Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram

With just 202 students taught by 144 faculty members, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala runs on a scale far smaller than most medical institutions. It placed #17 in the NIRF Medical 2025 rankings, with a score of 63.36 out of 100, putting it among the more selective postgraduate medical destinations in the country.

The institute offers both 2-year and 3-year postgraduate medical programmes, and placement outcomes differ sharply between them. In 2023-24, the 3-year PG programme saw 23 of 34 graduates placed at a median salary of 28.8 LPA, while the 2-year PG programme placed 56 of 62 graduates at a median salary of 7.55 LPA. The gap has held in previous years too: in 2022-23, the 3-year PG track recorded a median of 24.25 LPA (22 of 33 placed), against 5.53 LPA for the 2-year track (56 of 63 placed); and in 2021-22, the 3-year PG programme reported a median of 26.4 LPA (28 of 35 placed) compared to 5.04 LPA for the 2-year programme (68 of 74 placed).

For someone weighing this institute, the numbers suggest a clear pattern: the 3-year PG route has consistently paid better, though with fewer graduates placed each year, while the 2-year PG route has placed a higher share of its larger graduating batches at more modest salaries.