Indian Institute Of Space Science & Technology - Ranking, Admissions 2025, Placements

Indian Institute Of Space Science & Technology is a premier aerospace college established under section 3 of the UGC Act 1956. It is an autonomous institute started by the Department of Space in the Government of India. The institute is known to be one of a kind for providing all levels of education in space technology, space applications & space sciences. The IIST Thiruvananthapuram was inaugurated by then ISRO director DR. G Madhavan Nair. The institute's reputation is quite good as our Former President, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, was the first chancellor. IIST Thiruvananthapuram NIRF ranking is 43 among all engineering colleges in the nation. The primary focus of IIST has been to make India a stronger nation in the domain of aerospace & aeronautics. Henceforth, IIST is one of India's best space science colleges.

The college has 7 departments catering to all the courses ranging from mathematics to humanities. These departments offer more than 15 courses, focusing on the aerospace & space sciences division. IIST Thiruvananthapuram courses include undergraduate, postgraduate, and research courses. The flagship program of the institute is B.Tech in aerospace engineering. The research base is also an important area where the institute guides & supervises its candidates on a large scale. In addition, proper publication opportunities & projects are provided to enhance research efficiency in a particular area. The IIST fee structure for the B.Tech program is Rs. 1.45 Lakhs annually.

IIST currently has students from different geographical backgrounds. There are more than 500 undergraduate students, followed by 160 postgraduate and 100 research scholars. The campus is 100 acres and is fully residential. The location is near the mountain ranges of the western Ghats. Initially, the IIST started functioning at the ATF campus under the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, but in 2010, the new campus was inaugurated in Ponmudi Hills. The IIST campus provides all the facilities to its students in an effective manner.

IIST is one of the prominent places to study space sciences and secure a stable future. The IIST placement record of the college has been exceptionally significant in the past few years. IIST Thiruvananthapuram's highest package to date is Rs. 11.5 LPA, while the average package stood at Rs. 7.6 LPA. The prominent recruiters for the institute are Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., TCS, Analog Devices, Mercedes Benz, Adobe Systems, Josh Talks, Indian Navy, Gauge Data Solutions, and many more.

IIST Trivandrum offers opportunities for extracurricular & personality development to its students. There are several events in engineering & sciences like film-making, quizzing, photography, fine arts, music, dance, and much more. The institute provides more than 25 research projects in different areas of chemistry, earth sciences, and humanities. Avionics has attracted various research projects. Some of them are ISRO-funded, while others are company-based.

IIST has signed an MOU with USRA of USA and California Institute for student exchange programs. ISRO strongly associates with IIST to provide a proper absorption of candidates as per the norms. Therefore, interested students can sit for various positions in the organization as per the requirements.

IIST scholarships are available for research scholars with qualified merit in the necessary examinations, like NET JRF/ CSIR NET. The amount depends on the research work and experience gained. IIST Fee waiver schemes are also applied in the case of category-wise scholarships. The top 5 undergraduate students securing good AIR rank are also entitled to a full fee waiver. All undergraduate students having a CGPA of 9 or more are eligible for a 50% fee waiver. Similarly, the M.Tech courses also offer scholarships based on GATE scores through AICTE. 

IIST Thiruvananthapuram Rankings 

IIST has been ranked among NIRF's Top 50 Engineering Colleges for four consecutive years.

• IIST NIRF ranking 2024 is 41 in the engineering category.
• In the 2023 NIRF Rankings, the college was ranked 48 for B Tech.
• It received a certificate of appreciation from AICTE for its exceptional contribution to the field of space sciences.
• IIST also secured 8^th  position in All India Universities ranking by ISRO
• The college has received awards like the Bhu Ratna Award, the MP Birla Memorial Award, and Mohd. Abdu Rahiman Sahib National Award and many more.

