A student who is pursuing a degree after high school, at the first level of higher education at a college or university is an undergraduate student. Undergraduate students are typically those working to earn a bachelor’s degree, an associate’s degree. An undergraduate (UG) degree is sometimes called a first degree outside of the US. There are other types of undergraduate degrees as well outside of the US like foundation degree.
India’s higher education system is the second largest in the world; it comprises more than 550 institutions and universities, along with 16,000 other colleges offering undergraduate courses in an array of academic disciplines. Approximately 85% of the 20-million student community in India are undergraduates, with undergraduate enrolments increasing by around 15% yearly.
Pursuing an undergraduate degree in India is much cheaper than pursuing a 3-year or a 4-year undergraduate degree abroad. Tuition and living costs are very affordable.
In the 2023 QS University Rankings, the following three Indian institutions have made it to the top 200 universities:
All degree-granting universities in India require accreditation by institutions authorised by the University Grants Commission (UGC). Several educational reforms and enhancements in the quality of degrees and institutes are now influencing students from abroad to consider India a study abroad destination.
With hundreds of universities offering diverse programs, India is getting noticed as an excellent destination for students from various social, economic and cultural backgrounds. There is a vast list of UG Courses in India across disciplines in arts, science and commerce that students can consider. Though medicine and engineering are still in demand as usual, UG Courses in newer disciplines are fast emerging in India.
The traditional concept of education in India has completely transformed with newer trends and diverse career options. Undergraduate courses in India offer the perfect grooming for students before they embark on their careers. Opting for UG Courses in India not only enables students to earn a degree but also helps them hone their practical skills. Pursuing a UG Course in India equips students with strong interpersonal and presentation skills. Project-based learning gives them tremendous experience plus knowledge for later use. Career-oriented UG Courses in India have been fostering industry-ready students.
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Since 2018, nearly 35 premier Indian universities and more than 50 institutes have started accepting Digital SAT scores as part of their admission process; this list of institutions is growing.
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Let us look at the list of specialised undergraduate/bachelor’s degree programs offered in India:
| Bachelor of Arts | Courses Offered:
Advertising, Archaeology, Computer Science, Cinema Sciences, Economics, History, Journalism, Languages, Literature, Mathematics, Music and Fine Arts, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration Top Colleges: Lady Shri Ram College for Women, St. Stephen’s College (New Delhi), Loyola College (Chennai) |
| Bachelor of Science | Courses Offered:
Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Geography, Geology, Information Technology, Mathematics, Physics Top Colleges: St. Stephen’s College (New Delhi), Loyola College (Chennai), St. Xavier’s College (Mumbai) |
| Bachelor of Commerce | Courses Offered:
Fewer specialisations are available within this stream. Some of them include Advertising and Sales Management, Business Economics/Law/Finance, Cost Accounting, E-commerce, Foreign Trade, Marketing, Office Management and Taxation. Commerce graduates generally progress to higher degrees such as CA, CWA, and CSS and can also pursue management studies. Top Colleges: Sri Ram College of Commerce and Lady Shri Ram College for Women (New Delhi), Loyola College (Chennai) |
| Bachelor of Engineering/Tech | Courses Offered:
Automobiles, Biotechnology, Civil, Computer Applications (also offered exclusively as BCA), Electrical and Electronics, Information Technology, Mechanical, Software Top Institutes: IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Delhi, and IIT-Kharagpur; Christ University (Bangalore) is ranked high in Computer Applications |
| BMS/BBA/BBS | Courses Offered:
Finance, Human Resource Management, Management of Global Business, Management of Services, Marketing, Tourism Management Top Institutes: Delhi College of Advanced Studies, IP University, Delhi |
| Bachelor of Law | Courses Offered:
Civil Law, Criminal Law, International Law, Labour Law. The curriculum includes seminars, tutorial work, moot courts and practical training programs. Top Institutes: National Law School of India, Faculty of Law, Delhi University |
| Bachelor of Medicine (MBBS) | The course duration ranges from four to five-and-a-half years; the program includes a 12-month-long internship.
Top Medical Colleges: All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Lady Hardinge Medical College |
| IIM 5-year Integrated Mgmt. Program | The program is suited for young aspirants who wish to become management professionals. The curriculum includes Humanities, Liberal Arts, Management, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and soft skills. |
Several new UG Courses are offered in Indian universities:
Advertising, Arts, Banking, Commerce, Design, Film, Finance, Foreign Languages, Healthcare, Hotel Management, IT, Law, Mass Communication, Media, etc. and soft skills are some of the excellent newer career opportunities available for the UG Students in India.
Indians have seen a sudden rise in online courses in recent times. Thousands of students in India move to different countries for higher education and professional opportunities; however, with universities providing online courses, students can gain world-quality education within the comfort of their homes.
Online education is considered one the most useful methods for students interested in doing their UG Courses in India. Due to intense competition for regular UG Courses in India, online education and distance learning are becoming popular alternatives for students. Though the method is very effective, the online teaching methodology may differ from institute to institute. Some universities encourage students to physically attend college and perform laboratory experiments while others do not. This flexible approach allows students to pursue and complete their UG degree from home in India.
Some Indian Universities that offer online undergraduate courses are as follows:-
| Bachelor’s Degree in India | Bachelor’s Degree in Abroad |
|---|---|
| Intense competition in the admissions process | Intense competition though lesser than India; meritocracy, in a largely supportive way |
| Familiar study environment; focus on theoretical learning | Intellectually stimulating environment; emphasis on practical learning |
| Affordable costs; Local currency and value-for-money | Higher costs yet value for money |
| Limited research, innovation, and support framework | Research-driven education; Unfamiliarity with university names and their value or degrees or pedagogy |
| Campus placements and job security; Decent ROI | A life-altering experience and an early start of a professional journey; high ROI |
| Limited support to develop personality & other soft-skills | Strong support and environment for forging personality and other soft skills |
| Easy access/proximity to home; Home advantage | Homesickness, lesser cultural support & familiarity, climatic variations |
In JEE, an estimated 1.2 million students compete for about 50,000 seats in Tier-1 engineering colleges in India. Altogether, 1.5 million seats are up for grabs, while the enrolment is a shade short of 80,000, which means only 50% of seats get filled; the rest are the number of quality seats with just 4% of total test-takers! These admission percentages (1% in Medical & 4% in Engineering) turn out to be stiffer than that in the hallowed Ivy League colleges of the United States.
Placements & Job Assurances
In India, the top universities have placements for highly active students and are involved with corporates. About 40% of the students get placed in India.
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A student pursuing a degree after high school or studying in the first level of higher education at a college/university is an undergraduate student. An undergraduate degree is called a first degree outside of the US. There are other types of undergraduate degrees too outside of the US like a foundation degree.
When a student reaches the 11th grade, he/she gets to choose from one of the three streams: Science, Commerce, and Humanities. These fields provide different career opportunities, and the choice of the field depends on the student. Students study a range of subjects in a particular field which is why there are various types of Bachelor’s degrees in India.
Some tips that you can keep in mind while choosing an online UG degree:
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