Can Nepali students study engineering in India?

Yes. Under the 1950 Nepal-India Treaty of Peace and Friendship, Nepali citizens do not need a visa to live, study or work in India, and the Nepali rupee is pegged to the Indian rupee at 1 INR = 1.6 NPR, so fees do not change with exchange rates.

Is engineering in India more expensive than in Nepal?

Not necessarily. At Chitkara University, Himachal Pradesh, Nepali students get a concession on the hostel fee and the semester fee, and my total fee came out equal to or less than a private engineering college in Nepal.

Is it better to study computer engineering in Nepal or India?

From my experience, India is the better choice for computer engineering if your family can afford it: the curriculum is more current, there is far more exposure, and companies recruit on campus. In Nepal, most graduates I saw either stayed jobless or went abroad after their degree.

Do 10th and 12th marks matter for campus placement in India?

Yes. Many companies set minimum 10th and 12th percentages and a CGPA cutoff before you can sit their placement drive, so a strong skill set is not enough on its own.

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By Sanjay GuptaSeptember 27, 2026 6 min read

Engineering in Nepal vs India: A Nepali Student's Story

Why I chose to study engineering in India instead of Nepal: the IOE entrance, Chitkara fees and Nepali student concessions, placements, and the honest trade-offs.

Nepali StudentsStudy in IndiaEngineeringCareer

I'm Sanjay Gupta, from Siyari in Rupandehi, Nepal. After +2 I had to decide what most Nepali science students face: study engineering in Nepal, or go abroad for it. I chose India. I'm now in the final year of a B.E. in Computer Science at Chitkara University, Himachal Pradesh, and I was placed on campus at EPAM Systems at the start of my fourth year. The short answer for anyone in the same spot: for computer engineering, if your family can afford it, India is worth it. You still have to study, but the path to a job is much clearer. Below is the longer answer, in the order it happened.

Growing up: a laptop, but no internet

I got my first laptop in grade 4. We didn't have internet at home, so I used whatever was installed on it and kept wondering how those applications were made. There was no way to look it up.

I only got internet access in grades 11 and 12, and by then I didn't have a laptop. So the curiosity was there from childhood, but I didn't properly write code until my bachelor's. I mention this because a lot of students in Nepal are in the same position. Starting late is normal, and it is not a reason to rule yourself out.

The first in my family to study

My family isn't educated. I'm the first in my bloodline to get an education, so nobody at home could guide me through entrance exams or universities. I researched most things myself.

My dad always said he wanted an engineer in the family. My maths was good from the beginning, so engineering felt like the natural choice. He never forced me, but he wanted it, and whatever I asked for, he gave me.

+2 in Butwal and the IOE entrance

I did my +2 in Science (PCM) at Annapurna Model College, Butwal, with English, Nepali and Computer Science. Like most students who want engineering in Nepal, I took the IOE entrance.

What I saw happening to engineers in Nepal

Before choosing, I looked at what happened to people after their engineering degree in Nepal. Two things stood out:

Jobs: in most of the cases I saw, graduates had two options after completing their degree - stay jobless, or go abroad.
Curriculum: the course was outdated compared with what universities in India were teaching, especially for computer engineering.

Why I chose Chitkara University

Nobody recommended Chitkara to me. I compared options myself, and it came down to cost:

Chitkara University, Himachal Pradesh was budget friendly for my family.
It gives Nepali students a concession on both the hostel fee and the semester fee.
With that concession, the total fee was equal to or less than a private engineering college in Nepal.

The first year: hostel, food and homesickness

Moving was harder than the admission. What I had to adjust to:

Missing my family. It was my first time living away from home.
Hostel life, which I had never done before.
The food. Indian hostel food isn't as good as food in Nepal, but it was okay.
People from different states with a different mindset. It felt strange at first, and it ended up being one of the best parts of studying here.

What changed in India

The biggest difference is exposure: new ways of thinking, and an IT scene that is further ahead. This is where I actually learned to code, and where I got to compete. My team won the regional round of HackFest 2025, selected from 200+ teams, and I led a team into the top 15 of 150+ at HackIndia Spark 5.

My degree is also finishing on time. I graduate in August 2027, six months earlier than my batchmates who started engineering in Nepal in the same year.

Getting placed in my fourth year

At the beginning of my fourth year I was placed on campus as an AI Native Software Engineering Intern at EPAM Systems in Hyderabad, starting January 2027. That's a job in hand before graduation, which is exactly what I didn't see for most graduates back home.

One thing I learned during placements: skills alone don't get you in. Many companies set a minimum for 10th and 12th marks and a CGPA cutoff before you can even sit their drive. I've seen skilled students miss good MNCs because of their scores. Skills get you through the interview; your marks decide whether you get the interview.

Nepal vs India for engineering: an honest comparison

This is based on my own experience and what I've seen around me, not a ranking of every college:

Curriculum: outdated in Nepal compared with India, where it is closer to what the industry uses.
Cost: for me, Chitkara with the Nepali student concession cost the same as or less than a private college in Nepal.
Time to degree: I finish six months ahead of my batchmates in Nepal.
Jobs after graduation: in Nepal, most graduates I saw stayed jobless or went abroad. In India, companies come to campus, and I was placed in my fourth year.
Exposure: bigger tech ecosystem, national hackathons and classmates from across India.
Where Nepal wins: home food, family nearby, and no need to adjust to a new culture.

Advice for Nepali students choosing now

For IT or computer engineering, choose India if your family can afford it.
You will still have to study. India gives you the opportunity, not the job.
Keep your marks up from 10th onwards. Your 10th and 12th scores and your CGPA decide which placement drives you can sit.
Build real skills alongside your marks. You need both.
Research the university yourself: fees, hostel costs, concessions for Nepali students and placement records.
Don't worry if you start coding late. I didn't write real code until my bachelor's.

Frequently asked questions

Can Nepali students study engineering in India?: Yes. Under the 1950 Nepal-India Treaty of Peace and Friendship, Nepali citizens do not need a visa to live, study or work in India, and the Nepali rupee is pegged to the Indian rupee at 1 INR = 1.6 NPR, so fees do not change with exchange rates.
Is engineering in India more expensive than in Nepal?: Not necessarily. At Chitkara University, Himachal Pradesh, Nepali students get a concession on the hostel fee and the semester fee, and my total fee came out equal to or less than a private engineering college in Nepal.
Is it better to study computer engineering in Nepal or India?: From my experience, India is the better choice for computer engineering if your family can afford it: the curriculum is more current, there is far more exposure, and companies recruit on campus. In Nepal, most graduates I saw either stayed jobless or went abroad after their degree.
Do 10th and 12th marks matter for campus placement in India?: Yes. Many companies set minimum 10th and 12th percentages and a CGPA cutoff before you can sit their placement drive, so a strong skill set is not enough on its own.

Studying in India was never about leaving Nepal behind. The two products I spend most of my time on, Duleko and FLITO, are both built for Nepal. My dad wanted an engineer in the family. In August 2027 he'll have one, with a job already waiting.