[12] According to 2012 data, BITS Pilani has an on-campus acceptance rate of 1.47%, making it one of the most exclusive technical universities in the world.

Backed by the Aditya Birla Group, the institute secures extramural research funds from industries and various government agencies.

[17][18] Admissions to on-campus programs are solely merit-based and assessed by the entrance examinations conducted by BITS.

[19] Through its highly successful and widespread alumni network spanning globally across varied fields, BITS Pilani has made a significant impact on corporates, academia, research, entrepreneurship, arts and social activism.

Reacting to early criticism about the project, contemporary advisor Thomas Drew said: In my judgment to attempt to develop an American institution in India would be like trying to graft apples on a pine tree.

[27][29] It adopted a semester system, modular structure of courses, continuous and internal evaluation, letter grading and the likes.

[27] The Institute board provided direction in developing a curriculum, selecting equipment, upgrading the library and recruiting (and training) an Indian faculty.

The Ford Foundation Evaluators...proudly noted that the Indian government, despite having given no direct financial support, was looking to BITS to provide a model for future development in education in engineering and science in India.

[34] The BITS Pilani Hyderabad campus opened in 2008; the school also has a virtual university[35] and an extension center in Bangalore.

[36] BITS School of Management (BITSoM) was established in January 2021 and offers a 2-year full-time residential MBA.

[43] V. Lakshminarayan became Principal of Birla Engineering College in 1949 and Director of BITS Pilani in 1964 when it was established (serving until 1969).

[50] Ranendra N. Saha served as the Acting Vice Chancellor from 13 June 2021 to 30 September 2021 after the expiration of Bhattacharya's term.

[51] On 10 March 2023, V. Ramgopal Rao took over the Vice Chancellor's office from the outgoing Bhattacharya, becoming the seventh academic head of the institute.

[60] Students may also eat at a "Redi" (a small kiosk near every hostel), Institute Canteen (IC), the All-Night Canteen (ANC), Food Ministry (FM), and the Student Activity Centre (SAC) cafeteria (TOTT, Mr. Idli, 301 °F, Looters, and Da Cloud Cafe).

As a part of this initiative, Kumar Mangalam Birla visited the Pilani campus on 13 November 2011 with pro-chancellor Shobhana Bhartia and other members of the board of governors.

600 crore fund for renovation and construction of new academic buildings and student hostels on the Pilani campus.

[66] BITS Pilani offers two-year higher-degree programs in engineering, pharmacy and business administration.

[70] Admission to Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani – Dubai Campus is based on scores in the 12th standard qualifying exam along with BITSAT.

Although the BITS Pilani-Dubai campus was established for the educational requirements of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, admission is open to students of all nationalities.

[72] BITS Pilani collaborates extensively with industries and government organizations, including the DST, ICMR, DBT, ISRO, DRDO and DAE.

[17][73] The institute actively promotes innovation and supports ventures by faculty, students, and alumni through its incubation programs.

[18][74] BITS is a partner in developing the JournalServer[75] open-access digital library, Project IPV6[76] and the MIT iCampus[77] initiative.

It hosts a variety of events in various categories like dance, drama, literature, comedy, fashion and music.

[100] APOGEE (A Professions Oriented Gathering over Educational Experiences) is an international annual technical festival at the Pilani campus.

Abdul Kalam, Richard Stallman, Jimmy Wales, Kailash Satyarthi, Walter Lewin and A. S. Kiran Kumar.