The Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar, has recorded a positive trend in the popularity of its BTech courses among students in 2025, based on the most recent Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) choice-count data. The Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) branch is still the most attractive course with a significant increase of 14.55% in the number of choices. In the present year, CSE witnessed 18,702 preferences as against 16,326 last year, indicating that computing-related fields continue to be the most preferred ones owing to the high demand for AI, software development, cybersecurity, and tech jobs.
The major point of difference for Ropar in 2025 is the program Artificial Intelligence and Data Engineering, which has a very quick rise in popularity and recorded a 17.27% increase. The JIC Choice Count data reveals that the number of people choosing the program has gone up from 13,764 in 2024 to 16,141 in 2025. This clearly shows that in the data and analytics market, an ever-growing number of students are heading towards machine learning and analytics.
The course of Mathematics and Computing has also been able to continue its upward trend with a 15.35% increase in the number of choices from 11,493 to 13,257. The course attracts students who love math and are interested in working in futuristic areas such as:
Steady Growth in Fundamental Engineering
The Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Ropar has been the most popular among the core engineering courses over the last year. It has recorded a significant increase, by 11.49%, in the number of students from 13,402 to 14,943. Similarly, the department of mechanical engineering has also shown an upward trend. Its number of students increased by 11.35%, from 11,811 to 13,151.
The civil engineering department has been one of the most notable traditional branches in terms of student number increase. It has grown by as much as 12.94% from 9,693 to 10,947 students. The solid comeback of the core branches is a clear indication that young talents still consider these areas as safe careers in job markets related to infrastructure, manufacturing, automotive technology, and sustainability-focused industries.
Chemical Engineering also saw a rise in popularity, recording a growth rate of 11.03% from 9,716 choices last year to 10,788 in 2025. This shows the field remains important for careers in process engineering, energy systems, and industrial research. The increase in Engineering Physics percentage was 12.66%; thus, the number of choices went up from 7,134 to 8,037, which can be interpreted as a growing demand for physics-based technologies such as quantum computing, photonics, and the advanced materials area.
Metallurgical and Materials Engineering recorded an increase of 9.37% by going up from 7,746 to 8,472 choices, quite in line with the growing trend of interest in new materials, nanotechnology, and advanced manufacturing.
First Year Impact of New Programmes
Moreover, the two new programmes that were launched in IIT Ropar also got a lot of attention. Digital Agriculture, in its first year, attracted 5,705 choices, indicating that students are interested in agritech, smart farming, and sensor-based farming systems. A newly introduced Electrical Engineering (Integrated Circuit Design and Technology) program garnered 11,459 choices, demonstrating a significant national trend towards interest in semiconductor manufacturing, VLSI design, and chip engineering.
