Which are the Most Preferred Programs at the IIT Madras? - IIT Madras is the top engineering institute in India. IIT Madras continues to secure the NIRF rank 1 for 10th consecutive year. The institute, IIT Madras offers a total of 17 engineering courses across various specialisations. IIT Madras has also seen a significant rise in student preferences for several engineering courses in 2026. The demand for engineering programmes at IIT Madras increased notably, reflecting the growing interest among aspirants in emerging and core technology fields.
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Among the most preferred courses, the 5-Year Aerospace Engineering programme recorded a major rise in student choices. Similarly, B.Tech in Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics also saw increased preference among candidates during the 2026 admission process. In this article, Careers360 analyses the most sought-after engineering courses at IIT Madras along with the latest choice trends and student preference data for 2026.
Department | Number of students Opted in 2025 | Number of students opted in 2024 |
5-Year Aerospace Engineering | 11,069 | 9,505 |
B.Tech in Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics | 23,015 | 20,323 |
15848 | 14165 | |
10770 | 9627 | |
26547 | Aproxx 24,000 | |
22,443 | 20,000 | |
Aproxx 18,000 | Aproxx 16,588 | |
Aproxx 17,000 | Aproxx 16,000 | |
15,000 | Aproxx 14,000 | |
19,652 | Aproxx 17,546 | |
Aproxx 5,675 | Aproxx 6,234 | |
Aproxx 12,000 | 10,000 | |
Aproxx 17,000 | Aproxx 16,000 | |
15,000 | 14,000 |
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There is a significant rise across all the engineering departments of IIT Madras. The 5-Year Aerospace Engineering program witnessed a 16.45% increase. The 4-Year Aerospace Engineering program also rose with 11.8% from 14,165 to 15,848 choices. The other branches, like Computer Science Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering, also showed a consistent increment in 2026. Only the branch of Biological Science showed a slight increment of approximately 800 students. This all highlights the preferred choices among the students. This is because of IIT Madras' consistent ranking, growth opportunities, industrial placements, and exposure.
To get admission into IIT Madras, a candidate must have a rank between 200 and 7,000, depending on the branch. Candidates seeking admission to Evergreen's engineering branches must have a rank of 200 for CSE, 900 for EE, 300 for AI and Data Science, and 2500 for ME. Candidates should also score at least 75% in their 12th class with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Students should refer to the table below to get an overall idea of the ranks and their chances of admission if they got similar closing ranks. Below are the ranks of the last round in the open category.
Department | Category | Gender | Closing Ranks |
Computer Science and Engineering | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 171 |
Civil Engineering | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 6112 |
Electrical Engineering | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 849 |
Mechanical Engineering | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 2468 |
4-Year Aerospace Engineering | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 3211 |
Chemical Engineering | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 4116 |
B.Tech in Physics | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 1441 |
Biological Engineering | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 5261 |
B.Tech in Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 306 |
Metallurgical and Materials Engineering | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 5499 |
Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 7433 |
IIT Madras has a straightforward process. To be eligible, candidates need to have a valid score of JEE Advanced and 75% in their class 12th with PCM. Candidates must upload documents, pay the required application fee, and qualified students are required to participate in counselling and choice filling rounds.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The most preferred branch at IIT Madras is Computer Science and Engineering, with 26547 students opting for it in 2025.
The B.Tech branch, Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, has the highest closing rank of 7433 in 2025.
Students need to score at least 75% marks in their 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
On Question asked by student community
Hello Aspirant,
Admission to the IIT Preparatory Course depends on several factors such as category-wise seat availability, number of candidates opting for the preparatory programme and counselling trends for the particular year. With an SC Preparatory Rank of 4721, securing a seat may be difficult in highly preferred IITs, but
Hello JEE Aspirant,
Yes, IISER admissions can be offered through the JEE advanced channel, provided you meet the eligibility criteria and have a valid JEE advanced rank. Through this route student are generally considered for the BS-MS dual degree programmes offered by various IISERs.
The available subject may include physics,
Hello Aspirant,
If you were unable to download your JEE Advanced scorecard earlier, first visit the official JEE Advanced website and check whether the result portal is still accessible through your login credentials.
If the scorecard download option is no longer available, immediately contact the JEE Advanced helpdesk and explain
Hey there
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Hello, admission to a preparatory course in IITs depends on factors such as your category rank, seat availability, and the counselling process. The final allotment is done through the official JoSAA counselling process.
For more information, check here: JEE Advanced Cutoff 2026
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