As Data Science becomes more integral across organisations, a career in the field has become streamlined. Students across India are looking to make a career in the field right after schooling. This has resulted in many institutes introducing undergraduate and graduate programmes in data science.
Analytics India Magazine surveyed institutes across India to rank the Undergraduate Programmes in Data Science or Analytics. AIM has been coming out with academic rankings for the last eight years and introduced the UG ranking last year. The ranking outcomes will result from this survey and extensive secondary research. This report enlists the top Under-graduate Programmes for Data Sciences in India for 2021.
More than 20 programs participated in the ranking, out of which 15 made it through.
For last year’s UG rankings, visit here.
Analytics India Magazine considered five different parameters for computing the ranking of Analytics or Data Science Programs — Certification Value, Return on Investment, Program Success, Teaching & Curriculum, and Student Engagement.
We derived an overall index to determine this year’s Academic Rankings for UG Programmers in India. This index was calculated using the average score of five sub-indices (based on the aforementioned parameters). The sub-indices themselves were calculated based on the scores given to the answers (of the survey questions) asked by AIM using uniform evaluation criteria. These scores were normalised on a scale from 0 to 1 before the average for the sub-indices was taken. Outliers were capped. The hierarchy to calculate the overall index can be seen in the chart below.
Below we discuss the analysis results and present the top-ranking UG programmes across the different sub-indices and the overall index.
1 | Bachelor Of Data Science By SP Jain School of Global Management
- Duration of programme (in months): 36
- Total no. of learning sessions (in hours): 2700
- Course fees: ₹ 21,90,000
According to our analysis, the Bachelor in Data Science offered by SP Jain School of Global Management tops the undergraduate programme list with a score of 0.76. It performs comparatively well across all the sub-indices. It is a full-time course taught live on campus. SP Jain is also a highly regarded university by all the recruiters. This gives it the highest score of 0.98 in the Certification Value sub-index.
The study scores the second-highest on the Teaching & Curriculum, getting 0.78 within the sub-index. It has a rich set of 16 teachers for the programme, all with a PhD. The programme is a 3-year course that requires students to complete 2700 hours of learning, including several exams, Capstone projects, and one industry internship. This is reflected in the high Student Engagement score of 0.78. The course requires students to go through entrance exams and interviews, and the programme also considers cut-offs in existing exams. It also has a high attendance rate at 96% but could improve its gender ratio, with less than two in five (38%) of its students enrolled being female.
The programme scores highest on the Return of Investment sub-index (0.66). While the course fee is comparatively higher at around INR 21 Lakh, it also yields good returns. Also, the institute has overseen a 100% placement for its students.
2 | B. Tech Data Science By NMIMS (Deemed-to-be-University)
- Duration of programme (in months): 48
- Total no. of learning sessions (in hours): 2100
- Course fees: ₹ 14,00,000
In second place, we have the B.Tech in Data Science by NMIMS (Deemed-to-be-University) with an overall score of 0.69. The course is a full-time course that is conducted on campus. Upon completion, it offers a Graduate Programme that is highly regarded by recruiting organisations. It scores the second-highest in the Certification Value sub-index (0.97).
The programme has seen a high enrolment over the years and has recently graduated its first batch. In addition, the programme has been able to make multiple industry collaborations that will benefit its students in different ways. Overall this gives it a score of 0.60 in terms of Programme Success. Part of this success also has to do with the faculty lineup. They have a good mix of 20 teachers, with around eight having a PhD and five an industry experience greater than five years. It also has a good set of teachers in its visiting faculty.
The programme gets a comparatively high student engagement score (0.62) with an almost 100% attendance rate. However, the gender ratio has a potential for improvement, with only a third of the class occupied by female students. The programme scores 0.53 in RoI, standing 3rd in the sub-index. While it has seen a 100% placement, it has a comparatively lower median package for the INR 14,00,000/- fee it asks from the students.
3 | Bachelor of Science in Applied Statistics & Analytics By NMIMS (Deemed-to-be-University)
- Duration of programme (in months): 36
- Total no. of learning sessions (in hours): 4200
- Course fees: ₹ 3,31,000
The Sunandan Divatia School of Science is one of the private institutes of NMIMS (Deemed-to-be-University). The Bachelor of Science in Applied Statistics & Analytics programme offered by the school ranks third in the list with an overall score of 0.62. The three-year undergraduate programme scores 0.96 on its Certification Value.
