Tamil Nadu: Chasing trendy courses, engineering students land in low-tier colleges
Educationists and career experts note that the increasing competition for a limited number of seats in high-demand courses is prompting students to compromise on institutional quality in favour of course preference.
CHENNAI: With Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Data Science (DS) emerging as the most sought-after engineering disciplines, seats in these courses at top institutions like Anna University and other reputed colleges filled up during the first round of counselling. This has compelled many students with lower cut-off scores, participating in the subsequent rounds, to opt for these trending courses at lesser-known or underperforming institutions.
Educationists and career experts note that the increasing competition for a limited number of seats in high-demand courses is prompting students to compromise on institutional quality in favour of course preference.
“Students often chase trends, assuming that studying a popular course alone will guarantee a successful career, even if the college’s academic and placement performance is poor,” said L Krishnamurthy, a senior student counsellor based in Chennai.
Tamil Nadu currently has 455 engineering institutions, including Anna University and its constituent colleges, offering admissions to around 1.5 lakh students annually. However, data from the Directorate of Technical Education (DoTE) shows that nearly 80 affiliated engineering colleges had an overall pass percentage of less than 30 per cent as of December 2024.
A senior official in the Higher Education Department, on condition of anonymity, noted that one in every five students participating in engineering counselling chose Computer Science or its related fields such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science (DS). “The high demand stems from the promise of better job opportunities and higher salaries,” the official said.
However, PB Prince Gajendra Babu, general secretary of the State Platform for Common School System-TN, urged students to consider traditional core engineering disciplines like Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, and Instrumentation. “These fields continue to offer stable employment and are less susceptible to market fluctuations compared to software-driven sectors,” he said.
Meanwhile, B Kailash, an education consultant, raised concerns about the lack of transparency on private college websites. “Many do not update essential information such as rankings, placement records, infrastructure, and lab facilities,” he said, stressing the need for mandatory disclosures and proper student counselling before course selection.
