Kerala University (University of Kerala), Thiruvananthapuram, has not published an official placement report for the 2025 season at the time of writing. The most recent fully audited figures come from the university’s NIRF 2025 data submission, which covers the 2023-24 academic year. The data shows 804 postgraduate students placed from the two-year PG cohort, with a median salary of INR 3.48 LPA, the highest recorded in the four years of available NIRF disclosures. The one-year PG cohort recorded 32 placements at a median of INR 2.88 LPA for the same cycle.
As a large affiliating state university running over 50 teaching departments across science, humanities, management, law, and engineering, Kerala University’s placement picture is spread across diverse sectors and outcomes. A substantial share of graduating students pursue higher studies or research rather than immediate employment, particularly in arts and science streams. The university’s placement cell coordinates campus drives with firms from Thiruvananthapuram’s Technopark ecosystem alongside national recruiters in banking, consulting, IT, and manufacturing.
Kerala University Placement Highlights 2024
The table below summarises key placement metrics for the 2023-24 graduating batch, drawn from the university’s NIRF 2025 data submission.
| Metric | PG 1-Year (2023-24) | PG 2-Year (2023-24) |
|---|
| Students graduating | 37 | 1,434 |
| Students placed | 32 | 804 |
| Placement rate | 86% | 56% |
| Median salary (placed graduates) | INR 2.88 LPA | INR 3.48 LPA |
| Students selecting higher studies | 5 | 630 |
Key Takeaways:
- The PG 2-year median salary of INR 3.48 LPA is the highest in four consecutive years of NIRF disclosures for Kerala University.
- 630 of the 1,434 PG 2-year graduates opted for higher studies or research, reflecting the academic orientation of the university’s postgraduate cohort.
- The PG 1-year placement rate of 86% is consistent with the near-full placements recorded in 2021-22, though the cohort size is small (37 students).
PG 2-Year Programme Placements: Year-on-Year Trends
The two-year PG cohort at Kerala University is the largest pool tracked in official NIRF disclosures, covering programmes across science, humanities, social sciences, management, and commerce. The data below, sourced from NIRF submissions for 2023 through 2025, shows a consistent rise in median salary over four placement cycles.
| Placement cycle | Graduates | Students placed | Placement rate | Median salary | Higher studies |
|---|
| 2020-21 | 740 | 222 | 30% | INR 3.00 LPA | 463 |
| 2021-22 | 1,376 | 685 | 50% | INR 3.12 LPA | 532 |
| 2022-23 | 1,914 | 881 | 46% | INR 3.15 LPA | 843 |
| 2023-24 | 1,434 | 804 | 56% | INR 3.48 LPA | 630 |
Key Takeaways:
- Median salary grew from INR 3.00 LPA in 2020-21 to INR 3.48 LPA in 2023-24, a rise of roughly 16% over four cycles.
- The 2020-21 cycle recorded a lower placement rate (30%), partly attributable to pandemic-era hiring conditions. From 2021-22 onward the rate has stabilised in the 46-56% band.
- The share of students selecting higher studies has ranged between 34% and 46% across cycles, reflecting the strong research and doctoral culture at Kerala University.
Placement and Outcome Context
The PG 2-year pool spans disciplines from MSc (Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Statistics) and MA (Economics, History, Political Science, Linguistics) to MBA and M.Com. Placement rates and package levels vary materially by discipline: management and commerce graduates typically attract IT, banking, and consulting roles, while science and humanities graduates often pursue NET/JRF qualifications or PhD admission as a primary outcome. The NIRF figures aggregate all PG 2-year programmes and are not disaggregated by subject.
PG 1-Year Programme Placements
Kerala University’s one-year PG programmes are a smaller cohort of 37 students as of 2023-24 (up from 25 in 2021-22 when a new intake was introduced). The placement data for three consecutive years shows a clear upward trend in median salary.
| Placement cycle | Graduates | Students placed | Median salary | Higher studies |
|---|
| 2021-22 | 25 | 25 | INR 2.50 LPA | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 37 | 31 | INR 2.60 LPA | 5 |
| 2023-24 | 37 | 32 | INR 2.88 LPA | 5 |
The 2021-22 cohort reported 100% placements across its 25 graduating students. From 2022-23 onward, a small number of students (5 per year) selected higher studies, with placements settling at 86% of the graduating cohort. The median salary has risen 15% over the three available cycles.
MBA Placements at IMK
The Institute of Management in Kerala (IMK), Kerala University’s dedicated management school at Kariavattom, runs MBA programmes including general management, shipping and logistics, and tourism management. IMK’s placement cell operates separately from the university’s central placement unit and has maintained a stated record of full placements across its batch history.