It has enrolled the highest number of students among all the full-time graduate programmes and has already completed four batches. It has made several collaborations with industry experts for teaching and evaluation. It scores 0.73 in Program Success, the highest in the sub-index. The enrolled students also have a high attendance rate at 95%, and an almost equal gender representation, with 51% of students enrolled female, ensuring a comparatively better score in Student Engagement (0.52).
The Programme does not fare as well in terms of its RoI score (0.28). While it provides a good median placement package of INR 3.8 lakhs for its enrollment fee of INR 3.31 lakhs, only 76% of its students who wanted placement through the programme could land a job. There is also scope for improvement in Teaching & Curriculum (0.60). It has a high number of learning hours that the students need to complete in the three years but requires no industry internships. Also, while there are many visiting faculty, full-time employed teachers with a PhD or industry experience are low.
4 | B.Tech – Data Science By JAIN (Deemed-to-be-University)
- Duration of programme (in months): 48
- Total no. of learning sessions (in hours): 7200
- Course fees: ₹ 9,60,000
Three programmes offered by the JAIN (Deemed-to-be-University) make it to this year’s list of top UG Programmes. With a score of 0.60, the B. Tech – Data Science programme comes in the top 5. Jain University got autonomy in 2018. The full-time on-campus B.Tech gets a score of 0.95 in terms of its certification value.
The four-year programme scores comparatively well in Teaching & Curriculum with a sub-index score of 0.68. Students have to complete around 7200 hours of learning, including exams, Capstone projects, and internships. The institute has allocated ten full-time teachers for the programme. More than half of them have a PhD and work experience of greater than five years. The programme stands 6th in Programme Success with a score of 0.51. It has enrolled more than 250 students in total and has managed to make several tie-ups with forums and technical professional organisations.
The course scores well in RoI (0.44), standing 5th in the sub-index. It has a comparatively lower median package to fee ratio, but some of the students were placed with very high salaries compared to others. The programme scores comparatively lower on Student Engagement than other courses in the top five because of a low attendance rate (72%). Also, less than a fourth (23%) of the students are female.
5 | B.Tech Computer Science And Engineering With Specialisation In Data Science By The NorthCap University
- Duration of programme (in months): 48
- Total no. of learning sessions (in hours): 3600
- Course fees: ₹ 9,70,000
NorthCap is a multidisciplinary university in Gurgaon. The B.Tech Computer Science & Engineering with specialisation in Data Science offered by the institute ranks 5th in our list of top UG programmes with a score of 0.60. The private university scores 0.83 in Certification Value for this programme.
The four-year intensive programme demands 3600 hours of learning along with exams, Capstone projects, and an industry internship. It also has a big faculty of 33 teachers dedicated to the programme, with almost all of them having a PhD. The programme scores the highest in the Teaching & Curriculum sub-index with a score of 0.83. The programme also has seen a good response. It stands third in the sub-index with a score of 0.61. The programme has completed two batches, and until now, almost 1000 students have enrolled for it. The university has multiple collaborations with other institutes and public and private enterprises that benefit the students in several ways.
The company scores comparatively lower on RoI (0.42). For INR 9.7 lakhs, it has a low median placement package of INR 5.11 lakhs. However, some students were placed with high salaries, with 96% of the enrolled students from the previous batch being placed. It also has a considerably low Student Engagement score (0.28). It has a low attendance rate of 87% and a low percentage of female students (29%). Also, students admitted to the course don’t have to go through any entrance exams or interviews. Only the scores from existing exams are considered.
6 | Under Graduate Program In Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning By JAIN (Deemed-to-be-University)
- Duration of programme (in months): 48
- Total no. of learning sessions (in hours): 2400
- Course fees: ₹ 15,00,000
In sixth place, we have another programme by JAIN (Deemed-to-be-University) with a score of 0.59. The UnderGraduate Program in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning also scores high (0.95), same as the B. Tech – Data Science programme.
The programme scores 0.65 in Teaching & Curriculum. It has 11 teachers employed full time for the course, 10 of which have a PhD but none have work experience greater than five years. The four-year course demands its students to finish more than 2400 learning hours along with exams and Capstone projects. Industry internships are not mandatory.
The Programme scores 0.46 in the Programme Success sub-index. The institute has enrolled 221 students until now and has managed to tie up with several organisations for providing certifications to its students. In terms of Student Engagement, it has an attendance of 85% and a very low female participation rate 12%.
