Bennett University: Times Group's Modern Tech University at Greater Noida
A private university with a media-industry backbone
Bennett University was founded in 2016 by Bennett, Coleman and Company Limited — the parent of the Times of India Group and one of India's largest media conglomerates. It sits at Greater Noida and operates as a private not-for-profit, with a sharp focus on technology, business, and emerging-sector education. Compared to longer-established institutes, Bennett is younger, smaller in scale, and still building its placement track record — but its industry connections through the Times Group give it some distinctive characteristics that are worth understanding clearly.
This article walks through what Bennett is, how admissions work, what the academic experience looks like, and how to think about whether it fits.
Note: This article is written to be evergreen, but specific dates, fees, eligibility thresholds, and cutoff numbers are set each year by the institute. Always cross-check the latest official notifications before acting on anything time-sensitive.
About the university
Bennett's structural features:
- Founded 2016 — making it one of the newer private universities in NCR, about a decade younger than Shiv Nadar
- Located in Greater Noida — a 68-acre campus, fully residential, with modern infrastructure
- Industry-connected — the Times Group backing translates into internship pipelines, guest faculty from industry, and exposure to media and tech industry leaders
- Engineering plus other schools — Bennett operates as a multi-disciplinary university with Schools of Engineering, Management, Media, Law, and Liberal Arts
The campus is purpose-built and modern, with the feel of a contemporary corporate campus rather than a traditional university. For students who value clean, well-maintained facilities, Bennett delivers on that front.
How admissions work
Bennett uses its own admission process:
- Entrance exams accepted: JEE Main, BUSAT (Bennett University Selection Assessment), SAT, or strong Class XII board performance with an interview
- Class XII boards: PCM aggregate (typically 65%+ for general)
- Counselling: Bennett runs its own admission cycle, separate from JoSAA. You apply directly via Bennett's admissions portal.
As with the other private universities, register on Bennett's portal independently if you're considering it. JoSAA-only registration won't get you a Bennett seat.
Branches and programs
Bennett's School of Engineering offers BTech in:
- Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) — with specialisations in:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Cybersecurity
- Data Science and Analytics
- Blockchain
- Cloud Computing
- Internet of Things
- Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE)
- Mechanical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Biotechnology
The CSE specialisations are Bennett's most-marketed offerings — the university positions itself heavily as a destination for emerging-tech specialisations. Whether the specialisation tag actually changes the BTech curriculum substantially varies by programme; the core CSE content is largely common, with specialisation electives layered on top.
Cutoffs and competitiveness
Because Bennett uses its own admissions, traditional closing ranks aren't published. Rough indicators of competitiveness from recent admission cycles:
- CSE and CSE specialisations: typically JEE Main ~90+ percentile or strong equivalent on BUSAT/SAT
- ECE: typically JEE Main ~80-88 percentile
- Mechanical / Civil / Biotech: typically JEE Main ~75-85 percentile
These are softer cutoffs than SNU or the top state universities — Bennett admits a broader range of students. For families considering Bennett, this means the entry is more accessible, but it also means the cohort is academically more varied than at the most selective institutes.
Campus, hostel, and student life
Bennett's 68-acre Greater Noida campus is compact compared to SNU or DTU but well-built:
- Hostels: On-campus accommodation for all students; modern facilities
- Academic blocks: Purpose-built lecture halls, modern labs, library, innovation centres
- Sports: Cricket ground, basketball/tennis courts, gym, swimming pool
- Student life: Active club culture across technical, cultural, entrepreneurship, sports
- Annual fests: Genesis (cultural) and Synapse (technical) are growing events
- Industry exposure: Bennett-organised events feature speakers from Times Group's network — Indian and international business leaders, journalists, tech executives. This exposure is one of the genuine differentiators.
The campus culture leans business-oriented — entrepreneurship and product thinking get more institutional attention than at traditional engineering colleges.
Placements
Bennett's placement track record is still being built. The first BTech batches graduated only a few years ago, so longer-term outcomes aren't yet visible:
- Average package (CSE): typically ₹10-15 LPA in recent years
- Median package (CSE): typically ₹8-12 LPA
- Highest package: ₹40-50 LPA in top years (rare cases)
- Top recruiters: A mix of mid-tier IT services, some product companies, banking/finance, and Times Group's portfolio of media and tech businesses
- ECE / Mechanical / others: typically ₹6-10 LPA average
The placement averages are below DTU/NSUT/SNU at this point. Bennett's marketing emphasises specialisations and industry connections; the actual hiring data shows a developing pipeline rather than an established one.
