GATE 2026: Top Underrated Branches that can lead to High Paying Careers after MTech
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2025 ( GATE )
Admit Card - 2 Jan '26
GATE Most Underrated Branches that lead to high-paying careers: When it comes to GATE, many students incline towards popular streams like CS, EC, ME, EE, and CE. However, at times, there are certain branches that turn out to be gems that can offer high-paying careers. From higher studies to interesting research opportunities. Let's talk about some of the most GATE underrated branches that have emerging career prospects.
GATE 2026 most underrated branches that lead to high-paying careers: We all know that GATE is one of the most prestigious exam in India. However, out of 30 subjects, most aspirants move towards the popular streams like computer science, electronics, mechanical etc. While these branches have high scopes, but there are other branches out there that offer amazing job profiles, research options and lucrative salaries. So, in this article we have discussed about the most underarated GATE branches that lead to high-career paying opportunities.
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GATE Most Underrated Branches that can lead to High-Paying Careers
Candidates can check below the most underrated GATE branches that have attractive career prospects and exciting research opportunities in the upcoming years.
GATE Instrumentation Engineering
Why is it underrated?
This branch is often overshadowed by GATE EE (electrical engineering). However, GATE IN is an indisciplinary field that blends the subjects and concepts of electronics, control systems and measurements.
GATE Instrumentation Engineering Career Scope and Opportunities -
No, JEE exams are not mandatory for BSc admissions at IIT Madras. Candidates who wish to take admissions into the BSc course at IIT Madras must appear for IISER entrance examination. The admissions into IIT Madras BSc courses are decided on merit basis where, the scores obtained by candidates in the IISER entrance exam are taken into account to decide the admissions.
IIT Madras provides UG, PG, and doctoral courses. The courses include BTech, BTech-MTech (Dual Degree), BS-MS (Dual Degree), Integrated MA, MTech, MBA, MSc, MS by Research and PhD. IIT Madras has also started for an 8-week free online course on Data Science.
Appearing and qualifying in GATE IN can get aspirants jobs in oil, gas, power plants, and in many manufacturing industries. Also, students can opt for PSU jobs with a GATE score above 700. If someone is willing to make a career in research, then they have great scope in automation, robotics, etc.
Emerging Fields in Instrumentation Engineering -
Here are some emerging fields that candidates can consider in instrumentation engineering -
- renewable energy, smart manufacturing, and biomedical instrumentation. Considering the GATE two paper combination facility, students can take the benefit and get into a global recognised career in the Green economy, sustainability goals, etc.
IITs that offer GATE IN programmes
- IIT Kharagpur, offer MTech in instrumentation and integrated electronics with an average placement salary package of 43 LPA
- IIT Roorkee offers MTech in instrumentation and signal processing
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GATE Instrumentation Engineering Cutoff
As per the last year GATE stats, GATE expected cutoff can be ranged between 23 to 25 (for the general category) and 17 to 20 (for the reserved category). Also, around 11935 candidates appeared for the GATE 2025 exam out of 14680 registered applicants in GATE IN.
GATE IN Average Salary Insights
- Aspirants can expect an average salary ranging from 6 to 43 LPA.
- IIT Kharagpur had the top package of 43 LPA, for firms like Yokogawa and Honeywell.
Also read:
- How to get a job in FAANG companies through GATE: Check insights
- What is the salary of a GATE topper in a month?
- What is a good rank in GATE for IITs, NITs, and PSUs
GATE Environmental Science and Engineering (ES)
Why it's underrated?
This is a newly introduced course; however, due to sustainability being the hottest conversation in the nation, for the climate-conscious world. This can become the next popular branch, which is neglected by many.
GATE Environmental Science Career Scope and Opportunities
- Aspirants can get into government organisations like NHAI, ESG Firms, and MoEFC
- Candidates willing for research work roles can get into IITs, IISc, and NITs for research sectors in climate change, pollution control, and water management.
- Also get into consultancy jobs with firms working in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Goverance) compilance.
Emerging Fields in Environmental Science and Engineering
- Some interesting and emerging scope in GATE ES include sustainable resource management, smart pollution control using AI, climate challenge, etc.
IITs that offer MTech programmes in GATE ES
- IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay offer MTech in Environmental Science
GATE Environmental Science and Engineering Cutoff
No, applicants cannot opt for any paper from the combination list. Candidates can only select from the options provided by the GATE authorities in the GATE 2026 paper combination list. For example, a CS student has the free will to choose from the following set of exam papers: DA, EC, GE, MA, PH, and ST.
Yes, IIT Bombay offers a four-year BTech in eight specialisations. Admission to these programmes is based on merit in JEE Advanced. Only the students who pass JEE main can take the advanced exam. The aspirants who furher meet the cutoff criteria can participate in JoSAA counselling.
