Guide · IIT Madras BS degree · 2026-27
The IIT Madras BS degree is a 142-credit, four-level undergraduate programme that anyone who has passed Class 12 can enter through a four-week online qualifier, and the Data Science track costs ₹48,000 for the Foundation level and ₹3.86 lakh to ₹4.5 lakh for the full BS before fee waivers. IIT Madras now runs four BS programmes this way: Data Science and Applications, Electronic Systems, and two launched in February 2026, Aeronautics and Space Technology, and Management and Data Science. Coursework is online; quizzes and exams are in person at centres across India. This guide sets out the levels, the qualifier, the fees and waivers, and the dates, each linked to the official page.
What is the IIT Madras BS degree, and which programmes exist?
It is a non-campus degree run from the IITM BS Degree Office on the IIT Madras campus. The Data Science site calls it the "world's first 4-year Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree in Data Science and Applications with options to exit earlier in the foundation, diploma or BSc degree level" (IITM BS Data Science home page). The Electronic Systems FAQ answers the question most applicants ask: "Yes. IITM senate approves and offers the Diploma(s) and Degree(s). Degree holders become alumni of IIT Madras." (Electronic Systems home page).
| Programme | Total credits | Full fee before waivers | Exit awards on the way | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BS in Data Science and Applications | 142 | ₹3,86,000 to ₹4,50,000 | Foundation certificate; Diploma in Programming and/or Data Science; BSc in Programming and Data Science | Data Science fee structure |
| BS in Electronic Systems | 142 | ₹5,80,000 | Foundation certificate; Diploma in Electronic Systems | Electronic Systems academics page |
| BS in Aeronautics and Space Technology (launched Feb 2026) | 142 | ₹6,12,000 | Foundation certificate; Diploma in Aeronautics | Aeronautics academics page |
| BS in Management and Data Science (launched Feb 2026) | 142 | ₹3,82,000 to ₹4,46,000 | Foundation certificate; Diploma in Data Analytics for Business | Management and Data Science academics page |
The two new programmes were announced within two weeks of each other. Aeronautics and Space Technology was launched on 9 February 2026 and is open to anyone who passed Class 12 with Physics and Mathematics, "with no cap on enrolment and no requirement for IIT-JEE qualification" (BusinessLine, 9 February 2026). Management and Data Science, run by the Department of Management Studies, was launched on 21 February 2026; its first batch began in June 2026 (BusinessLine, 21 February 2026).
How many students? IIT Madras's official Program Report (Sep 2025) for Data Science lists 2,00,446 first-time applicants since January 2021, 56,457 who started the programme and 47,319 currently active. Of those active students, 29,768 were at Foundation level, 15,821 at Diploma, 1,021 at BSc and 706 at BS level. The live home page today says "More than 36,000 students currently studying with us" (IITM BS Data Science home page). The two figures are counted differently, and the page does not explain the gap.
What are the exit levels: Foundation, Diploma, BSc and BS?
You can stop at any level and leave with a credential. For Data Science, the Data Science academics page lists the credits for each step and the award you receive on exit. The Foundation certificate comes from IIT Madras's Centre for Outreach and Digital Education (CODE); the diplomas and degrees come from IIT Madras.
| Level (Data Science) | Credits at this level | Cumulative credits | What you get if you exit | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | 32 (8 courses) | 32 | Foundation Certificate from IITM CODE | 1 to 3 years |
| Diploma in Programming | 27 (6 courses + 2 projects) | 59 | Diploma in Programming, IIT Madras | 1 to 2 years |
| Diploma in Data Science | 27 (6 courses + 2 projects) | 86 with both diplomas | Diploma in Data Science, IIT Madras | 1 to 2 years |
| BSc degree | 28 | 114 | BSc in Programming and Data Science | 1 to 2 years |
| BS degree | 28 | 142 | BS in Data Science and Applications | 1 to 2 years |
Source: Data Science academics page. The whole BS must be finished within eight years, and the page expects "approximately 10hrs/course/week". Two further steps now sit above the BS for Data Science: a PG Diploma in AI and ML (162 credits in total) and an MTech in AI and ML (182 credits). Entry to the PG Diploma level needs a minimum CGPA of 8.0.
The other three programmes have three levels rather than four. Electronic Systems is 43 credits at Foundation, 43 at Diploma and 56 at the BS level (Electronic Systems academics page). Aeronautics is 32, 52 and 58 (Aeronautics academics page). Management and Data Science is 32 at Foundation, 60 at Diploma and 50 at the BS level (Management and Data Science academics page).
