Scaler school of technology's UG program in Computer science records a 2x surge in applications

In 2024, over 12,000 students competed for a spot at Scaler School of Technology (SST), up from 5000 students last year, marking a significant rise in interest for their flagship UG residential program in CS & AI. 137 turned down offers from prestigious institutions like IITs, NITs, IIITs, and BITS to join SST, solidifying its position as a premier destination for tech education in India.

Explained: Why do students prefer New-Age institutes like Scaler School of Technology?

“Scaler made sense to me because of these 3 things specifically: The curriculum designed by tech experts is hands-on and focuses on practical skills, unlike traditional colleges. Secondly, faculty members include experienced professionals from Google, Microsoft, and Amazon , ensuring students learn from industry experts. And lastly, their one-year mandatory internship, which, by the way, I have already begun. A lot of my friends too have also been placed even before the stipulated time of internship placements,” said Shreshtha Sharma, Student President (female) from SST’s batch of 2027

When we spoke to a few students from SST, what came to the fore was the college’s focus on a practical curriculum, a strong peer group, experienced faculty, and hands-on industry-relevant experience. This defines why a lot of students pursuing tech education in this day and age are choosing colleges like Scaler School of Technology in the heart of tech hubs instead of traditional ones.

Education must keep pace with today’s fast-evolving, tech-driven world, reshaping industries and everyday life. Preparing future generations for these rapid changes requires hands-on learning that bridges the gap between theory and practice. The faculty includes experienced engineers with backgrounds at companies like Google, Microsoft, and Uber. This hands-on, project-focused approach helps students gain both a degree and valuable skills sought by leading employers. For instance, Amod Malviya, former CTO of Flipkart, teaches a course at SST.

Abhimanyu Saxena, Co-founder of InterviewBit and Scaler, explained the motivation behind SST's unique approach:

“Recent industry reports reveal that almost 90% of India’s engineering graduates are unemployable, with fresher hiring becoming a contentious topic in mainstream media. At SST, we provide an education model that is relevant to the dynamic demands of the tech industry, thereby ensuring our graduates have the necessary skills, opportunities, and experience required to thrive in today’s competitive job market. Our unique pedagogy and expert-reviewed curriculum allow our students unparalleled access to hands-on projects and experiences that will help them excel far beyond their peers. The significant rise in application numbers this year, along with the number of students opting for SST over other premier institutions, is proof of our program’s effectiveness in addressing the prevalent skills gap in the sector.”

Factsheet: What is the student intake quality at Scaler School of Technology? 
At a 3.8% selection rate, getting into Scaler School of Technology is a rigorous process. An entrance test (Scaler NSET) follows 2 rounds of interviews by a panel of industry professionals. Of the 12000 students who gave the test last year, 440 students made it to campus. Of these 440, 137 had offers from Tier 1 institutes in India & abroad, like IITs, NITs, BITS, IIITs, the University of Waterloo, the University of Toronto, etc. The highest JEE Mains score on campus is 99.44%ile. In terms of diversity, students come from all parts of India, i.e., 160 districts across 21 states in India.

Culture on Campus: What are some of the early achievements of the 1st batch at SST?
SST students made history by becoming the top-ranked first-year team nationwide in the regional round of the renowned International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC). On a global platform like Codeforces.com, SST already ranks among the top colleges in India within just 2 years of existence. Students mentioned that they are confident of being in the Top 10 by the time they graduate. 
Even though SST’s official internships start in the 2nd year of the course, students have already secured roles. In just one year, over 65 students are already pursuing internships at top product companies in Bangalore, with an average stipend of Rs 30,000 per month. Other companies in the pipeline include Adobe, Google, Rocketium, Freecharge, etc.

 

Given students are in Bangalore, they get opportunities to take part in national-level hackathons & workshops conducted by MNCs. For example, the AI X SpaceTech Hackathon that was held in Bengaluru in March this year. Scaler students competed with 190 global teams and won the hackathon hosted by GalaxEye, Speciale Invest, and Entrepreneur First, outshining top college graduates in a fiercely competitive event. The winning team, comprised of Naga Chaitanya, Srujan Reddy Dharma, and Narasimha S, demonstrated exceptional skill and innovation. 
 

Moreover, Scaler students are developing innovative projects, including virtual teaching assistants, smart glasses for the visually impaired, and breast cancer detection devices. They're collaborating with organisations like the IT Ministry of India, IIT Bombay, and companies such as Urban Company.

SST students are also working with Bhashini, the Government of India’s AI-powered multilingual translation platform, on a project aimed at reducing language barriers across India. Using Bhashini’s pre-trained models and APIs, first-year students are developing tools like a Chrome Extension and a Webpage Translation API to translate web pages into various Indian languages. This collaboration supports Bhashini’s mission to make digital content more accessible to Indians in their native languages.

The new-age institution also provides entrepreneurial students with unique opportunities to present their projects and secure funding from leading investors like Sequoia and Lightrock. Through this real-world mentorship, SST students gain critical industry experience that distinguishes them from their peers.
 

Admissions Process & Scholarships

Scaler has emerged as a key player in tech education, recently topping Time's 2024 list of emerging education companies across the world. Backed by global investors like Sequoia and Tiger Global, Scaler has partnered with over 900 companies for placements and is expanding across India and the US.

Applications for the 2025 intake at SST are currently open, and early applicants can qualify for scholarships. Students can attempt the National Scaler Entrance Test (NSET) up to three times annually. Their program includes specialisations in cutting-edge technologies, a year-long paid internship, and two parallel degrees: a BSc from BITS Pilani and a Master’s from Woolf University.

Abhimanyu Saxena, Co-founder of InterviewBit and Scaler, explained the scholarships & financing

“We are fortunate to have industry donors like Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Prassana Sankar, & more who power the Scaler Foundation, which in turn gives our need and merit-based scholarships based on parameters like performance in academics, extracurricular activities, family income, and gender. The idea is to support students to the best of our ability to pursue world-class education at SST. Our team has also tied up with prominent banks & NBFCs to facilitate education financing.”