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
JEE Main and JEE Advanced are both national-level engineering entrance examinations, but they serve different purposes.
JEE Main is conducted for admission to NITs, IIITs and other participating engineering institutes. It is also the qualifying examination for appearing in JEE Advanced.
JEE Advanced is conducted for admission to the IITs
Start your JEE preparation from Class 11 itself by building strong concepts in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Follow your Class 11 syllabus systematically and avoid studying only for board examinations.
A good approach is:
Complete each chapter conceptually and solve basic questions first.
Gradually move to JEE-level problems.
Practise previous-year
After qualifying JEE Advanced and getting an IIT, there is no single course that is best for everyone. Your choice should depend on interest, rank, career goals and the branch available to you.
Generally:
CSE/AI/Data Science – good for software, AI, data and technology careers.
Electrical Engineering – useful for
Hello Student, I can definitely help you create a balanced plan, but I would not recommend preparing JEE , NEET , KCET , MHT-CET and school exams as five completely separate syllabi. Your Class 11 NCERT/board concepts should become the common base, with JEE-level Maths/Physics and NEET-level Biology/Chemistry added according
Hello Student, For JEE Main and JEE Advanced preparation, a good test series should include full-length mock tests, chapter-wise tests, previous-year questions, detailed solutions, and performance analysis. It is useful to take regular timed tests and analyse mistakes after every test rather than only checking the score. If you tell
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