Government arts and science colleges across Tiruchy have witnessed a record surge in undergraduate applications for the 2025-2026 academic year, with over 1.9 lakh students vying for limited seats across five key institutions.
As the counselling began on June 2, Tamil, Computer Science, and Commerce have emerged as the most sought-after courses, reflecting a shift in student aspirations shaped by government job dreams and job-oriented training programmes, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
At Thanthai Periyar Government Arts and Science College alone, 1,00,617 applications have been received for just 1,600 seats a steep 15% increase from last year's 87,534, and nearly double the 54,004 seen in 2023-2024.
Tamil received the highest number of applications at 9,301, followed by Computer Science (8,231) and Commerce (8,130) in both the shifts.
College officials attribute this strong interest in Tamil to the recent emphasis on the Tamil qualifying paper in Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) Group exams, which has led many aspirants to prefer a degree that aligns with their government job preparation.
In Thiruverumbur's Government Arts College, a similar pattern is evident. Tamil again leads with 4,021 applications, while Commerce (4,847) and Computer Science (4,811) compete closely for the second and third spots.
At Srirangam Government Arts and Science College, the trend tilts toward career-focused streams. Computer Science drew 3,781 applications, edging out Commerce (3,158) and BBA (3,127). The college has only 470 seats available, making competition particularly stiff.
The Government Arts and Science College in Kumulur, Lalgudi Taluk, has also seen applications rise from 11,000 last year to 18,642 this year. Tamil Literature (2,649) remains the most preferred course, followed by Computer Science (2,226) and Computer Applications (2,024), again balancing traditional and tech-based choices.
Manapparai's government college reflects a similar dual trend: Tamil drew 3,366 applications, with Computer Science at 3,080 and English at 1,989. Total applications rose to 15,131, compared to 10,952 last year.
College principals credit the increase to a combination of low-cost education and Naan Muthalvan scheme and the ability for students to apply to five colleges and five courses each, and the state's Naan Mudhalvan scheme, which offers job placement support in sectors like Information Technology (IT) and commerce.
"Students are clearly aiming for both government jobs and private sector careers," said a college official.While the numbers offer a snapshot of current trends, an official in the Higher Education Department caution that final enrollments will become clear only after all phases of counselling conclude on June 14, according to the report by The New Indian Express.