All the BTech specialisations offered by IIT Bombay are enlisted below:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Computer Science & Engineering
- Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science
- Engineering Physics
- Civil Engineering
All the MTech specialisations available at the campus of IISc Bangalore are tabulated below:
MTech Specialisation | |
|---|---|
Artificial Intelligence (AI) | Electronic Product Design (EPD) |
Bioengineering (BE) | Mobility Engineering (MobE) |
Civil Engineering (CE) | Instrumentation Systems (INS) |
Chemical Engineering (CH) | Mechanical Engineering (ME) |
Earth and Climate Sciences (ECS) | Materials Engineering (MT) |
Computational and Data Science (CP) | Microelectronics and VLSI Design (MV) |
Computer Science & Engineering (CS) | Semiconductor Technology (SemT) |
Electronics and Communication Engineering (EC) | Quantum Technology (QT) |
Electronic Systems Engineering (ED) | Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) |
Electrical Engineering (EE) | Smart Manufacturing (SM) |
Aerospace Engineering (AE) | Signal Processing (SP) |
- GATE cutoff ranges between 23-26 (for the general category) and 17-18 (for the reserved category), as per the last year
- 6631 candidates appeared for the GATE 2025 exam out of 9073
💸 GATE Environmental Science Engineering Salary Insights
- Salary typically range from 6 LPA to 16 LPA (depending on skills and experience)
GATE Engineering Sciences (XE)
Latest Updates: IIT Guwahati has introduced a new paper under GATE Engineering Sciences for GATE 2026, called Energy Science. The paper code is XE (I).
Why it is underrated?
GATE aspirants usually neglect this branch due to its unconventional formal and optional subject combinations. However, it offers a versatile and flexible career opportunities due to its paper options.
GATE Engineering Sciences Career Scope and Opportunities
- Students can get into fields like materials science, nanotech and polymer technology which have high scopes in future.
- Many PSUs like DRDO and BARC offers careers in research and development.
- Students have also oppirtunity to get into research-based scjholarships and higher education abroad (GATE accepted score universities)
GATE XE Emerging Fields
- Aspirants can get into research and innovations in solar, thermal energy, industrial robotics, nanodevices, etc.
IITs that offer MTech in Engineering Science through GATE
- IIT Bombay, IISc Bangalore, IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Guwahati are some of them.
- Other institutions like NIT Trichy, Jadavpur University offer MTech in Engineering Sciences
GATE Engineering Sciences (XE) Cutoff Scores
Based on the last year stats and previous year trends, the GATE XE cutoff mostly ranges between 31 to 26 for general category and 23 to 24 for reserved category. Last year, 11156 candidates appeared the GATE exam out of 14937.
GATE Engineering Sciences Average Salary
- Entry-level salaries for GATE-qualified in XE can range from 4 to 8 LPA in public and private sectors depending on skills and experience.
- However, in PSUs, students can expect a salary range between 20 to 32 LPA (again, depending on skill set and experience) with perks and benefits.
| Here's a bonus tip: Qualifying GATE XE can be easier due to low compeition and with smart subject selection, students can lead to high-career paying jobs. |
Also read:
Why Choosing an Underrated Branch Might be a Smarter Decision in GATE 2026?
- Less Competition, Higher Ranks- Fewer candidates appear for these papers, increasing your chances of securing a top rank.
- Specialised Career Tracks- These fields cater to niche industries, with few crowd of applicants and high growth opportunities.
- Research-Focused Future- If you're inclined toward research or academia, these underrated GATE branches can provide funding and guiding opportunities.
So, if you’re preparing for GATE 2026, don’t be afraid to explore these lesser-known streams; they could be your gateway to a fulfilling and financially rewarding career.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a week ago
The GATE exam is conducted once a year. The entrance test takes place on multiple dates and shifts for 30 test papers. For 2026, IIT Guwahati is conducting the exam on February 7, 8, 14, and 15.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 weeks ago
Yes, IIT Guwahati has extended the GATE 2026 registration date with late fees. The new GATE 2026 registration date is October 13.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 weeks ago
If you notice an error or discrepancy after submitting your GATE form, don't panic. Once the application correction window opens, log in via GOAPS using your credentials and make the corrections. Details like category, gender, exam city, paper choice, date of birth, etc., can often be edited — usual
D
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
The factors that determine the GATE cutoff are -
- Availability of seats (the total seat intake varies every year for NITs, IIITs, and IIT admission)
- Number of registered applicants
- The difficulty level of the examination - (GATE is conducted on multiple days, however, the paper difficulty varies for eve
I
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
Based on the previous year's trends, the GATE 2026 expected cutoff for computer Science and engineering can be checked below-
- For General category it might go around 30 to 31.0
However, the GATE cutoff varies every year, depending on the difficulty level, number of applicants appearing for the exam,
U
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
No, a duplicate GATE 2026 admit card will not be provided at the test center. Candidates must carry their own admit card along with the mentioned documents and items to the GATE exam center. IIT Guwahati will release the GATE admit card on January 2.
P
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
Candidates will get only one scribble pad at a time. They must write their name and registration number before using it. If the rough sheet gets filled, then they can ask for another one scribble pad after returning the previous one to the invigilator. After the exam concludes, candidates must retur
B
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
Yes, candidates will get a scribble pad in the GATE exam 2026 to do the rough work. Candidates have to write their name and registration number on the scribble pad before using it. However, the rough sheet must be returned after the completion of the exam.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
The barcode present in the GATE admit card 2026 carries the candidate's information. It is required for a faster verification process and fraud prevention. So, make sure it does not get tampered. Carry multiple copies in case your GATE 2026 hall ticket is torn or tampered.
T
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
Candidates who are appearing for the GATE exam must carry a valid ID proof along with a passport-size photograph, transperant water bottle, and pen (blue or black) along with GATE 2026 hall ticket. We advise to carry atleast two to three copies of admit card to the centre.
A
Contributor-Level 7
IIT Bombay is one of the top Engineering institute in the country. It is ranked by various bodies. National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) has ranked IIT Bombay, #3 in the "Engineering" category. BTech is the flagship programme of the institute. Moreover, the institute also offers MBA programme. IIT Bombay is also well-known for its Management course. It has secured #10 position in the NIRF 2024 rankings in the Management category.