How Many Students Study IITM BS? The Official Numbers

There is no single number, because each official figure has a different date and covers different students. The most detailed one is the Data Science Program Report of September 2025 (updated 31 October 2025). It counted 47,319 active students in the Data Science (DS) programme alone. News reports of the June 2026 convocation, quoting IIT Madras, said there were more than 42,000 active learners across all its BS programmes. Always check the date and scope before you quote a figure.

The official figures side by side

Why the numbers differ

• Date. The programme adds students every term, and some leave. A 2024 figure and a 2026 figure will not match.
• Scope. Some figures cover only DS. Others cover DS and ES, or all four programmes, including Aeronautics and Management.
• What is counted. Applications, qualified candidates, students who started and active students are all different things.
• Rounding. Website figures like "36,000+" are rounded and carry no date.

One pair is hard to explain. The June 2026 figure for all programmes (42,000+) is lower than the October 2025 figure for DS alone (47,319). The sources do not say why. They may define "active" differently. Do not treat the two as a like-for-like trend.

Inside the September 2025 report

This is the richest official source. It covers DS only.

From application to active student (January 2021 to September 2025):

• 200,446 first applications, or 251,456 including repeat applications
• 72,449 qualified, which is 36.15% of first applications
• 56,457 started the programme, which is 77.93% of those who qualified
• 47,319 were active, which is 83% of those who started

Active students by level:

Who they are:

• Gender: 72.3% male, 27.7% female.
• Age: the two biggest groups are 15 to 19 (20,604) and 20 to 24 (21,183). About 3,100 students are 30 or older.
• States: Tamil Nadu (8,053), Uttar Pradesh (6,928), Maharashtra (5,681), Bihar (3,304) and West Bengal (3,010) lead.
• Family income: 32,588 above Rs 5 lakh a year, 9,003 between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, and 14,593 below Rs 1 lakh.

The income numbers add up to about 56,000. That is close to the number who ever started, not the 47,319 active. The report does not say which group the split covers.

Student types at the Foundation level: 12,337 dual degree students, 5,611 standalone, 1,301 working professionals and 537 others. These add up to 19,786, well below the 29,768 active at Foundation. The report does not explain the gap, so use the split as a rough picture only. More on this in standalone or alongside college.

Completions so far: 20,145 students had completed the Foundation, 963 the BSc and 446 the BS, counting students who started up to the May 2025 batch.

What the numbers tell you, and what they do not

• The Foundation is by far the biggest level. Far fewer students reach the BSc and BS levels so far.
• Being "active" is not the same as moving forward on time. The report does not say how many active students are on track.
• A little over a third of first applications led to qualifying. See how hard the qualifier is.
• No official ES-only enrolment report was found, and Aeronautics and Management are too new for any report.

For the latest graduation numbers, see the IITM BS convocation.

How to quote these numbers correctly

Give the date, the programme and what was counted. For example: "The DS Program Report of September 2025 counted 47,319 active DS students." Avoid saying "IITM BS has X students" with no date.

Common questions

Which number should I use in an essay or a talk?

Use the most recent figure that matches your scope, and name its date and source. For DS detail, the September 2025 Program Report is the fullest. For all programmes together, the June 2026 convocation reports give 42,000+.

How many women study in the programme?

The September 2025 report gives 27.7% female among DS students. The April 2025 report gave 27.3%.

How many students have finished the full BS?

The September 2025 report counts 446 BS completions in DS, for batches up to May 2025. News reports of the June 2026 convocation said 634 learners were eligible for BS degrees across programmes.

Are older students a big part of the programme?

They are a small share. In the September 2025 report, about 3,100 of the DS students were 30 or older, out of more than 47,000. There is no upper age limit. See starting IITM BS later in life.