With a JEE Main rank of around 18,000 (CRL) , you have very good chances of getting top branches in some of the best NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs , especially if you're open to branches beyond CSE or are from a reserved category/home state.

Here’s a branch-wise breakdown of what you can expect at this rank:

1. CSE (Computer Science Engineering)

• Tough at top NITs (like Trichy, Surathkal, Warangal), unless you have home state quota .

• Likely in:

  1. NIT Raipur

  2. NIT Nagaland

     Recommended

  3. NIT Mizoram

  4. IIIT Bhagalpur

  5. IIIT Bhopal

  6. IIIT Ranchi

2. ECE (Electronics & Communication)

• Good chances in:

  1. NIT Durgapur

  2. NIT Jalandhar

  3. NIT Silchar

  4. IIIT Allahabad (possibly, if category applies)

  5. IIIT Gwalior

3. EE (Electrical Engineering)

• Available in:

  1. NIT Rourkela

  2. NIT Jaipur

  3. MNIT Allahabad

  4. NIT Calicut

4. ME, CE, Chem, Civil, Meta, etc.

• Sure-shot in most NITs and IIITs:

  1. Mechanical/Civil in top NITs like Trichy, Warangal, Surathkal.

  2. Chemical/Metallurgy in even better NITs.

Other Good Branches (with good placements too)

• Data Science, AI, IT in newer IIITs and NITs

• Production, Mechatronics, Environmental at NIT Kurukshetra, Nagpur, etc.

What Will Affect Your Options:

• Home state quota

• Category (SC/ST/OBC/EWS)

• Gender (some girls-only seats)

• Round (keep trying till CSAB rounds)

With a JEE Main 2025 rank of 18,000 , you have a strong chance of securing admission into several NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs (Government-Funded Technical Institutes) across various engineering branches. Here's a breakdown of potential colleges and branches based on previous years' data: https://engineering.careers360.com/

National Institutes of Technology (NITs)

At this rank, while Computer Science Engineering (CSE) in top NITs might be competitive, you can consider other branches:

• NIT Agartala : CSE closed around rank 18,050 .

• NIT Hamirpur : CSE closed between 10,086 - 12,365 .

• NIT Durgapur : Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) closed between 9,921 - 13,265 .

• NIT Goa : CSE closed between 7,773 - 11,419 .

Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs)

IIITs are known for their focus on IT and related fields. At your rank:

• IIIT Jabalpur : CSE closed between 13,100 - 41,945 .

• IIIT Vadodara : CSE closed between 19,404 - 28,849 .

• IIIT Nagpur : CSE closed between 21,070 - 30,978 .

• IIIT Bhagalpur : CSE closed between 32,166 - 41,629 .

Government-Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs)

GFTIs offer diverse programs across India. Potential options include: https://engineering.careers360.com/

• BIT Mesra, Ranchi : CSE closed between 11,619 - 13,357 .

• IIEST Shibpur : CSE closed between 7,328 - 11,961 .

• IIITM Gwalior : CSE closed between 5,808 - 11,165 .

Next Steps

1. Participate in JoSAA Counselling : Ensure you register and fill in choices based on your preferences.

2. Use College Predictors : Tools like the Careers360 JEE Main College Predictor can provide personalized insights. https://engineering.careers360.com/

3. Stay Updated : Keep an eye on official announcements and cutoff trends for the most accurate information.