IITs, IIMs see more women joining than ever as placements and salary packages rise

In India, the top technical and professional institutes, including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), and the National Institutes of Technology (NITs), are delivering on their promise of securing jobs for their graduates. According to data from State Bank of India (SBI) Research, more than 93% of students from these institutions are placed, with a near 100% placement rate for IIM graduates and figures above 90% for IITs and NITs.

The institute landscape has expanded significantly over the past decade, with the number of institutions and students increasing.

In 2014, there were 16 IITs and 13 IIMs, but this has grown to 23 IITs and 22 IIMs by 2023-24. Additionally, there are now 31 NITs providing technical education. The total student population across all programmes has surged, with IIM enrolments nearly doubling from 9,298 in 2017-18 to 18,243 in 2023-24 and the combined student strength of IITs and NITs rising from 1.62 lakh to 2.44 lakh during the same period. IIMs have also nearly doubled their total enrolment over the same period.

While the student population has grown, so has the representation of women in these institutes. In 2017-18, women accounted for 26.3% of IIM students, which increased to 37.7% by 2023-24. In IITs, women made up 8.1% of the student body in 2017-18, rising to 20% in 2023-24. Similarly, NITs saw an increase from 18.4% to 21.8% women representation over the same period. By 2023-24, women constituted roughly one in five students in IITs and NITs, while women students made up more than one in three in IIM PG programmes.

The rise in placements is closely tied to the expansion of the student base. IIM placements have grown from 7,552 in 2015-16 to 13,693 in 2023-24, a 81% increase. Similarly, IIT placements rose from 9,474 to 17,467, and NIT placements increased from 18,492 to 28,468. The average placement rate across these institutions stands at about 93%.

Moreover, median salaries have seen a sharp rise, with IIM graduates earning a median salary of Rs 43.6 lakh in 2023-24, up from Rs 28.5 lakh in 2015-16. IIT graduates' median salary has more than doubled, reaching Rs 36.1 lakh in 2023-24 from Rs 17.6 lakh in 2015-16. NIT graduates' median salary nearly doubled, moving from Rs 10.5 lakh to Rs 20.7 lakh during the same period.