In the year 1956, the foundation stone of the NIT or the national institute of technology was laid by Dr. Rajendra Prasad (The first president of India). After completion of the construction the institute became functional in the year 1963 that is when it was inaugurated by Prime Minister of India Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru. However the institute was declared as a NIT in the year 2005 by the Central Govt. The campus of the institute is spread over a large 100 acres and is nearby the railway station and airport. Since the area is rich in mineral resources, so the campus is surrounded by various famous industries as well.

The institute offers various programs at graduate level in various disciplines like Civil engineering, bio medical engineering, Architecture, Chemical Engineering, computer science and engineering etc. The institute also offers programmes at post graduation level like M. Tech. & M.C.A. and it also offers PhD programme.

The various facilities for the students at NIT Raipur includes computer labs which are fully functional with enough facilities for the students, hostels which includes the 5 boys hostels and one girls hostel in the campus with a capacity of about 100 students per hostel. The institute also offers a separate training programme for its students.

The institute conducts various technical and cultural festivals in which the technical fest cum cultural fest is known as ECLECTIKA. The fest has various technical and cultural events which eventually take out the hidden talent in the students.

To take admissions to the NIT under-graduate courses in engineering the students after qualifying through the 10+2 system of education, have to appear for the All India Engineering Entrance Examination or AIEEE. The admissions are made on the basis of rank secured by the students in the examination. The AIEEE examination is conducted every year for the 12th appearing students by the Central Board of Secondary Education or CBSE. To take admission in Post-Graduate Programme in NIT the students have to clear GATE examination.