Who can apply? Eligibility for the IIT Madras BS degree
For Data Science: "Anyone who has passed Class 12 or equivalent can apply irrespective of age or academic background." Students who have finished their Class 11 final exams can also apply, in any stream, and join after passing Class 12. Applicants are expected to have studied Mathematics and English in Class 10 (Data Science admissions page). The programme has no age limit; the home page says its current learners are aged "17 to 81 years" (IITM BS Data Science home page).
Electronic Systems and Aeronautics are narrower: you need Class 12 "with Physics and Mathematics" (Electronic Systems home page; Aeronautics and Space Technology home page). Management and Data Science asks for Class 12 with English, and Class 10 with English and Mathematics (Management and Data Science home page).
How does the qualifier work (regular entry)?
Most students enter through the qualifier. After you apply, you get four weeks of lectures, weekly assignments and live sessions in four Foundation courses: English I, Mathematics for Data Science I, Statistics for Data Science I and Computational Thinking. To sit the exam, your average of the best two of the first three assignments in every course must reach the cut-off. The qualifier exam is in person and lasts four hours (Data Science admissions page).
| Category | Min. assignment average (each course) | Min. exam score (each course) | Min. exam average |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 40% | 40% | 50% |
| OBC-NCL / EWS | 35% | 35% | 45% |
| SC / ST / PwD (40%+) | 30% | 30% | 40% |
Source: Data Science admissions page. These relaxations apply only to the qualifier; the page says there is no relaxation in grades once you are registered. Your qualifier average also caps your first-term load: a pass allows up to 2 courses, 50% allows up to 3, and 70% or more allows all 4. The result stays valid for three terms, or six terms if you have not yet taken your Class 12 boards.
The application fee is ₹4,000 for General and OBC applicants, ₹2,000 for SC, ST and PwD applicants, and ₹1,000 for SC/ST applicants who are also PwD (Data Science admissions page). If you were eligible but failed or missed the qualifier exam, you can re-attempt it in the same term for ₹2,000 (General).
Can you get in through JEE?
Yes. "Candidates eligible to appear for the most recent JEE Advanced are directly admitted to the Foundation Level" (Data Science admissions page). You still fill the application form and pay ₹4,000, upload proof of JEE Advanced eligibility, and then register and pay for Foundation courses. The Aeronautics page names the years directly: candidates who qualified to attempt "JEE Advanced in 2025 or 2026" skip the qualifier (Aeronautics admissions page). Many students take this route while studying at another college; the page says you can do it "even as you join another college or degree."
IIT Madras BS last date to apply: the next intake
As of 1 October 2026, the September 2026 qualifier application window has closed. The banner on every programme site said "Last date to Apply : September 29, 2026", although the official important-dates table still shows 27 September. The January 2027 dates have not been announced. The September 2026 cycle below shows how a cycle runs: about three weeks between the application deadline and the first week of qualifier coursework, then about six weeks to the exam.
| Step (September 2026 term) | Date |
|---|---|
| Qualifier application opens | 13 July 2026 (Data Science); 29 June 2026 (Aeronautics, Management) |
| Application closes | 29 September 2026 (per site banner) |
| Qualifier week 1 starts | 2 October 2026 |
| Qualifier exam | 15 November 2026 |
| Results; course registration opens | 19 November 2026 |
| Course registration closes | 22 November 2026 |
| Re-attempt exam (if eligible) | 5 December 2026 |
Sources: official important-dates table; Aeronautics and Space Technology home page; Management and Data Science home page. For reference, the January 2026 cycle's application window ran from 1 to 31 January 2026, and the May 2026 window from 18 February to 31 May 2026. How to check this yourself: the dates table on the Data Science admissions page is filled from a live sheet and is updated before each term opens.
IIT Madras BS degree fees, by level
You pay each term only for the courses you register for. IIT Madras revised fees for students joining the Foundation level from the January 2026 term; students who joined until September 2025 stay on the older structure (Data Science fee structure).
| Goal (Data Science, from Jan 2026) | Total credits | Total fee |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation only | 32 | ₹48,000 |
| Foundation + one Diploma | 59 | ₹1,29,000 |
| Foundation + two Diplomas | 86 | ₹2,10,000 |
| BSc degree | 114 | ₹2,86,000 to ₹3,10,000 |
| BS degree | 142 | ₹3,86,000 to ₹4,50,000 |
| PG Diploma in AI and ML | 162 | ₹4,86,000 to ₹5,90,000 |
| MTech in AI and ML | 182 | ₹6,86,000 to ₹7,90,000 |
Source: Data Science fee structure. The other programmes publish per-credit fees. Electronic Systems costs ₹82,000 for Foundation, ₹1,62,000 for Diploma and ₹3,36,000 for the BS level (₹6,000 a credit), or ₹5,80,000 in all (Electronic Systems academics page). Aeronautics costs ₹60,000, ₹2,04,000 and ₹3,48,000, or ₹6,12,000 (Aeronautics academics page). Management and Data Science costs ₹48,000 at Foundation and ₹1,80,000 at Diploma, and ₹3,82,000 to ₹4,46,000 in all (Management and Data Science academics page).
