While most colleges close admissions by early April, several private institutions in the city are still accepting applications due to a noticeable decline in demand for conventional courses such as BA (General) and BCom (General), as students are increasingly opting for specialised programmes.

Courses such as BCom Honours in Finance, BA Honours in Economics and Psychology, and BCA with a focus on cybersecurity are in demand, according to the report by The New Indian Express.

“While the Unified University and College Management System (UUCMS) is the official platform for undergraduate admissions, the portal is yet to open for the academic year 2025-26. To avoid delays, several colleges have begun accepting applications directly, keeping the admissions open with plans to upload student data to the UUCMS once it goes live,” a representative of a private college said.

To meet the demand for specialised courses, Mount Carmel College introduced many new programmes this year, including BSc in Computational Biology, BBA in Fintech and Digital Finance, BCom in Fintech and Digital Banking, and BCom in Business Analytics, Registrar (Academics) Suma Singh told The New Indian Express.

While specialised BCom courses are in demand, conventional programmes such as BSc general and BA continue to witness relatively low interest. Psychology remains one of the most sought-after courses, Suma said, adding that they are hoping for an upsurge in applications for BA and BSc courses after the Common Entrance Test (CET), and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) results.

Jyoti Nivas and St Joseph’s colleges have reported similar trends with demand for specialised courses in Commerce and Psychology, according to representatives of these institutions.

This year, 6.37 lakh students appeared for II PU exams in the state, with 4.08 lakh clearing them. The Science stream saw the highest number of students passing out at 2.31 lakh, though over half of them are aiming for engineering or medical seats.

Faculty members of a few colleges told The New Indian Express that there is a sharp decline in demand for BSc courses. They are being considered as a backup by those who do not make it to professional courses. While 81,553 students passed in the Arts stream, there is a decline in the number opting for BA courses.

Most of the 1.55 lakh students, who cleared the Commerce exam, are keen on specialised BCom and BBA courses. Career options such as Chartered Accountancy (CA) and Company Secretary (CS) are becoming popular among students.