The School of Engineering at CUSAT is a difficult entry. If you're an excellent student, it will be easy to get through with only a little difficulty. But if you're an average one then it will be straining indeed.
My friend was a topper in his branch and did quite well in the CUSAT SOE exam. His timetable included studying only for one hour a day. When you're enrolled there, you'd have much time to prepare because of the holidays and strikes. You'll be able to sail smoothly if you've scored more than 60% marks in each subject through good attendance and timely submission of assignments.
Here are other notable points-
It also depends on your performance in studies, the faculty assessing your work, and your interest in the field you've chosen. If you do not get many strikes then you'd be able to excel easily.
CUSAT SOE Mechanical is better than FISAT. It is among the most reputed technological institutes in the region. CUSAT offers excellent facilities and opportunities. The Mechanical department has a brilliant faculty base.
According to CUSAT placements of recent years, the average CTC for Mechanical branch is around INR 5 LPA. Godrej, L&T, Vedanta, etc. are among the core companies that recruit through the campus drive. PSU and IT companies also recruit Mechanical Students.
A few of my friends are studying in both colleges and there is absolutely no difference – not even a minute one between the two colleges. Placements are the same and in fact, more students are also getting placed from CUCEK as per what recent surveys have concluded. Additionally, the placement cell for both these colleges is the same and is situated on the main campus.
Probably the only thing that might cause a little bit of hindrance is travel. You might have to travel to the SOE campus every time a company is visiting for hiring or placing students. You will have to go to Ernakulam from Alleppy which is a good 2-hour drive by road. This might pose as a minor set back but the college arranges for this transport so eventually, you will not have any issues.
Coming to placements at CUSAT, about 60 different companies visit the campus for the recruitment drive. So, you will have a number of options to look forward to when you begin applying. As of 2020, about 300 offers were made in the college with the highest CTC of INR 15 LPA and an average CTC of INR 4.7 LPA. The number of placements being offered has increased over the past three years.
Some of the major companies that recruit students include Cisco, TCS, L&T, Tata Steel, and Vedanta.
If placement is your primary concern at CUCEK or CUSAT, you do not need to be worried. You will be a student of a really good university so your future will definitely be bright.
Your chances are pretty slim of getting to the main campus. But then you can always take a shot and go sit for the spot rounds that take place. Make sure you don’t miss that.
My friend get into the Mechanical branch even when he had a rank of 8000. It was even before the NRI quota was introduced. But as you may understand, this was just an exception in the odds. The competition gets tougher and tougher each year and with your rank, I am really worried you may not end up getting it.
But yes, a silver lining for you would be that you may stand a chance at their second campus and that too, for the IT branch. You have certain possibilities here.
Between IEM Kolkata and SOE CUSAT, the former is the better choice for CS. I have a few friends at IEM Kolkata so I can give you some information about their CS department.
Cutoff: In West Bengal, IEM is one of the oldest private engineering colleges. Despite being a private institute the opening and closing rank for CS at the institute is quite high. According to the trends in recent years, it is around 1500.
Placement:
Coding Culture:
The campus has a great coding culture. In recent years many students cracked TCS CODE VITA. Also, two teams qualified for ACM ICPC for 2017-18 regional.
Entrepreneurship:
The college organizes various workshops and events regarding entrepreneurship regularly.
Fest:
IEM has two fests, i.e. Tech fest (Innovation) and Cultural Fest (IEMPACT), you will get a lot of exposure through these fests.
Considering all these factors it is safe to say that IEM Kolkata will be a great choice for a CS degree.
Before making any decision, you need to check the key differences between the two:
CUSAT is a central government-funded university whereas SRM is a deemed university. While comparing both the universities is difficult, the CUSAT CAT is a very tough entrance exam somewhat closer to JEE Mains/Advance.
Categories |
CUSAT |
SRM |
Course Fee |
70.56K - 3.53 lakh |
2 - 15 lakh |
Placement Percentage |
90% |
85-90% |
Highest CTC |
22 LPA |
20-40 LPA |
Average CTC |
3.5 LPA |
4 LPA |
Recruiting Companies |
GAIL, IBM, L&T, Oracle, Mu Sigma, Wipro. |
Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Flipkart, Goldman Sachs, TCS, Wipro. |
CUSAT has got only two campuses out of which SOE (School of Engineering) is considered to be the priority institution for the students aspiring admission in CUSAT and the curriculum is at par with IITs/NITs.
SRM has comparatively more seats in different disciplines of UG level.
Hence, the overall development of the students in Govt funded colleges, packages V/s the cost of study are the other parameters while selecting between a Govt University or a self-financed deemed university.
SOE CUSAT placements are good for BTech in Fire and Safety. Almost every student from the branch gets placed with decent salary packages. The highest CTC offered this year to the student of this branch is around INR 12 LPA and the lowest CTC offered is INR 4 LPA. Companies such as Think Gas, Reliance, L&T, Essar Steel, and a few PSUs visit the campus placements of the CUSAT.
One of my friends shared his experience of being a student of IT in SOE. His first choice was CS during registration but he was given IT due to his rank. Initially, he missed CS and remained worried about being in a different branch. But he finally understood that IT was better than CS.
The following points are based on his experience at the campus:
It is also suggested by many seniors and experienced friends that you take a closer and detailed look at the placements of every year for both these branches at CUSAT before taking the call. There is always a slight difference in the placement every year depending on the industrial, market requirements, and interests of the students.
The following table shows the placement statistics for the 2020 academic year at CUSAT:
Total Number of Offers |
300 |
Total placed students |
306 |
Highest package |
15 LPA |
Average package |
4.7 LPA |
Getting in touch with the students, faculty, and college staff is a good way to understand both the branches better and closer. Remember that you should not completely rely on your friends’ or seniors’ opinionated suggestions.
Analyzing the placement scenario of CSE in SOE CUSAT through the statistics is not right because the figures don’t convey the exact scenario. This is mainly because of the improving crowd quality and cutoffs. Additionally, the institute has witnessed top-notch companies like Oracle, Google, and other e-commerce companies like Amazon, Flipkart, and Snapdeal.
But the students fail to secure good packages because the ones that are good in programming fail to meet the CGPA cutoff while the ones that quality the cutoff don’t clear the interview due to poor programming skills. However, some exceptionally good students get placed in companies like IBM with around INR 36 LPA.
The key highlights of CUSAT placements 2023 are presented below:
Particulars |
Statistics (2023) |
Highest package |
INR 25 LPA |
Average package |
INR 4.9 LPA |
Students placed |
640 |
9 students offered pay package |
INR 25 LPA |
Popular recruiters |
TCS, Infosys, Wipro |
The placement scenario of CSE at SOE CUST seems to be getting only better so that should be your last concern!
If you are considering pursuing a BTech degree, you may be interested in learning about the pros and cons of studying at CUSAT. Here are some points to consider:
Pros:
Cons:
Studying at CUSAT has its advantages and disadvantages. Ultimately, the decision to pursue a BTech degree at CUSAT will depend on your individual preferences and needs.