IIST Thiruvananthapuram Courses & Fees

Below mentioned is the detailed list of courses, fees, and selection criteria:

IIST Thiruvananthapuram B.Tech admission

IIST B.Tech is offered only in two specializations: aerospace engineering and avionics. The seat intake for the program is 60. The candidates are required to clear both JEE Mains & Advanced to secure a seat in the institute. The IIST B Tech eligibility criterion is as follows:

• Students shall have passed HSC with a minimum of 75% marks in the science stream.
• Subjects studied must include Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as mandatory subjects.
• Students must first take the JEE Main exam. Then, those who qualify for the minimum qualifying JEE Main Cutoff will be able to take the JEE Advanced Exam.
• After qualifying for the JEE advanced exam, students can register online by logging into the official website. The IIST application form is usually released in September.

IIST Thiruvananthapuram admission procedure for B.Tech

Candidates willing to join IIST need to follow the steps mentioned below:

• Register online by logging into the IIST admission portal.
• Fill in the details as per instructions.
• An IIST registration fee of Rs. 600 is to be made for confirmation.
• Later, the admission authority will prepare the merit list/ IIST rank list by compiling the JEE Advanced Scores.
• Students whose names appeared on the merit/rank list must attend the IIST Counselling. The seat allotment process for B Tech is done through counselling rounds based on ranking and course preferences.

IIST fee structure for B Tech

The detailed fee structure is as follows:

Note:  100% tuition waivers for SC/ST/PH students. Families with less than 1 Lakh annual income are also given the full waiver. In the case of EWS, 2/3 of the tuition fee is remitted.

IIST Thiruvananthapuram M.Tech admission

The IIST M.Tech admission is provided to more than 8 streams. The eligibility criterion is as follows:

• The candidate must hold a UG degree or any degree holding an equivalent value in different streams like Aerospace Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Chemical Engineering. Shall have obtained a minimum of 60% marks.
• Registration is to be online using the institute's portal.
• Valid marks in the GATE entrance examination
• A maximum of 6 preferences are allowed to a candidate within all the courses.
• The selection process is based on the rank list after GATE scores and written examinations.

IIST GATE cutoff

IIST Thiruvananthapuram Dual Degree admission

IIST offers admission to dual degree programs such as B Tech+M Tech and B Tech+MS. However, each program's seat intake is limited to 20.

The B Tech+MS program is available in Astronomy, astrophysics, and Solid State Physics. Besides, the B Tech + M Tech is available in Earth System Sciences and Optical Engineering. JEE Advanced scores determine admission. In addition, students must undergo a counselling process.

IIST Thiruvananthapuram PhD admission

The eligibility requirements for a Ph.D. in IIST Thiruvananthapuram are as follows:

• Candidates having an M.Tech degree must hold a first-class score.
• If the candidate has an MS in Engineering, there is no need for a valid GATE score.
• If the candidate has a combined master's degree from IITs and IISC, no GATE score is needed
• Apart from a post-graduation degree, a valid GATE/UGC/CSIR NET JRF score is a mandatory requirement
• Candidates for excellent performance in graduation can be directly admitted to research programs based on their CGPA and do not need a GATE score

The streams available for research are:

IIST Thiruvananthapuram Placements

The IIST Placement Cell plays a crucial role in establishing strong associations with recruiters, research organizations, and companies at large. The cell provides full-time placement, 2-month summer internships, 1-year internships, industry-partnered internships, and 6-month internships for all branches. The placement process usually begins in August/September.

The institute has set up a record every year. The details are as follows:

The IIST's Highest package this year has been around Rs. 11.5 LPA.

IIST B Tech Placements

IIST M.Tech placements

IIST internships are also provided to the students to improve their employability skills. The top companies providing internships are Robert Bosch, INTEL, Textron, and many more. The details are as follows:

The overall choice to go with IIST is based on streams, as the college is preferably meant for students with a keen interest in aerospace engineering. Moreover, it is one of the oldest and most trusted institutes in the country. The entry is challenging, but it is worth it.