Tier 3 College, Tier 3 Life: The Hierarchy That Defines Your Future
IIT: 20 LPA average. NIT: 8 LPA average. My college: Companies don't even know we exist. Welcome to India's engineering caste system where your college tier decides if you'll write code or sell credit cards.
The hierarchy they don't advertise
Nobody tells you this when you're filling admission forms, but here's how the engineering world sees you:
Tier 1: IITs, BITS, top NITs. The chosen ones. Google visits them. 15-30 LPA packages are normal. Day 1 placements.
Tier 2: Other NITs, IIITs, top state colleges. Decent companies come. 5-10 LPA if lucky. Some respect.
Tier 3: Private engineering colleges. Where dreams go to die. Mass recruiters maybe. 2-3 LPA. Mostly sales jobs disguised as "IT roles."
Below Tier 3: My college. Companies don't know we exist. We apply off-campus. We are invisible.
Same degree, different worlds
My friend at IIT Delhi: Microsoft offered him 42 LPA. Didn't even prepare much. "Campus placement," he said casually.
Me at [redacted] Engineering College: Highest package last year was 3.5 LPA. To 1 student. Out of 240. The company? A startup that shut down in 6 months.
We both have B.Tech Computer Science. We studied the same subjects. Same programming languages. Same 4 years. His starting salary is my lifetime goal.
"Eligible colleges only"
Amazon job posting: "Open to all 2024 graduates!*"
The asterisk: "*From IITs, NITs, BITS, IIITs, and select institutions."
That "select" never includes us. Before they see your skills, they see your college name. Instant rejection. Your resume goes straight to trash. Algorithm doesn't even read it.
I can solve the same LeetCode problems. I can build the same projects. Doesn't matter. Wrong college = wrong candidate.
LinkedIn profile views when I add IIT to my education (fake): 847. Profile views with my actual college: 3. The algorithm knows the hierarchy.
Alumni? What alumni?
IIT alumni: CEOs, CTOs, founders, VCs. One LinkedIn message opens doors.
Our alumni: Struggling like us. Working in service companies. Can't refer because their companies don't give referral bonuses for tier 3 graduates.
"Networking" they say. Network with whom? My senior who's driving Uber? My super-senior selling insurance? We're all drowning. Nobody has a lifeboat.
Teachers who never taught
IIT professors: PhD from MIT, Stanford. Published research. Industry experience.
Our professors: Completed M.Tech last year. Never worked in industry. Teaching directly from 20-year-old PDFs. "Next slide please."
Data Structures teacher couldn't write quicksort on board. Networks professor never configured a router. Web Development sir thinks JavaScript and Java are same.
YouTube taught me more than 4 years of college. But companies want the college name, not YouTube certificates.
Labs without equipment
Computer lab: 30 computers for 120 students. Half don't work. Windows XP in 2024. Internet speed: 2 Mbps shared.
"AI/ML Lab": One poster about artificial intelligence. No GPUs. No datasets. No software. Just the name on the door.
Library: Engineering books from 1990s. Latest programming book: "Learn Java 1.2". Research papers? What are those?
Meanwhile, IIT kids get supercomputers, research grants, industry partnerships. Same fees. Different planets.
Imposter syndrome before even starting
IIT graduate in interview: "I deserve 20 LPA." Gets 25 LPA.
Me in interview: "2.5 LPA is fine sir." Gets rejected for "lack of confidence."
They walk into interviews knowing companies need them. We walk in grateful someone even called us. They negotiate. We beg.
The tier system doesn't just segregate opportunities. It segregates self-worth.
The tier follows you forever
5 years experience. Applying for senior role. First question: "Which college?" The disappointment in their voice when I answer. The interview ends before it starts.
Marriage proposals: "IIT boy" gets dowry. I get rejected. Parents literally filter by college name on matrimony sites.
Investor meetings for startup ideas: "What's your background?" Tier 3 college = No funding. They fund IIT dropouts, not tier 3 toppers.
The tag never leaves. 20 years later, you're still "that tier 3 guy."
The only way out
Stop playing their game. Stop begging for jobs that reject you for your college name. Stop competing where the game is rigged.
Build skills they can't ignore. Create value they can't deny. Show work that speaks louder than college names.
The tier system won't change. But you don't have to accept your assigned tier as your destiny.
To every tier 1 student reading this: Your success isn't just merit. It's privilege. To every tier 3 student: Your struggle isn't your fault. It's systemic. To companies practicing this discrimination: You're missing talent because you're obsessed with tags.
Your college tier doesn't define your potential
Join 34Dot. We judge skills, not college names.
Break the Tier System