IIT Madras BS in Data Science And Applications: Worth Pursuing or Just Hype?

When IIT Madras came up with its BS in Data Science and Applications programme - it had one objective. - To break the myth that it is difficult to be called an IIT alumni; to give free access to every student who has been denied through the JEE entrance exam system to be an IIT Madras alumni.

IIT Madras BS in Data Science and Applications enabled free entry into an IIT programme while making it rigorous enough that only the tough last and pass the exam. It is exactly the opposite of what an IIT system is - difficult to enter but easier to exit.

BS in Data Science and Applications is a 4-year flexible degree programme, with structured exit options at Foundation, Diploma, and Degree levels. The programme is open to any individual who has passed Class 12, regardless of academic background. There is no JEE requirement to join the IIT Madras BS Data Science and Applications programme.

This Story also Contains

1. Why Everyone is Talking About IIT Madras Data Science?
2. Career Outcomes and Placement Performance
3. Self Secured Internships & Jobs (May-Sep 2024 & Jan 2025)
4. Internships & Jobs Through IIC
5. Higher Education Opportunities
6. Academic Excellence – Performance in GATE
7. The Impact of IIT Madras BS Data Science and Applications
8. A Game-Changer or Just Hype?

Unlike traditional on-campus programmes, IIT Madras BS in Data Science and Applications follows a flexible structure with multiple exit points as follows:

• Foundation (32 credits)
• Diploma (54 credits)
• Degree (56 credits)

After completing the foundation level, students can proceed to a diploma, or earn a 4-year BS degree by completing 142 credits.

Why Everyone is Talking About IIT Madras Data Science?

The IIT Madras BS in Data Science and Applications is an online programme and students can study even while pursuing another physical degree or working full time. The full programme can be completed anywhere between 4 and 8 years.

Since the launch in 2021, a total of 168,740 students have applied for the IIT Madras BS in Data Science and Applications programme. Of which, 63,143 students qualified for admission to the foundation level and 52,144 students started the programme. Currently, the programme has 38,534 active learners from diverse backgrounds.

Scale & Reach

Among these active learners, 18,061 students, or 47%, are pursuing the programme alongside another physical degree. The programme also has 10,483 students who have enrolled in the programme on a stand alone basis, making up 27% of all learners. 5,570 students are working professionals, which is 14.45% of the total learners.

The reach of the BS Data Science programme to diverse types of students makes the programme unique, creating a dynamic learning environment where different perspectives enrich everyone's education.

Student Demographics & Diversity

The IIT Madras BS in Data Science and Applications programme has a majority of male students (72.7%) and female students account for 27.3%. While male learners are in majority, more female learners are joining the programme and building careers in data science.

Age Group Diversity

The programme draws learners, irrespective of age group. The majority of students are young, with 18,143 students aged 15–20 years, making up 47% of the cohort size. There are also 281 learners aged 50+ pursuing the programme, among those are 34 learners aged 60+, proving that the learning has no age limit.

Career Outcomes and Placement Performance

The career outcomes and placement statistics for IIT Madras BS in Data Science and Applications are based on self-secured internships and jobs and IIC-facilitated internships and jobs.

• Self-secured – Students secured internships/ jobs on their own through personal networks, or independent applications.

• IIC-facilitated – Students received internships/ jobs through the IIT Madras Industry Interaction Cell (IIC).

Self Secured Internships & Jobs (May-Sep 2024 & Jan 2025)

Students across the programme levels secured a notable number of internships and jobs. During May-September 2024 and January 2025, 3,233 students secured internships and 1,396 students received jobs.

Level-Wise Self-secured Internships and Jobs

The data shows the IIT Madras BS in Data Science and Applications programme helped students advance their career prospects on their own. At the Foundation level, 992 students received internship opportunities, along with 347 students secured jobs. At the Diploma level, the numbers were even higher, with 1,816 internships and 861 job offers. Moving to the Degree level, 425 students secured internships and 188 students received jobs.

Self Secured Internships (Year-Wise)

As we can see, in May 2024, 1,134 students secured internships on their own, followed by 1,237 internships in September 2024 and 862 internships in January 2025.

Stipend Insights

The table above shows a majority of students secured internships at stipend of Rs 20-30K/month, with some high-performers landing Rs 50K to Rs 60K/month offers.