Companies that have participated in IMK placement drives include EY, Federal Bank, Air India, UST Global, Accenture, HCL, South Indian Bank, Nokia, Taj Group of Hotels, and IBS Software. The IMK placement cell also organises lateral placement drives for students with prior work experience. No official programme-level salary disclosure is available from IMK for recent batches. The broader NIRF 2025 data for Kerala University’s PG 2-year pool (which includes MBA) records a median of INR 3.48 LPA for 2023-24, though this figure aggregates all PG 2-year disciplines and is not MBA-specific.
Top Recruiters
Campus recruitment at Kerala University draws from Thiruvananthapuram’s IT corridor, national banking and financial services firms, and core sector companies. The table below lists recruiters that have visited the university’s departments and IMK placement drives, compiled from the placement cell’s own page and placement activity records.
| Sector | Companies |
|---|
| Information Technology | UST Global, Tata Elxsi, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL, IBM, Oracle, Amazon |
| Consulting and Advisory | EY, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, Accenture |
| Banking and Financial Services | Federal Bank, South Indian Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank |
| Manufacturing and Core Sector | L&T, MRF, Bajaj, Samsung |
| Aviation and Hospitality | Air India, Taj Group of Hotels |
| Media | Mathrubhumi |
| Technology Products | Nokia, IBS Software, Polus Software |
The proximity to Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram’s IT special economic zone hosting 470-plus companies, makes IT and software services the dominant employer category for students from the university’s technology and management departments.
Research and Higher Studies Outcomes
A defining characteristic of Kerala University’s postgraduate outcome profile is the high proportion of students who pursue research or further study rather than direct employment. In 2023-24, 630 of 1,434 PG 2-year graduates (44%) chose higher studies, a figure that has remained in the 34-46% range across all four NIRF cycles disclosed. This reflects the university’s role as a research-intensive state university with active PhD programmes across science, social science, and humanities departments.
The PhD programme at Kerala University enrolled 1,462 full-time and 571 part-time doctoral students as of 2023-24. Annual PhD graduations have grown steadily: 596 full-time and 166 part-time doctorates were awarded in 2023-24, up from 573 full-time and 149 part-time in 2021-22. Students who obtain NET/JRF qualifications or are selected to DST, CSIR, and UGC-funded research projects represent an additional career outcome not captured in the placement figures above.
Kerala University Placement FAQs
Ques. What is the median salary for Kerala University postgraduate students?
Ans. According to the university’s NIRF 2025 submission, covering the 2023-24 placement cycle, the median salary for PG 2-year graduates was INR 3.48 LPA and for PG 1-year graduates was INR 2.88 LPA. These are the most recent official figures available. The university has not published programme-specific salary breakdowns separating MBA, MSc, MA, or M.Com graduates in its public disclosures.
Ques. What percentage of Kerala University students get placed?
Ans. The placement rate varies significantly by cohort and discipline. For the 2023-24 batch, 56% of PG 2-year graduates were placed in jobs, while another 44% opted for higher studies or research. PG 1-year graduates recorded an 86% placement rate for the same year. It is important to note that a large share of Kerala University students pursuing arts and science programmes choose NET/JRF preparation or doctoral admission rather than direct employment, which affects the aggregate placement percentage.
Ques. Which companies recruit from Kerala University?
Ans. Kerala University’s placement drives have drawn recruiters from IT and software (UST Global, Tata Elxsi, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, IBM, Oracle, Amazon), consulting (EY, Deloitte, Accenture), banking (Federal Bank, South Indian Bank, ICICI Bank), and manufacturing (L&T, MRF, Bajaj). The Institute of Management in Kerala (IMK) attracts management-focused recruiters including Air India, Taj Group, and IBS Software. Technopark-based companies form a significant portion of the IT recruiter base given the university’s location in Thiruvananthapuram.
Ques. Does Kerala University have a dedicated placement cell?
Ans. Yes. The University Placement Cell, based at the main campus, coordinates campus recruitment drives, organises career guidance workshops, and maintains a student database for employer access. IMK, the management school, also operates its own dedicated placement cell that handles MBA recruitment separately. Individual departments additionally run their own industry interface programmes, particularly in science and engineering streams.
Ques. Is Kerala University good for placements if the goal is an IT job in Thiruvananthapuram?
Ans. Students from MCA, MBA, and engineering-aligned programmes at Kerala University have been recruited by Technopark-based companies including UST Global, Tata Elxsi, and Infosys. However, Kerala University is primarily a research and teaching university, and IT placements are concentrated in technology and management-facing programmes rather than across all disciplines. Students seeking IT roles should note that the university’s overall placement median (INR 3.48 LPA for PG 2-year in 2023-24) reflects a broad aggregate across arts, science, and professional programmes and is not specific to IT-track students.
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