In a significant shift, female students have outpaced their male counterparts in undergraduate college and university admissions in West Bengal. According to the latest data from the West Bengal Department of Higher Education, 59% of admissions through the centralised portal were female students, while male students constituted only 41%. The Arts stream, particularly the Bengali and History honours courses, has emerged as the top choice among students.
This year, a total of 5,27,663 students applied through the centralised admission portal. Following the first round and the subsequent upgrade round, 403,034 students have completed their admission process. The Higher Education Department anticipates this number to slightly increase as the process continues.
Interestingly, the data reveals a declining interest in Science and Commerce among students in the state. Instead, the four-year honours courses in Arts have seen a significant surge. The History honours course attracted 14,546 male students, while the Bengali honours course enrolled 28,732 female students, marking the highest number of admissions.
Out of the total admissions, approximately 262,000 students have enrolled in four-year honours courses, and around 141,000 students have opted for three-year general courses. The Higher Education Department estimates around 500,000 seats will remain vacant after the second round of admissions, out of the total 947,000 available seats.
The most popular course, the four-year BA honours in Bengali, saw 42,318 students enrolling, followed by History with 34,778 students, and Political Science with 26,656 students.
Despite the high enrolment numbers, 358 courses across various colleges have not seen a single student enrolling. The verification process for college admissions is scheduled to take place from July 31 to August 5, ensuring that all admissions are validated and finalised.
The trend of female students leading in college admissions and the overwhelming preference for Arts courses reflect changing academic interests and gender dynamics in the state's higher education landscape. As the admission process progresses, it will be crucial to address the gaps and ensure all courses and seats are optimally utilised.