IIST Trivandrum Reviews & Ratings 2026 – Authentic Student Feedback

Admission: Overview of IIST admissions showed strong organization. Online registration after the merit list was easy to navigate. Document verification on campus went smoothly with clear guidance from staff. Transparency made joining less stressful.

Academic: Our teachers at IIST are really experienced and know a lot, and they even follow an eco-friendly way of teaching. The semesters here can be tough, but because of this, we get good knowledge that makes us ready for jobs. Plus, 80% of students always pass.

Placement: At IIST, placement opportunities are quite good for everyone because there are not many students. Around 85% of us usually get placed. If you score a CGPA of 7.5 or more, you have a good shot at getting into top companies like ISRO, Bosch, Benz Mahindra, Tata, and others.

Campus: In our college, you will find a lot of greenery all over the campus. The mess will serve yummy food with both North and South Indian dishes. Besides that, there will be two canteens available. For sports, all types of courts will be there, and they will also hold inter-house tournaments every year. And for any health needs, medical facilities will be open 24/7.

Admission: Entry to IIST after JEE Advanced felt smooth. The online registration portal worked well and the rank list appeared on schedule. Counselling simplified seat allotment and document verification was efficient with supportive staff. The process felt well managed.

Academic: Our college faculty members are mostly good; they're qualified and usually explain subjects well. The curriculum here is not too difficult, but it's not easy either. You'll be pretty busy all semester with lots of assignments, quizzes, labs, and practicals. These quizzes have now changed into mid-semester exams, but honestly, they are still not easy. Exams are generally moderate in difficulty, and the grading is usually fair.

Placement: People mostly pick this college for ISRO placements, apart from the research facilities. The ISRO interview generally happens in your 6th semester, and you need at least a 7 CGPA out of 10 to qualify for it. Later, to finally get into ISRO, you must keep a 7.5 CGPA until your 8th semester. Every year, over 60% of students from the entire batch get placed in ISRO. Also, many other core and non-core companies visit our college for placements.

Campus: College campus is really calm and peaceful, mainly because it's not super crowded here. Our hostels are also quite new, built since the college began in 2007, and they're always super clean. For first-year students, you share a room with two other batchmates, then from second year, it's just two people per room.

Admission: Process followed by IIST admissions was straightforward. After the merit list online counselling was organized well. Document verification was quick with staff guidance. Final registration and orientation were handled smoothly with good communication.

Academic: Teachers here are super helpful and always support us. They know a lot about their subjects and have tons of experience. For aerospace engineering, the course syllabus is actually considered the best in India, and the college itself designs it. When it comes to semester exams, they usually match what we learn in class, though sometimes you need to think a bit more for some questions.

Placement: In our college, doing an internship in your third year is a must for everyone. It's cool because you can even get chances to go abroad for these internships, and the college pays for all the costs. After you finish, the average package offered is pretty good, around 15 LPA. Big companies like ISRO and Mercedes Benz come for placements, and some students even land top roles like a Grade A scientist.

Campus: Our teachers are super qualified, most have really high degrees, even post-doctoral ones. Many of them actually studied in famous foreign colleges, like the Ivy League ones, and they come from all over India. Classrooms here are all air-conditioned, and you get Wi-Fi access all over the campus. The library is amazing too, fully AC with six floors. You can find all types of books there, from study materials and science papers to novels. Hostels are also quite good and clean, though they don't have AC in rooms and the washrooms are common. As for the mess food, it's a mix. Some days it's really good, other days not so much.

Admission: Transition into IIST felt straightforward. After clearing JEE Advanced the counselling portal was easy to use and important dates were communicated clearly. Document verification on campus was quick and staff were supportive throughout registration.

Academic: What I like most about our college is how good the teachers are; they're really knowledgeable and qualified. Plus, every subject has two assistant teachers along with the main professors, so it's easy to get help from them if you have any study problems. We also get tutorials sometimes, but only for the core subjects, not all of them. For semester exams, they are not too difficult here. You can actually get a pretty good CGPA easily if you just pay attention in class and spend two hours studying every day. Just remember, the core subjects can be a bit challenging, so you definitely need to work hard to score well in those.

