It is worth noting that the number of applications for engineering courses has increased this year compared to last year. The numbers vary every year based on job opportunities, economic conditions of the families, and other factors.

Tamil Nadu has more than 443 engineering colleges with 2 lakh 54 thousand 585 seats. With 2,20,841 students joining engineering courses last year, the number is expected to increase this year.

So far, a total of 3,02,373 have registered, with 2,45,220 students successfully paying registration fees. The online registration began on May 3 and ended on June 5.

Even as leading IT companies in both India and abroad are carrying out large-scale layoffs, engineering enrolment has witnessed a significant surge.

Officials from the Directorate of Technical Education (DoTE) noted that medical aspirants have turned to engineering courses due to uncertainty over this year's NEET exam, following alleged irregularities and the subsequent cancellation.

The cutoff marks for engineering courses have decreased this year, creating confidence among students in securing seats in prestigious institutions. The low cut-off has also played a part in the rise in the number of registrations.

According to the DoTE officials, the counselling should start in the second week of July so that first-year students will start their academic year from September 2026.