Data is said to be the oil of the 21st century especially in a digital economy, data, like oil, is more valuable than ever. With this growing presence of data people realised and introduced new ways of using it to learn important details about their consumers, employees.
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Latest Update as on 03 Sep 2026
Contains
Checked on 03 Sep 2026
As of 03 Sep 2026, no official notification or policy announcement specifically updating the landscape of Data Science UG and PG courses in India has been confirmed through an authoritative government or regulatory source for this update cycle.
As of 03 Sep 2026, no official notification or policy announcement specifically updating the landscape of Data Science UG and PG courses in India has been confirmed through an authoritative government or regulatory source for this update cycle. However, the broader ecosystem remains active: UGC and AICTE continue to approve and regulate B.Sc. Data Science, B.Tech. (Data Science & AI), M.Sc. Data Science, and M.Tech. (AI/ML) programmes across Indian institutions. Admissions driven by JEE Main 2026, GATE 2026, and CUET-PG 2026 scores are currently in final counselling stages, based on last year's patterns. Students aspiring to start a career in Data Science in India should monitor their target institution's official portals and ugc.ac.in for regulatory updates, check JOSAA/CSAB for IIT/NIT seat allotment, and begin shortlisting programmes for the 2027 intake cycle starting November 2026.
- UGC and AICTE are expected to continue approving new B.Sc. Data Science and M.Sc. Data Science programmes at Indian universities through the 2026-27 academic cycle (based on ongoing annual approval patterns).
- Admissions to top UG Data Science programmes (e.g., IITs, NITs, BITS) are expected to follow JEE Main/Advanced 2026 counselling timelines, with seat allotment rounds likely concluding by Oct 2026.
- PG admissions at IITs and central universities via GATE 2026 scores are expected to complete final rounds of M.Tech./M.S. (Data Science/AI) counselling by Sep–Oct 2026 (last year: similar window).
- CUET-PG 2026-based admissions to M.Sc. Data Science at central universities are expected to proceed with merit list releases through Sep–Nov 2026 (based on 2025 pattern).
- National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aligned curriculum updates for Data Science UG programmes are expected to be further implemented by institutions in the 2026-27 academic year.
- New industry-linked certifications and dual-degree Data Science courses are expected to be announced by IITs and private universities for the 2027 intake during Nov–Dec 2026 (based on prior announcement patterns).
Sources: University Grants Commission (UGC) — Official Portal · All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) — Official Portal
We can see the use of data in every facet of our lives even if we don’t realise it. From Google Search, to our next youtube recommendation, from our next purchase to our weather predictions every organization existing on the internet is using the ever prevalent and copious amounts of data to improve and better understand models of their business better.
And for utilizing this raw and untrained data, there is a huge need for skilled, trained and experienced data scientists. A data scientist is someone who takes huge amounts of data and then uses various statistical and analytical methods to predict and analyse progress, make decisions and build solutions. The conclusions data scientists and analysts come up with can be used to provide businesses and agencies with important insights.
As it turns out there is a huge shortage of these skilled professionals in the market and as more and more businesses and organisations realise the huge potential manoeuvring data brings to them this demand is only to tip in favour of data scientists and analysts.
Career in Data Science in India – List of UG and PG Courses
| Course | Duration | Eligibility | Skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Science in Data Science (BSc Data Science) | 3 years | 10+2 with Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry as compulsory subjects | Programming, data structures and algorithms, statistics, machine learning, data visualization |
| Master of Science in Data Science (M.Sc Data Science) | 2 years | Bachelor’s degree in any discipline with a good foundation in mathematics, statistics, and computer science | Programming, data mining, machine learning, deep learning, data visualization |
| Master of Business Analytics (MBA Analytics) | 2 years | Bachelor’s degree in any discipline | Programming, statistics, machine learning, business intelligence, data visualization |
| Master of Data Science and Engineering (M.Tech Data Science and Engineering) | 2 years | Bachelor’s degree in engineering or computer science | Programming, data structures and algorithms, statistics, machine learning, big data |
| Post Graduate Diploma in Data Science (PG Diploma in Data Science) | 1 year | Bachelor’s degree in any discipline | Programming, data structures and algorithms, statistics, machine learning, data visualization |
List of the top 10 Universities and Colleges in India for Data Science
here is a list of the top 10 universities and colleges in India for data science, along with some relevant information:
| Rank | University | Location | Course | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IIT Bombay (Indian Institute of Technology Bombay) | Mumbai | Master of Science in Data Science | 2 years |
| 2 | IISc (Indian Institute of Science) | Bangalore | Master of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence | 2 years |
| 3 | IIT Delhi (Indian Institute of Technology Delhi) | Delhi | Master of Science in Data Science | 2 years |
| 4 | IIT Madras (Indian Institute of Technology Madras) | Chennai | Master of Science in Data Science | 2 years |
| 5 | IIT Kharagpur (Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur) | Kharagpur | Master of Science in Data Science and Engineering | 2 years |
| 6 | Ashoka University | Sonipat | Master of Science in Data Science | 2 years |
| 7 | Christ University | Bengaluru | Master of Science in Data Science | 2 years |
| 8 | Manipal University | Manipal | Master of Science in Data Science | 2 years |
| 9 | BITS Pilani | Pilani | Master of Science in Data Science | 2 years |
| 10 | IIM Bangalore (Indian Institute of Management Bangalore) | Bangalore | Master of Business Analytics | 2 years |
Data Science
Major Changes This Year
No major change has been officially announced yet regarding the structure, eligibility, or curriculum of Data Science UG and PG courses in India for this cycle. Based on ongoing trends, it is tentatively expected that more institutions will formally adopt NEP 2020 credit frameworks for Data Science programmes, and that AICTE may update skill-based course guidelines for B.Tech. (AI & Data Science) in late 2026 or early 2027. Students should treat these as anticipated developments and verify any changes directly with UGC, AICTE, or their target university before applying.
