The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), established in 1959, is a premier public technical and research university located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It was the third IIT established by the Government of India and has consistently been ranked as the top engineering institute in the country.
Situated on a sprawling 620-acre campus in Chennai, IIT Madras is a residential institute housing nearly 550 faculty members, 8,000 students, and 1,250 administrative and supporting staff. The campus is self-contained, offering a range of amenities and facilities to support both academic and extracurricular activities.
Academic Programs
IIT Madras offers a diverse array of undergraduate, postgraduate, and research programs across 18 disciplines in Engineering, Science, Humanities, and Management. The institute is organized into 18 academic departments and nearly 100 laboratories, fostering an environment conducive to cutting-edge research and learning.
Undergraduate Programs
Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech): A four-year program across various engineering disciplines.
Dual Degree Programs: Integrated five-year programs combining B.Tech and M.Tech degrees.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Data Science and Applications: A four-year program focusing on data science, with admissions through JEE or a qualifier exam
Postgraduate Programs
Master of Technology (M.Tech): Specialized programs with admissions through the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE).
Master of Science (M.Sc): Two-year programs in various science disciplines, with admissions through the Joint Admission Test for M.Sc (JAM).
Master of Arts (M.A): Two-year programs in humanities and social sciences, with admissions through GATE
Research Programs
IIT Madras offers robust research opportunities leading to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. The institute has initiated 16 interdisciplinary research projects focusing on various cutting-edge areas.
Admission Process
Undergraduate Admissions: Primarily through the Joint Entrance Examination - Advanced (JEE-Advanced).
Postgraduate Admissions: Through GATE for M.Tech and M.A. programs, and JAM for M.Sc programs.
B.S. in Data Science and Applications: Admissions via JEE or a qualifier exam conducted by IIT Madras.
Rankings and Recognitions
IIT Madras has consistently been ranked as the top engineering institute in India by the Ministry of Education's National Institutional Ranking Framework since 2016. Globally, it was ranked #227 in the QS World University Rankings 2025.
International Collaborations
The institute maintains academic partnerships with numerous international universities, facilitating faculty and student exchanges, joint research projects, and other collaborative initiatives.
Recent Developments
In January 2025, IIT Madras organized Asia’s first international Hyperloop competition, showcasing its commitment to advancing transportation technologies.
Consistently ranked #1 in Engineering in India (NIRF).
State-of-the-art labs, incubation centers, and high-performance computing.
IIT Madras Research Park supports 200+ startups.
Offers B.Tech, M.Tech, MBA, M.Sc., Ph.D. in various disciplines.
Collaborations with global companies like Google, Microsoft, and Tesla.