IIT Madras Leads in 2025

This year, IIT Madras has seen a big jump in popularity, with overall demand for its courses rising by 16% compared to last year. Among all the programmes, Aerospace Engineering has turned out to be the top choice for students.

According to JoSAA 2025 data, the five-year Aerospace Engineering programme received 11,069 student choices, up from 9,505 in 2024. This is a 16.45% increase in just one year. Experts say this is because of India’s growing focus on space research, aircraft design, and defence technology.

Not just Aerospace, but all 17 courses at IIT Madras became more popular this year. The growth ranges from 8% to 16%, with Computer Science, AI, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineering also seeing strong demand.

IIT Madras vs Other IITs

While leading IITs such as Delhi and Bombay also saw healthy demand, the rise at IIT Madras has been comparatively stronger. For example, the average growth rate in course preferences across top IITs this year is estimated to be around 10–12%, while IIT Madras registered up to 16% growth across its programmes. This highlights how the institute is outpacing peers in student preference.

Another point of comparison is the branch-specific demand. At IIT Madras, Aerospace Engineering alone saw a 16.45% rise, while at IIT Bombay and Delhi, the strongest growth was in Computer Science and AI programmes, with increases closer to 10%.

Similarly, the Mechanical and Civil branches at IIT Madras recorded a higher jump than the same streams at IIT Kharagpur and IIT Kanpur, where demand rose only in single digits.

Why Students Prefer IIT Madras?

IIT Madras is different from other IITs in many ways. It is the only IIT with its own Research Park, where students get support for research and startups right on campus. It also has Saarang, the biggest student-run cultural fest in India, while many other IITs bring in private organisers for their events. Along with this, IIT Madras is known as one of the most research-focused IITs. IIT Madras has stayed at the top in the NIRF rankings, including 2025.

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