics, Biology and Engineering in Maths and Computation. At the same time, IISER Kolkata and Pune also have excellence in Physics, Earth Science and Biology. In contrast, NISER has a good reputation in Biology and Mathematics.

Scholarships:

Students enrolled in IISc are eligible to get various scholarships. There is a scholarship of Rs. 60,000 per year for the students enrolled in BS and B.Tech programs. All the students who join the Institute (except for B.Tech) are eligible for scholarships from various organisations like CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), UGC (University Grant Commission), DBT (Department of Biotechnology), MHRD (Ministry of Human Resource and Development), DAE (Department of Atomic Energy), DST (Department of Science and Technology), etc as the case may be depending on their mode of entry. Scholarships from companies like GE (General Electric), INFOSYS, IBM, HP, TATA, PHILIPS, BELL LAB, MICROSOFT and the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DietY) are also available for deserving students. The fee for BS is around Rs. 30,000, while for B.Tech, it is more than Rs. 2,00,000 (to be paid in the first year).

NISER, under the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India, receives more funding than IISERs. Therefore, students at NISER and CEBS receive the Disha scholarship, which provides Rs. 5,000 per month and Rs. 20,000 for a summer internship contingency, totalling Rs. 80,000 per year, in addition to lower fees of less than Rs. 20,000 per year. 

On the other hand, fees at IISERs typically range from Rs. 80,000 to 90,000, with lower fees of just Rs. 40,000 to 50,000 for ST & SC students per year. Scholarships at IISERs have been abolished, and students do not receive them simply because they are enrolled in IISERs. However, some students may be eligible for the Inspire scholarship, which has different eligibility criteria. Please refer to this blog on NISER and CEBS to learn more about the fees.

Placements:

The placement process in IISc commenced in October 2022, and the Office of Career Counselling and Placement (OCCaP) conducts them. The highest CTC offered was 86.0 LPA and the median CTC offered was 28.0 LPA. Most students from BS choose to complete a Master of Science (MS) after completing their BS degree and later apply for PhD positions in IISc itself or other research institutes in India and foreign countries such as Yale, Harvard, MIT, Oxford, and the University of Singapore, among others. Some top past recruiting companies include Adobe, India Bulls, Siemens, L&T, Tech Mahindra, ICICI bank, Cognizant, Birla Soft, Cipla, etc. 

Graduates from IISER, NISER, and CEBS have many PhD offers from renowned universities and research institutes across the globe, such as Yale, Harvard, MIT, Oxford, and the University of Singapore, among others. There is no proper functioning placement cell in most IISERs (IISER-Bhopal has a proper working placement cell). Several students apply themselves to companies, including TCS and pharmaceutical companies, and get recruited predominantly for data science roles with competitive packages. However, due to the low interest of research students in placements, there is a lack of detailed information about the salary and placements.

Recently, NISER has established a placement cell, and pharmaceutical companies and TCS have started recruiting students from NISER. Although the number of industrial placements is relatively low compared to PhD offers, it is gradually increasing. 

There is a unique opportunity available to students of NISER and CEBS. These institutes come under the Department of Atomic Energy. As a result, students who have cleared the NEST examination can directly apply for scientific officer roles at BARC without taking the written examination. However, the interview process is rigorous, and applicants must go through a gate examination or a direct interview. Students from NISER and CEBS can join BARC in various scientific officer roles directly after completing their MS.

Research Funding:

The Department faculty obtain research funding from various funding agencies such as the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Mines, Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Aeronautical Research & Development Board (ARDB), Department of Atomic Energy, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). These are the same organisations that offer scholarships to students of IISc. On an estimate, IISc gets more than Rs. 800 Crore every year from these funds.

IISERs receive their funding from DST and the Ministry of Education. The total funding of all seven IISERs is more than Rs.1400 crores. NISER, falling under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), has an advantage in this aspect as it has received substantial funding from the government of India. Some resources also claim that the funding of NISER is more significant (around Rs.300 crores) than IISERs because of this factor. Adequate funding is vital for research institutes as it enables them to conduct cutting-edge research, develop infrastructure, and attract talented researchers and faculty.

NIRF Rankings:

Indeed, when considering the ranking factor, the nature index may be a better criterion for judging a research institute than the NIRF ranking (from our perspective). The nature index provides information about the research output of various institutes worldwide, including the ranking of Indian institutes globally and in different areas. The nature index’s global ranking can be examined in terms of academics and all subjects. It is unnecessary to consider the government, corporate, and other sectors.

• The first college in India is IISC Bangalore. 
• The next one we get is HBNI. HBNI is NISER and CEBS. These come under Homi Bhabha National Institute and is at number three
• IIT Bombay 
• IISER Bhopal
• IIT Madras
• IIT Guwahati
• JNCASR
• IIT Kanpur
• IISER Pune
• IISER Kolkata
• IIT Kharagpur

Here is the link for official data: Nature index ranking

Seats:

Each of the three institutions, IISc, IISERs and NISER has a somewhat different number of seats. There are 52 B.Tech seats and 137 BS seats available at IISc. There are many more seats at IISERs—almost 1800. And at NISER, 200 seats are available, while at CEBS, nearly 57 seats are available. 

Entrance Examinations:

There is more than one entrance mode to enter into IISc. JEE is the most common one. You need to have very good marks (rank within the top 200) in JEE Mains and Advanced to get a seat in IISc. Another mode is through IAT(IISER aptitude test), which is a newly allowed mode. You can also enter through NEET-UG, but you need to have a PCMB combination in your class XI and XII. If you want to know more about the admission process to IISc, check out this blog.

IISERs have two modes of entrance- one through JEE Advanced and another through their own aptitude test called the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT). Check out this blog to learn more about IAT.

Entry into NISER is only through their own screening test called- the National Entrance Screening Test. Check out this blog to learn more about NEST.

Conclusion:

After knowing all the essential factors, you can now decide which institute is better for your dreams and aligns with your goals. All are prestigious institutes of our country, and getting into any one of them is highly reputable. Personally, we believe that getting into an IISER is easier than NISER, and getting into IISc is the most difficult among all of them. However, what and how you will perform in your scientific career is determined mainly by your aptitude, passion and willingness to work hard. If you want to learn how to become a scientist, this blog is necessary for you. 

About us:

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We offer many free and paid courses where our mentors from the top research institutes like IISER, NISER, IACS, CMI,ISI IISC Bangalore, etc teach students in live classes, with study materials,  mock tests, books, and everything needed. We have taught more than 10,000 students already since 2021 and achieved over 1000 selections with AIR 1, 7,10, 12, and 13 in  IISc Bengaluru, IISERs, NISER, IACS, and so on.  If you are looking to prepare for IAT / NEST 2024, you can check out our courses and get access to live classes, recorded lectures, study material, mock tests, doubt-clearing classes, and much more!

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