7 | Bachelor Of Science In Data Science By NMIMS (Deemed-to-be-University)
- Duration of programme (in months): 36
- Total no. of learning sessions (in hours): 3910
- Course fees: ₹ 4,42,000
Securing another position in the top UG courses is NMIMS’ Sunandan Divatia School of Science. With a score of 0.58, the Bachelor of Science in Data Science programme ranks seventh in the list. The course is full-time on-campus with a certification value of 0.96.
The three-year undergraduate programme entails almost 4000 hours of learning, exams, and multiple capstone projects. However, the course does not require a mandatory industry internship. The program has a faculty size of nine full-time teachers, five of which hold a PhD, but only one has work experience greater than five years. In all, it scores 0.57 in the Teaching & Curriculum sub-index.
The programme scores the highest in Student Engagement with a score of 0.87. This is due to the high attendance rate of 95% and a good gender ratio, with 54% of the students enrolled being female. Entrance exam and cut-off in existing exams scores are considered for the exams, along with an interview for admission in the program.
8 | BSc In Economics And Analytics By CHRIST (Deemed-to-be-University), Pune Lavasa Campus
- Duration of programme (in months): 36
- Total no. of learning sessions (in hours): 2460
- Course fees: ₹ 1,75,000
The next two positions are taken up by programmes offered by the Pune Campus of CHRIST (Deemed-to-be-University). In 8th, we have the BSc in Economics and Analytics with a score of 0.56. Christ University has made a good name for itself in the market to give the program a score of 0.92.
The course scores well on its Teaching & Curriculum, standing third in the sub-index with a score of 0.75. It has employed around 20 full-time faculty members, 16 of which have a PhD. The three-year course needs its students to undergo more than 2400 hours of training, including exams, Capstone projects, and industry internships.
The programme also stands mid-table in the Student Engagement sub-index with a score of 0.49. Students have to undergo an entrance exam and interview to get admission for the programme. There is a scope for improvement in terms of attendance (currently 85%), but it has a comparatively better percentage of female students enrolled for the course. This is the first batch of the programme, and it has enrolled 100 students in the programme until now to score 0.26 in the Programme Success.
9 | BSc In Data Science By CHRIST (Deemed-to-be-University), Pune Lavasa Campus
- Duration of programme (in months): 36
- Total no. of learning sessions (in hours): 2656
- Course fees: ₹ 1,58,000
Another CHRIST (Deemed-to-be-University) Program, BSc in Data Science, ranks 9th with a score of 0.55. It gets a similar score in all of the sub-indices as compared to the BSc in Economics and Analytics. The Certification Value score is the same at 0.92.
The Teaching & Curriculum sub-index score is 0.73. It has the same number of teachers (20) allocated as the BSc in Economics & Analytics, but the teachers with a PhD and 5-year work experience are slightly lower. It requires its students to complete more than 2600 hours of learning in three years, along with exams, Capstone projects, and industry internships.
The Student Engagement score for the programme is 0.54. Students who want to enrol for the program also need to go through an interview and the entrance exam, and it has an 85% attendance rate. The female participants make up almost 50% of the program, ensuring good representation. Around 100 students have enrolled on the program to date.
10 | B. Tech In Computer Science And Engineering (Artificial Intelligence) by JAIN (Deemed-to-be-University)
- Duration of programme (in months): 48
- Total no. of learning sessions (in hours): 1125
- Course fees: ₹ 2,40,000
The last programme in the top ten is offered by JAIN (Deemed-to-be-University). It is a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering (Artificial Intelligence). The course gets the same Certification Value score of 0.95 as the other two courses offered by the university.
The Teaching & Curriculum sub-index score for the programmes is 0.61. It is a four-year programmer that needs students to complete a comparatively lower number of learning hours. It has dedicated nine teachers for the programme, seven of which have a PhD and seven a work experience of more than five years.
The Programme does well in terms of Student Engagement, standing fifth in the sub-index with a score of 0.55. Two-thirds of the enrolled students are female, and it also has a good attendance rate of 90%. Students need to appear for an entrance exam for admission to the course.
11 | B.Tech CSE (Big Data and Analytics) By Ganpat University
- Duration of programme (in months): 48
- Total no. of learning sessions (in hours): 1000
- Course fees: ₹ 5,68,000
Ganpat University is a private university based in Gujarat. The B.Tech CSE (Big Data and Analytics) programme offered by their Institute of Computer Technology ranks 11th with an overall score of 0.52. The four-year intensive course is full-time on-campus, holding a certification value of 0.78.