Placement: The best part about IIST is that you can get directly placed in ISRO after your course finishes. But for this, you need to meet some conditions like having a CGPA greater than 7.5 by the end of your studies. Also, you have to maintain proper discipline all through college because you will be joining a national space organization, so you really need to shape up for that. When it comes to placements, my aerospace batch has 75 seats. From what I know from seniors and the data, more than 40 students managed to get an ISRO job. For ECE and other engineering students, the number of ISRO placements is pretty much similar. Other than ISRO, many good companies visited us in previous years too, like Agnikul Cosmos, TATA Consultancy Service, TATA Elxsi, Artificial Brain, Mercedes Benz, Infosys, and many more. About the salary packages, last year the highest for aerospace course was around 13 LPA, and for ECE, it was higher at about 23 LPA. The median package here is usually around 10.5 LPA.

Campus: Infrastructure is really good; since it started in 2007, all the department buildings feel very new. What really amazed me was the lab facilities at IIST. There are more than 30 labs here that work well, and you'll always find PhD students busy in them. For example, we even have a space lab, and I actually went there and did some work myself. Classrooms are also very nice, with AC, a digital projector, a big blackboard, and super comfy chairs. The library is good too; you can issue up to 6 books a month. But honestly, I always think why isn't it open 24/7 instead of just 8:15 AM to 9:00 PM? I mean, you can get the mood to study anytime, right (and I'm serious, not joking, don't laugh)! Wi-Fi is strong everywhere on campus and has good speed. Talking about hostel rooms, they are well-painted, have three beds, three almirahs, a table, and a chair, so they're pretty good. The mess food is just okay personally; coming from North India, I have a bit of a taste problem, but it doesn't mean it's bad, you definitely get variety and good quality.

Admission: Experience at IIST felt quite streamlined. The application portal was easy to navigate and communication regarding merit lists and counselling rounds was timely. Document verification was efficient with helpful staff. The entire onboarding process felt well organized.

Academic: Institute is a premium one, so it's not surprising that the semester exams are pretty tough. You really need to be accurate in this field, which is why the pass percentage is quite low. Still, the course curriculum has really helpful subjects, and we get real-life projects in our assignments.

Placement: Before 2024, ISRO was mainly giving placements to students. But after some time, the bond between our college and ISRO got weaker. This year is the very first time placements are happening since that bond became less strong. Right now, out of 62 students, only 34 got selected in ISRO. The other students found jobs in various startups, and their salary packages were from 8 to 38 LPA.

Campus: What I like about our college is the student-teacher ratio, which is really good at 7:1. We have a cool space lab too, where students can work on projects with professors. The best part is, you don't need high marks to use it. Hostels here are spacious, each room is big enough for one person. As for the food, it's just average, like most college canteens, nothing special.

Admission: System at IIST made admission easy to follow. Online application and merit list declaration were clear. Counselling sessions helped with decisions and document verification was well organized. Staff support made orientation smooth.

Academic: In our college, all the important people like the Director, Chancellor, Registrar, and even the department heads and professors are really respected in their fields. Our professors are very knowledgeable and qualified for what they teach. The Aerospace course syllabus is super relevant, covering theory, technical stuff, and practical applications that make us ready for the industry. But honestly, the IIST Aerospace course is super hectic. We have lots of lectures, tutorials, tests, labs, assignments, and projects non-stop throughout the semester, plus tough mid-semester and end-semester exams. Even with all this, the pass percentage stays above 85% always.

Placement: About placements at IIST, for my 2020 batch, there was a bond with ISRO. This helped all students with a CGPA higher than 7.5 get placed at ISRO, and the packages were from 8 to 12 LPA. Earlier, ISRO was the main company for hiring, but now in Aerospace, new space startups also offer many placement opportunities. In the 6th semester, we have to do a compulsory internship. Most students in their 3rd year get internships at ISRO centers, so like 95 to 100% of students get an internship.