Self Secured Jobs (Year-Wise)

In May 2024, 358 students secured jobs, followed by 567 jobs in September 2024, and 471 jobs in January 2025. It means the knowledge acquired from the BS Data Science programme helped students secure jobs on their own.

Salary Insights

While the majority of students secured jobs within the Rs 5–10 LPA and Rs 10–20 LPA bands, the high-end salary figures were typically offered to working professionals with significant prior experience.

Internships & Jobs Through IIC

The IIT Madras Industry Interaction Cell (IIC) helps students get internships and placements after completing the programme.

Internships Through IIC

The data shows 143 companies advertised 413 positions for internships. 236 students applied to at least 1 internship, of which 118 students received offers across May-September 2024 and January 2025. The data reflects the programme's effectiveness in bridging the gap between academic learning and industry experience.

Jobs Through IIC

As we can see, 41 companies advertised 120 positions. Out of 39 students who applied to at least 1 job, 16 students secured jobs. The data demonstrates the consistent demand for the institution's students in the professional marketplace.

IIC-facilitated Salary Insights

Students secured opportunities across consulting, finance, data science and analytics, product development, and research and development (R&D) roles. The stipend insights for IIC-facilitated internships showcases fresh graduates benefited from the programme, with minimum stipend of Rs 10,000 per month and highest stipend of Rs 60,000 per month. The salary BS Data Science students earned ranges Rs 3.6 LPA - Rs 15 LPA.

Higher Education Opportunities

The IIM Madras BS in Data Science and Applications programme opens the room for higher studies like masters and PhD programmes within and outside India. Students have seen increasingly applying to international universities, especially at the Diploma level, with 453 applicants by January 2025. There is also a strong interest in Indian institutes like IITs and IISc, and other universities, with 442 and 1,187 applicants, respectively, by the same period.

International Admissions for Higher Education

The table shows the number of students applied to foreign universities in different terms from various programme levels (Foundation, Diploma, and Degree). In total, 684 students applied to universities abroad for higher education across May-September 2024 and January 2025.

Admission to Indian Universities (IITs/IISc/IISERs)

The data highlights that 442 students applied to Indian universities like IITs, IISc, and IISERs across May-September 2024 and January 2025, with most applications (292) at the Diploma level. The Foundation level saw 113 students, while the Degree level had 40 applicants.

Other Indian Universities

As we can see, 1,187 students applied to other Indian universities across May-September 2024 and January 2025, with the most applications at the Diploma level, which had 718 students. The Foundation level saw 425 students, while the Degree level had 44 applicants.

Academic Excellence – Performance in GATE

Students of the IIM Madras BS in Data Science and Applications programme have consistently excelled in the GATE exam, particularly in the Data Science and AI paper.

Rank Achieved in GATE

In GATE 2025, three students secured the top 10 All India Ranks (AIR 1, 7, and 10) in Data Science and AI paper. This reflects the strong academic foundation provided by the programme.

The Impact of IIT Madras BS Data Science and Applications

Many students find the IIT Madras BS in Data Science and Applications programme challenging yet rewarding. The programme has nurtured a growing and geographically diverse alumni and student community across the nation.

The Impact of the Programme

Many student testimonies reflect the impact of the programme in resume recognition, confidence during interviews, and access to high-paying offers.

• Higher Education progression: Many students went for higher studies like Mukirala Dheeraj who joined MS in Computer Science at Stony Brook University and Vaidehi Agarwal who is pursuing Masters from IIT Indore in CSE.
• Career Change and Engagement: Students like Faiz Ali found the programme impactful on his education and career. The programme helped him transition from a purely statistics background to becoming an AI engineer.
• Entrepreneurship & Startup Ventures: The IIT Madras BS Data Science programme also helped students start an entrepreneurial journey, as one of the students reportedly began his own AI startup in building GenAI models for content automation.

A Game-Changer or Just Hype?

The IIT Madras BS Data Science and Applications programme adheres to traditional IIT norms, making it appealing especially to those individuals who want to gain education from an IIT to enhance their career prospects. The programme not only helps learners advance their skills and careers but also provides strong academic rigour with greater flexibility to pursue higher education or opt for an entrepreneurial journey.