NIT Rourkela stood at 16th position and IIT (ISM Dhanbad) stood at 17th position in the NIRF 2023 Rankings for Engineering Colleges in India. These rankings are provided by the MHRD itself. IIT (ISM) Dhanbad is a good institution and holds the IIT tag since 2016. However, according to me, NIT Rourkela is better than many of the IITs, especially the new ones.
NIT R has a 1200 acre campus filled with greenery, multiple hostels with proper accommodation for boys and girls, and the facility of 1 Bhk flats for married Ph.D. scholars within the campus premises at a minimum fee. It also has a very good administrative block. NIT Rourkela is a better choice for teaching, placement, and research work.
According to me, NIT Rourkela is a better college than IIT (ISM) Dhanbad.