Campus: At IIST, the library is super famous and a big highlight. It's a huge building, six stories tall, and fully air-conditioned. You can find millions of books, journals, e-books, and all sorts of study materials there, and it's open for 16 hours a day, from 8 AM till 12 AM. Our classrooms and labs are fully furnished, with AC in most labs and a few classrooms too. Campus-wide Wi-Fi is also available everywhere, which is very useful. We have free medical facilities, a gym, and both indoor and outdoor sports. While the sports facilities aren't top-notch, there are still many options like cricket, football, volleyball, badminton, and basketball for outdoor games, and chess, carrom, table tennis, and pool inside.

Admission: Flow of admission at IIST was surprisingly organized. After the merit list online counselling was straightforward. Document verification happened efficiently and staff supported registration queries. Orientation was well planned and easy to follow.

Academic: IIST really focuses on academics, so honestly, I have no complaints about the studies here. Our teachers are quite qualified, and the exams they conduct can be a little bit challenging sometimes. Also, from 2024, they changed the curriculum a bit, adding some credits for extracurricular activities, which is a really good thing for future students.

Placement: Placements for our college are pretty good, you know. Last year, like 80% of students got jobs. Some friends just wanted to study more, so they didn't sit for placements. The main company that recruits from us is ISRO. Because ISRO comes, we don't really have a 'highest package' thing, like how other colleges talk about it. Apart from ISRO, companies like Skyroot and Agnikul Cosmos also come for hiring. And about internships, everyone got offers from ISRO and also from some other companies and institutes, which is cool.

Campus: My college has most facilities like good labs, classrooms, and a big library, though sports facilities are not that great here. Hostel facilities are good too. When it comes to food, the quality is decent, but honestly, the taste is just not good. They say it's South Indian food, and I am South Indian myself, but I still don't like it. Medical facilities on campus are good. The main issue is the canteen. There's only one small canteen for the whole campus, and it's open only from 8 AM to 11 PM. This makes it very difficult during exam times when we study late, so we really need a night canteen.

Admission: Journey through IIST admissions was smooth overall. After clearing JEE Advanced the online application process was clear. Communication regarding counselling rounds and document verification was prompt and helpful. Staff efficiency made registration easy.

Academic: College lets us pick what we want to specialize in. They make sure the course covers that area really well and in depth. To give us industry experience, they also arrange a lot of seminars and webinars. Just know that the exams here can be a little difficult.

Placement: College's placement drive isn't very strong, so most students end up finding jobs outside campus. Speaking of salaries, the top package was 10 lakhs per year, and the lowest was 3 lakhs. But for internships, things are better; we get really good opportunities for projects, and usually, these are for research-type roles.

Campus: You know, our department here is super big. We have lots of different labs for all our experiments and research work. Plus, there's a library for studying. For hostel students, they get all the basic things they need, and medical help is also available. The mess food is clean, which is good, but about the taste, that depends on what each person likes.

Admission: Selection into IIST was quite structured. The online application portal was straightforward. After JEE Advanced results the counselling process began and information about seat allotment and document verification was clearly communicated. Staff were helpful during physical reporting.

Academic: Our college has really excellent professors, their way of teaching is just amazing. All these professors have PhD degrees and they are from top places like IITs and IISc. And the teaching assistants are also very good, they help us a lot with labs and in our studies.

Placement: Our college has really good placements. ISRO picks up most of the students, and then other big companies like Texas Instruments also come for hiring. Many new startups visit our campus too. It's awesome because some startups started by students from our own college also give jobs. For the batch graduating in 2025, the top salary offered was around 38 LPA.

Campus: The Wi-Fi in our hostels is really good, and our classrooms have central AC too. For sports, we have many options like badminton, cricket, football, squash, table tennis, chess, carrom, basketball, and volleyball. There's also a gym here with different types of equipment.