The programme scores a 0.62 in the Teaching & Curriculum sub-index. The faculty consists of 18 full-time professors, three of which hold a PhD, but none have industry experience of more than five years. The students have to complete 1000 hours of learning, including examinations, capstone, and an industrial internship.
The course has a Programme Success score of 0.58. It has a 100% attendance rate, but only 21% of the enrolled students are females. The course admission accounts for scores of the entrance exam and the cut-offs in the existing exams.
12 | B.Sc In Data Science By NSHM Knowledge Campus, Kolkata
- Duration of programme (in months): 36
- Total no. of learning sessions (in hours): 1550
- Course fees: ₹ 3,00,000
NSHM’s B.Sc in Data Science ranks 12th with a score of 0.48. The programme, affiliated with the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology, is conducted in the institute’s Kolkata campus. The course has a high certification value of 0.83.
The program takes over three years with 1550 hours of learning along with examinations, capstone and an industrial internship. It also involves partnerships with top industry brands. The course scores 0.51 in the Teaching & Curriculum. There are ten full-time teachers employed for the programme, three of which have a PhD and two have an experience more than five years of industry experience. The admission process entails an entrance exam and interview.
The Student Engagement score for the programme is 0.34. It lacks female participation (only 25% females), and it has a comparatively low attendance rate of 80%. With 24 students enrolled in the programme’s first batch, it scores 0.29 in the Programmer Success.
13 | B.Tech In Computer Science & Engineering With Data Science By Maharishi University Of Information Technology
- Duration of programme (in months): 48
- Total no. of learning sessions (in hours): 1600
- Course fees: ₹ 5,60,000
The Maharishi University of Information Technology stands in the thirteenth position with its B.Tech in Computer Science & Engineering with Data Science programme. The Noida-based private university has an overall score of 0.47 with a certification value of 0.50. The course is full-time and conducted in a hybrid model with both on-campus and online classes.
The four-year programme consists of 1600 hours that include exams, Capstone projects, and industrial internships. The faculty for the programmes includes five full-time teachers, two of which are industry experts, and two hold a PhD. It scores 0.54 in Teaching & Curriculum. The students get a good median salary to course fee ratio. The programme stands second in the RoI sub-index with a score of 0.60.
However, the programme does not do so well on gender ratio, with females adding up to only 30% of the classroom. It also has a low attendance rate of 75%. The students, however, have to go through an entrance exam and an interview for admission to the course, and the institute also considers marks in existing exams. In all, it scores 0.48 in the Student Engagement sub-index.
14 | Certificate In Data Science And Analytics for Business By Shiv Nadar University
- Duration of programme (in months): 8
- Total no. of learning sessions (in hours): 200
- Course fees: ₹ 1,05,000
Two certification programmes make it to the list of Top UG programmes in India 2021. These are programmes that one can do in addition to their graduate degrees to enrich their professional portfolios. At fourteenth position is the Certificate in Data Science and Analytics for Business (DSAB) programme offered by Shiv Nadar University Delhi NCR. Whilst it scores comparatively lower than the other full-time under-graduate programmes featured in this list, the programme still gets a respectable cumulative score of 0.42.
And despite the relative analysis, the programme scores well on the Teaching & Curriculum sub-index with a score of 0.50 compared to other graduate degree programmes. The eight-month programme requires students to complete more than 200 hours of learning, including exams and one Capstone project. The program has hired a faculty of 14 teachers who have a PhD.
The programme also scores relatively well in the Student Engagement sub-index with a score of 0.40. The students need to undergo interviews for admission and are screened through their marks in the existing programmes. With two batches completed, the programme scores 0.39 in Programme Success.
15 | Learning Path In Data Science by Board Infinity
- Duration of programme (in months): 6
- Total no. of learning sessions (in hours): 250
- Course fees: ₹ 89,900
Board Infinity is a leading E-learning platform. Their course, Learning Path in Data Science, ranks fifteenth with a score of 0.38. The programme is a six-month course with a Certification Value sub-index score of 0.25.
The programme has seen a great response, with 45 batches already completed and more than 2100 students enrolled to date. It gets a Programme success score of 0.67, the second-highest in the sub-index. The half-yearly course includes 250 learning hours, exams and a Capstone project. The Teaching & Curriculum score stands at 0.37.
