IIEST, Shibpur (Erstwhile "Bengal Engineering College") ranks 19th in NIRF-2019 among Engineering Institutes. It is the first college to become the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST) in India in 2014. The Institute has a rich history. It is empowering the nation since 1856. Considering the year of establishment, it is the 3rd engineering college in India but considering the year of graduation, it is the 2nd oldest engineering college in India. It has 16 departments and 8 schools. It has over 250 faculty members and a student strength of over 4000.
IIEST, Shibpur is to become one of the best Institutes in the world in providing state-of-the-art multi-disciplinary research ambiance that will usher innovative world-class technologies developed towards realizing the goal of developed India.
IIEST, Shibpur functions as an Institute of higher learning and advanced research. Prime activities include creation and dissemination of knowledge, producing engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs of the highest quality equipped with the latest technologies and developing innovative technology solutions for the cause of the society.
IIEST, Shibpur owes its origin to the erstwhile Bengal Engineering College, the history of which goes to the nineteenth century when industries in the sense we understand today, were practically absent. A college of engineering was started by the name of Civil Engineering College on 24th November 1856, in the premises of the Writers Building, Calcutta. The first-degree examination in Bachelors of Civil Engineering was held in 1864 in which only two students graduated. From 1865 to 1869 the college functioned as the Civil Engineering Department of Presidency College. In 1921, the name of the college space was changed to 'Bengal Engineering College' (popularly known as B. E. College). In 2004, B.E. College (Deemed University) was converted into a full-fledged university by an act in the West Bengal Assembly and renamed as Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur. In addition to the tradition of engineering disciplines, the university started the M. Sc curriculum in basic sciences.
In March 2014, Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur was taken over by the Government of India and it was converted into an Institute of National Importance through an act of parliament and was renamed as Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur.