Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) continues to be the first choice for a large number of JEE Advanced qualified candidates. The BTech CSE course at IIT Bombay was the most preferred option in the previous JoSAA counselling. A total of 28,705 candidates, which is 52.78% of all qualified candidates, selected this combination during the counselling process.
CSE programmes at IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, IIT Roorkee and IIT Hyderabad also remained among the top choices. However, last year’s JoSAA trends showed that several courses beyond CSE witnessed a high number of choices, while some core branches like Civil and Mechanical engineering did not appear in the top preference lists.
Candidates showed strong interest in fields such as Electronics, Electrical, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Mathematics and Computing, and emerging interdisciplinary branches.
Top 10 Most Sought-After IIT Courses Beyond CSE
As per last year’s JEE Advanced report, the following courses received the highest number of choices in the JoSAA counselling:
Course and IIT | Choice Count |
Electronics and Communication Engineering at IIT Roorkee | 24,904 |
Electrical Engineering at IIT Bombay | 24,123 |
Artificial Intelligence at IIT Hyderabad | 23,632 |
Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at IIT Roorkee | 22,618 |
Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering at IIT Kharagpur | 21,889 |
Mechanical Engineering at IIT Bombay | 21,412 |
Mathematics and Computing at IIT Delhi | 20,087 |
Electronics and Electrical Engineering at IIT Guwahati | 18,985 |
Electrical Engineering (Power and Automation) at IIT Delhi | 17,722 |
Aerospace Engineering at IIT Bombay | 17,209 |
These branches have gained popularity due to better opportunities, industry demand and strong placement trends across IITs.
While some traditional branches such as Civil and Chemical engineering have seen a decline, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Electronics & Communication Engineering continue to remain strong choices.
The candidates preparing for JEE Advanced 2026, expected to be held in May 2026, must understand these trends while planning their IIT and course preferences. The official exam date will be announced soon at the JEE Advanced portal. Only the top 2.5 lakh JEE Main 2026 candidates will be eligible to appear for JEE Advanced 2026.
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