Data Science profile is all about playing with an enormous amount of data and gaining meaningful insights for decision-making in an organisation.
- In order to become a skilled data scientist, one must have expertise in a plethora of fields such as BI tools, cloud solutions, visualisation tools, programming languages, data management tools among others.
- There are a number of job roles in data science which are currently available among organisations such as machine learning expert, data architect, quantitative analysts, big data expert, data visualisation experts hence people interested in this field must be clear on what area of data they would like to go in.
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Skills that are essential for a career in data science
- Programming: Data scientists need to be able to code in order to work with data. The most popular programming languages for data science are Python, R, and SQL.
- Statistics: Data scientists need to have a strong understanding of statistics in order to analyze data and make inferences.
- Machine learning: Machine learning is a field of computer science that deals with the development of algorithms that can learn from data. Data scientists need to be familiar with machine learning algorithms in order to build models that can predict future outcomes.
- Data visualization: Data scientists need to be able to visualize data in order to communicate their findings to others. Data visualization tools such as Tableau and Matplotlib can be used to create charts, graphs, and other visualizations of data.
Scope for data science in India
There is huge scope for data science in India. It is prevalent in different sectors such as banking, healthcare, biotechnology, e-commerce, energy and automotive industry, pharmaceuticals and telecommunications.
The median salary for a data scientist in India is around 6 lakh rupees per annum. However, this varies with the years of experience, qualifications and skill level you have. Senior data science professionals with more than 10 years of experience earn more than 20 lakhs per annum.
Becoming a data scientist entails technical as well as non-technical skills. Some of the skills required are
Technical Skills
A person interested in data science usually goes for a masters or PhD in either statistics, analysis or computer science. There are many programs available in India as well as in other countries that provide a proper education for a data science career. Such programmes are really popular these days with almost every major university providing a data science career path. Besides enrolling in a program, a data scientist must also excel in a programming language to clean and structure the data as well as have good analytical knowledge to interpret the data.
Non-technical skills
Unless you can communicate your data analysis to other members of your business the findings remain useless. Besides the more important technical skills, having non-technical skills such as having in-depth awareness of the business and good communication skills are very important for success in this field.
Data Science in India
Undergraduate:
Data science is a fairly new term to the Indian education system, but interested candidates can choose highly mathematical fields such as ‘Statistics’ as their majors for their undergrad. Statistics is offered as the main field of study in BSc Statistics in many colleges in India such as DU, Xaviers, ISI and more.
Post graduate:
There are many post graduate programs being offered in data science in India nowadays besides the Masters route. A student can take any of these routes to further their education, especially since most jobs require a post graduation in this field. Most programmes are spread over a year or two and after completing these courses are considered a strong and competent Data Scientist. Some of the universities which also offer a masters in data science or its many sub domains include Symbiosis, IITs, IIITs, ISEs and many more.
The journey will complete when you start focusing on the practical applications of the topics which you have been learning. This involves doing as many as open source projects such as from Kaggle, making your own fun side projects on Github and being an active part of the open source Data Science community. Doing internships in Data Science companies is a also great way to gain more experience with real-time projects as the job market is tilted more in favour of experienced data scientists.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top UG courses to start a career in Data Science in India in 2026?
Top UG options include B.Sc. Data Science, B.Tech. Computer Science (Data Science/AI specialisation), and B.Sc. Statistics offered by IITs, NITs, BITS Pilani, and central universities. Admissions are primarily through JEE Main, JEE Advanced, or university-specific entrance tests.
Which PG programmes in Data Science are available in India and how are admissions done?
Key PG programmes include M.Sc. Data Science, M.Tech. AI & ML, and M.S. (Research) in Data Science. Admissions at IITs/NITs are largely through GATE scores; central universities use CUET-PG; and private universities may have their own entrance tests or merit-based admissions.
Is GATE 2026 score valid for M.Tech. Data Science admissions in 2026?
Yes, GATE 2026 scores are valid for M.Tech./M.S. Data Science admissions in 2026-27. Final counselling rounds at most institutes are expected to be completed by Oct 2026, based on last year's pattern. Confirm exact dates with individual institute portals.
What is the eligibility for B.Sc. Data Science programmes in India?
Most B.Sc. Data Science programmes require 10+2 with Mathematics (and often Physics/Computer Science) as a compulsory subject, with a minimum of 50–60% aggregate depending on the institution. Some IITs require JEE Advanced qualification.
Are there any new Data Science courses launched by IITs or NITs for 2026-27?
No official announcement of entirely new IIT/NIT Data Science programmes for 2026-27 has been confirmed at this time. Based on prior patterns, new programme announcements for the 2027 intake are tentatively expected around November–December 2026.
How does NEP 2020 affect Data Science UG programmes in India?
Under NEP 2020, universities are expected to offer flexible, multidisciplinary B.Sc./B.Tech. Data Science programmes with multiple exit options (certificate, diploma, degree). Implementation varies by institution; students should verify the specific curriculum with their target university.
What is the scope of a Data Science career in India after completing a UG or PG course?
Data Science graduates can pursue roles such as Data Analyst, Machine Learning Engineer, Business Intelligence Analyst, and Data Engineer across sectors including IT, BFSI, healthcare, and e-commerce. PG qualifications (M.Sc./M.Tech.) typically open doors to research roles and senior positions.
Which official body regulates Data Science courses in India — UGC or AICTE?
B.Sc. Data Science programmes fall under UGC jurisdiction, while B.Tech./M.Tech. (Data Science/AI) programmes are regulated by AICTE. Students should verify programme approval status on ugc.ac.in or aicte-india.org before enrolling.