For students choosing Bennett, the realistic expectation is decent placement at the corresponding fee structure — not top-tier placement at state university comparison levels. The institute is growing, and these numbers should improve over time as more batches graduate and alumni move into senior roles.
Fees and financial aid
Bennett's fee structure is in the upper-mid private-university range:
- Tuition + academic charges: ~₹3-4 lakh per year (varies by programme)
- Hostel + mess: ~₹1.5-2 lakh per year
- Four-year total: typically ₹18-24 lakh including hostel
Significantly cheaper than SNU or BITS, but still substantially more than DTU/NSUT.
Scholarships are available:
- Merit-based scholarships for top JEE Main / BUSAT / SAT scorers (partial to full tuition waiver depending on the year and the student profile)
- Need-based aid for economically weaker students
For students with strong JEE Main scores, Bennett's scholarship offers are often a genuine consideration in the decision — sometimes covering 50% or more of tuition.
For Gurgaon students specifically
Bennett is in Greater Noida, about 80-100 km from Gurgaon:
Commute:
- By road: ~90-110 minutes via DND Flyway → Noida Expressway → Greater Noida, traffic-dependent
- By Metro: Aqua Line reaches Greater Noida; total commute from Gurgaon ~150+ minutes
- Reality check: Daily commute from Gurgaon is impractical. Bennett expects residential living.
Residential expectation: Plan for hostel. Bennett's campus model assumes you live on site.
Alumni in Gurgaon: Bennett's alumni base is still small (only about 5-7 BTech batches graduated so far). The alumni network in Gurgaon is real but limited compared to older institutes. For most career conversations, you'll be relying on Times Group industry connections rather than dense alumni footprint.
What to know before committing
A few things to weigh:
- It is a young institute. Founded 2016 means the longest-tenured BTech alumni are roughly 5-7 years into their careers. For senior-level network depth, this is a real gap compared to DTU/NSUT/SNU.
- The specialisations are a marketing choice as much as a curricular one. A "BTech CSE with AI specialisation" at Bennett is largely a CSE programme with some AI electives. If you compare against a regular CSE elsewhere, the practical difference is modest. Don't choose Bennett primarily for the specialisation name.
- The Times Group connection helps with media and digital industry exposure but doesn't automatically translate into core engineering placements at top companies. The recruiters who come to Bennett are a different mix than those who recruit heavily at DTU/NSUT/SNU.
- Branch quality varies. As at other institutes, CSE outcomes are notably stronger than other branches. If you're considering Mechanical, Civil, or Biotech, evaluate carefully — these branches haven't yet built equivalent placement track records.
Is Bennett the right fit?
The university is a reasonable fit if:
- Your JEE Main score is in the range where Bennett's CSE is accessible but DTU/NSUT/SNU top branches aren't
- You value modern campus infrastructure and a contemporary university feel over established institutional legacy
- You qualify for substantial scholarship aid, making the fee structure work for your family
- You are drawn to specific specialisation areas (AI, Cybersecurity, Data Science) and want a structured curriculum around them
- You are comfortable with a younger institute still building its reputation
The fit is less clear if:
- You have DTU CSE or NSUT CSE as options — those institutes' established placement track records are typically the safer choice at this point
- Bennett's non-CSE branches are your most likely placement and you have better options in those branches elsewhere
- You prioritise strong, deep alumni networks over modern facilities
Bennett's specific strength is the combination of modern infrastructure, defined specialisation tracks, and Times Group industry exposure — a particular package that some students value and others don't. Make the call based on whether that package matches what you want, not on broad institute rankings.
If you're thinking through engineering admissions and want to talk it through, we're at Ardee City, Sector 52, Gurgaon. Drop by anytime — a fifteen-minute conversation is usually enough to start clarifying which direction makes sense for you.
For more on how admissions, counselling, and college choice fit together, see our full Engineering Admissions Roadmap.
