IITM BS Placement Report Explained: What the Official Numbers Say

The official IITM BS placement numbers come in two kinds, and most confusion comes from mixing them up. Jobs through the placement cell (the IIC) are few: 49 in the September 2025 term, with a median salary of Rs 6 lakh a year. The much bigger numbers, hundreds of jobs every term, come from a student survey where students report jobs they found on their own.

All the numbers below are for the BS in Data Science. We found no official outcome data for Electronic Systems.

Which official reports exist

IIT Madras links these reports from the Data Science website. They are published Google Docs, so the numbers can change after you read this.

Two kinds of numbers

Placement cell (IIC) numbers. These are openings posted on the official placement portal. To use it for jobs you need at least a BSc. You also pay for a plan, finish training and pass an assessment. See how the placement cell works.

Self-reported numbers. Students fill a survey during course registration. The report counts only students who said the BS knowledge, shown on their CV, helped them get the internship or job. The report says a large fraction of students find these on their own, through their colleges and networks.

Do not add these two together. They measure different things.

Jobs through the placement cell, term by term

From the January 2026 report:

That is 83 jobs across five terms. The growth from 5 to 49 is real, but the numbers are still small.

For these jobs, the report gives a mean salary of Rs 7.5 lakh a year and a median of Rs 6 lakh. The highest was Rs 20 lakh. The report does not say exactly which terms these salary figures cover.

The April 2025 report showed a higher median, Rs 8,09,230, with a minimum of Rs 3.6 lakh. That was when only 16 jobs had come through the IIC (May 2024 to January 2025). The newer median covers many more jobs, so it is the better guide.

Many register, fewer become eligible

The report does not give reasons for the gap. It also does not explain how eligible students in one term relate to applicants in the next, so do not divide one column by another.

For internships through the IIC, the September 2025 term had 30 companies with 76 positions, 52 students applied and 43 got one. The stipend mean was Rs 22,000 a month and the median Rs 20,000. More in internships for IITM BS students.

What students report in the survey

They cover students at all levels, and working professionals are among them. The report does not describe any checking of the answers.

In the January 2026 survey, 345 students gave a salary for a new job. The biggest group, 153, earned under Rs 5 lakh a year, and 35 earned above Rs 20 lakh. The report itself says the much larger salaries belong mainly to working professionals with many years of experience.

Batch 2025: one group, followed up

The Batch 2025 Summary follows 545 students who finished the BSc level (114 credits) during 2024. Their status was compiled in December 2025. Of the 545, 110 did the programme standalone and 435 were dual degree students or working.

Of the 343 working, the largest salary group was Rs 5 to 10 lakh a year (110 people), and 55 did not share a figure. This summary does not split outcomes by work experience or by standalone and dual degree students. The full slabs are in what salary to expect.

How to read any placement claim

• Ask which group: IIC jobs, survey answers, or one batch.
• Ask which term or batch. Numbers without a date are hard to use.
• Look at the median, not the highest salary.
• Remember that many students already had jobs or other degrees.

The placement portal home page shows average and highest salary figures with no period attached. We leave them out for that reason.

Common questions

Where do the very high package figures come from?

Check the source of any big figure. It may be the highest single offer, an undated portal figure, or a survey answer from an experienced professional. The official IIC median in the January 2026 report is Rs 6 lakh a year. A median tells you much more than a maximum.

Is there a placement report for Electronic Systems?

All the reports here are titled for Data Science. We found no official ES placement or outcome data. See what jobs ES can lead to.

Are the survey numbers checked by IIT Madras?

The report says students submit this data through a survey during course registration. It does not describe any verification. Treat it as what students said, not as confirmed offers.

Does a bigger IIC number mean placements are guaranteed now?

No. The FAQ promises to try to make opportunities available, not a job. Read what the FAQ says about placement.