IIT Madras BS Data Science: A Comprehensive Analysis of Enrollment & Success Trends

IIT Madras BS Data Science Enrollment Highlights

The IIT Madras BS Data Science and Applications programme has received a total of 2,00,446 applications across 15 admission cycles, between January 2021 and September 2025. Only 36.15% of applicants qualified for admission to the Foundation Level and 77.93% of qualified candidates actually started the programme.

IIT Madras BS Data Science and Applications at a Glance (Jan 2021 - Sept 2025)

According to the IIT Madras BS in Data Science and Applications Programme Report - September 2025, the programme has 72.30% male students and 27.70% female students. Alongside young learners and early-career professionals, there is also a noticeable participation from the age above 60 (43 students), demonstrating lifelong learning.

Term-Wise Applications, Qualified and Enrollment Trends

The IIT Madras BS Data Science and Applications programme has received a total of 2,00,446 applications between January 2021 and September 2025. Out of the total applicants, 72,449 of students have qualified for admission to the Foundation Level and 56,457 students have actually started the programme.

This shows 77.93% of qualified students joined this IIT Madras BS degree programme. The rest, around 22% of students, may not join the programme due to not meeting the eligibility and selection criteria, personal and financial considerations, or alternative academic choices.

Note: The number of students who have started the programme in the September 2025 term is not available as of now.

Term-Wise Data

The data shows that the January 2025 session has a lower number of applicants (5,456), except for the inception year (January 2021), which has the highest number of applicants (30,276) so far, followed by May 2024 (24,901 applicants) and May 2025 (21,702 applicants).

The May 2023 term has recorded the highest percentage of students (53.36%), followed by May 2024 (52.24% students), who qualified for admission to the foundation level.

The May 2021 term has seen the highest percentage of students (94.45%) who actually started the programme, followed by January 2022 (94.33% of students), and January 2023 (90.99% students).

Recent terms show a widening gap between qualified students and actual enrollment. For instance, in January 2025, only 5,456 students applied for the IIT Madras BS Data Science programme, of which 2,294 candidates qualified and only 1,381 enrolled, marking it one of the lowest conversion rates of 60.20% of qualified candidates.

Students Demographics

The student demographic data shows a diverse and evolving learner ecosystem. While the IIT Madras BS Data Science has more male participants, young students dominate enrollments. The participation of working professionals and 60+ learners reflects lifelong learning.

Gender-wise Distribution of Students

The participation of male students in the IIT Madras BS Degree in Data Science and Applications constitutes 72.30% of the total enrolment, whereas female students account for 27.70%.

Observation: Although the participation from female learners in higher education has improved over the years, there is still a noticeable gap when compared to male enrollment.

Age Group Distribution

The age group distribution data reflects the higher participation from young learners who fall between the 15 and 24 years bracket.

• A majority of students (21,183) come from the 20-24 age group, followed by the 15-19 age group (20,604).

• Learners within the 25-29 age (2,393) and 30-34 age (1,119) categories show a growing participation of early-career professionals and learners studying alongside work.

• There is also a noticeable number of participation from the age above 60 (43 students), demonstrating that learning is no longer age bound.

Family Income-wise Distribution

The data shows a significant proportion of students come from families with income of above Rs 5 LPA (32,588 students), followed by students from the family income of Rs 1-5 LPA (9,003 students). This indicates the strong middle-income participation in IITM BS Data Science programme.

Additionally, a substantial number of learners come from families earning below Rs 1 LPA (14,593 students), highlighting the increasing accessibility of IIT education to everyone regardless of financial background.

State-wise Distribution of Students

The state-wise data reflects a wide geographic spread of students enrolled in IIT Madras BS Data Science and Applications programme. With enrollment spanning across almost all regions of India, Tamil Nadu leads the list with 8,053 students, followed by Uttar Pradesh (6,928 students), Maharashtra (5,681 students), Bihar (3,304 students), and West Bengal (3,010 students).

Participation from states like Chhattisgarh (527 students), Uttarakhand (561 students), Assam (454 students), Himachal Pradesh (182 students), and Jammu & Kashmir (177 students), along with 746 students from other states, reflects the broader reach of the IIT Madras BS Data Science programme.

Enrollment Distribution by Student Types

The IIT Madras BS Data Science and Applications programme attracts a variety of students, ranging from those who are already pursuing another degree in parallel from other physical colleges to those who have taken this degree as their primary degree, and working professionals.

The data shows 12,337 students, who are doing another degree in parallel in a physical college (Dual degree students), joined the IIT Madras BS Degree in Data Science and Applications. 5,611 students have taken only this degree as their primary degree (standalone students) at the Foundation level, and 1,301 working professionals, along with 537 other students have joined at the Foundation level.

The data also highlights that 7,804 dual degree students, 3,217 standalone students, and 2,097 working professionals, along with 920 others have enrolled at the Diploma level. Furthermore, a total of 1,473 students enrolled at the Degree level.

Observation: At the Foundation level, over 90% enrollment is from Dual Degree and Standalone learners. Conversely, at the Degree level, the number of working professionals (487) is more than the Dual Degree (458) and Standalone learners (376).

Active & Completion Rate

The following table highlights how learners progress at different levels of the IIT Madras BS Data Science and Applications programme. It covers the number of active students, completion outcomes, certificate awarded, and exit patterns at each level.

Progression and Exits Rates

Foundation Level

• With 29,768 active students, the Foundation level has the highest learner engagement. 18,406 students completed this level.

• At this level, students can exit with the Foundation certificate.

Diploma Level (DP and DS)

• At the Diploma level, 15,821 students are active, with 619 students having completed Diploma in Programming (DP), 1,505 students completed Diploma in Data Science (DS) and 1,263 students completed both diplomas.

• A total of 696 students received the diploma certificate, of which 117 certificates were awarded for DP, 498 certificates awarded for DS, and 81 certificates awarded for both Diplomas.

Degree Level (BSc and BS)

• At the BSc Level, 1,021 students are active, with 725 students completing this level and 216 students awarded and exited with the BSc degree.

• At the BS Degree Level, 706 students are active, with 424 students completing this level and 243 students awarded and exited with the complete 4-year BS degree.

Key Takeaways

Conversion: While 72,449 applicants qualified for admission to the Foundation level, only 77.93% (56,457) qualified candidates actually started the programme. The January 2025 admission trend shows the lowest ever conversion rate of 60.20%.

Highest Enrollment: The May 2024 admission cycle recorded as the most successful cycle to date, where 52.24% applicants qualified for admission to the Foundation level and 79.25% of qualified candidates started the programme.

Gender Gap: The gender gap remains the same as compared to the IIT Madras BS Degree in Data Science and Applications - April 2025 report, where male participation stood at 72.30% and female participation is 27.70%.

Progression and Exits: The Foundation level recorded the highest active students (29,768), with 18,406 students completing this level. 424 students completed the BS Degree, with 243 students receiving the certificate.

The IIT Madras BS in Data Science and Applications has democratised access to high-quality technical education from an IIT by bypassing the traditional JEE requirement. With over 2 lakhs applications, more than 47,000 active students, pan-India reach, diverse student demographics, and multiple exits and progression, the IIT Madras BS Degree in Data Science and Applications has become a cornerstone to gain skills and enter the dynamic job market.