Failing a course means paying for it again. If you completed the coursework but missed only the end-term exam, you can sit that exam alone next term for ₹1,000 (Foundation) or ₹2,000 (Diploma and degree levels) (Data Science fee structure).
Fee waivers: how much IIT Madras covers by family income
The fee support depends on your category and your family's annual income. The home page summarises it as: "Learners from < 5LPA eligible for up to 75% fee waivers. 2000+ students study for free" (IITM BS Data Science home page). The full table:
| Category | Family income above ₹5 LPA | ₹1 to 5 LPA | ₹1 LPA or less |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | Nil | 50% (EWS + income certificate) | 75% (EWS + income certificate) |
| OBC | Nil | 50% (OBC-NCL + income certificate) | 75% (OBC-NCL + income certificate) |
| SC / ST | 50% | 50% | 75% (with income certificate) |
| PwD | 50% | 50% | 75% (with EWS/OBC-NCL + income certificate) |
| SC / ST + PwD | 75% | 75% | 75% |
Source: Data Science fee structure; the Electronic Systems and Aeronautics pages list the same tiers. Waivers do not apply to students based outside India. "Family income" includes your own income, your parents' and spouse's, and that of siblings and children under 18. From Diploma level up, students claiming an income-based waiver must also submit ITR or Form 26AS documents; if they are rejected, the waiver is withdrawn.
Terms, quizzes and exam cities
"Every year is divided into three terms of four months each - January Term, May Term and September Term" (Data Science academics page). Each term has 12 weeks of coursework, two in-person quizzes (after weeks 4 and 8) and an in-person end-term exam. You must take at least one quiz and average 40/100 or more on your best 5 of the first 9 weekly assignments to sit the end-term exam. You pass a course with a total of 50/100, where the quizzes and the end-term exam each count for half. End-term exams are scheduled on Sundays.
Exams are held at centres, not online, for anyone in India. The official Exam Cities list names 112 city entries across 31 states and union territories, from Port Blair to Agartala, plus centres in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Sri Lanka and the UAE. Students in other countries take remote proctored exams (Data Science academics page; Data Science admissions page). The Data Science admissions page reports 780 learners outside India who have taken exams so far.
What can BS students do on the IIT Madras campus?
Less than the brochure tone suggests, and the official pages are direct about it. The Data Science programme FAQ says: "Due to limitations of campus facilities and students being spread out geographically, learners enrolled in the program will not have access to IITM campus facilities."
There are specific exceptions. Electronic Systems lab work requires that "students travel to IIT Madras campus to demonstrate the lab experiments specified" (Electronic Systems academics page), and Aeronautics students travel to IIT Madras for some lab courses at the Diploma and Degree levels (Aeronautics academics page). Aeronautics also offers an upgrade: after the Diploma, a select number of students, chosen through tests and interviews, can attend all degree-level courses in person on campus (Aeronautics and Space Technology home page). Students also get access to the Wellness Community Center on campus for professional help (Student Houses & Societies page).
Student life: Houses and the Paradox fest
Every student is placed in one of 12 Houses named after Indian forests: Bandipur, Corbett, Gir, Kanha, Kaziranga, Nallamala, Namdapha, Nilgiri, Pichavaram, Saranda, Sundarbans and Wayanad (Student Houses & Societies page). Each House holds "nearly 30 groups of 20 students each" drawn from the same or nearby cities. House secretaries are elected every August. The BS student life page also lists regional chapters, from Bengaluru to Patna, and more than 30 clubs and societies.
The yearly fest is Paradox. Two editions run online (Sāvan in the monsoon and Mārgazhi in winter), and the annual fest is "On campus at IIT Madras" every June, a four-day event of technology, culture and sport; the page expects "5,000+ students" in 2026 (BS student life page).
Related reading
Whether the degree pays off in jobs and further study is covered in our companion piece, Is the IIT Madras BS degree worth it?. For the other online and postgraduate routes into an IIT, see IIT online degrees compared and the IIT JAM guide. For life on the campus itself, read the IIT Madras campus guide.
Studying in the IIT Madras BS programme? Wear it: IIT Madras hoodies, tees and varsity jackets, shipped across India.
By Arun Raghav S · Co-founder, IITian Vibes · Facts retrieved 1 October 2026 from the linked official pages and documents. Corrections to hello@iitianvibes.com.