This year’s First Year (FY) admission process across colleges affiliated with the University of Mumbai has highlighted a sharp shift in student preferences toward self-financing, employment-oriented, and technology-driven courses. Compared to traditional academic streams such as BA and BSc, professional programs including BAF, BFM, Data Science, Biotechnology, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Actuarial Science have attracted overwhelming demand, resulting in intense competition and soaring cut-off percentages at several reputed colleges.
First Merit List Released Under NEP for 2026-27 Academic Year
Under the framework of the National Education Policy (NEP), the first merit list for admissions to three-year and four-year undergraduate degree programs for the academic year 2026–27 was released on Tuesday by Mumbai University-affiliated colleges, autonomous institutions, and recognized educational bodies. The admission process witnessed a massive response, with nearly 2.7 lakh students completing online pre-admission registration and collectively submitting over 9.12 lakh applications across various programs.
The first merit list revealed exceptionally high cutoffs in popular professional courses. At R.A. Podar College of Commerce and Economics, the BAF cutoff touched 95.6 percent, while BFM stood at 94.5 percent. Demand also remained strong for B.Com and Actuarial Science. Similarly, Ramnarain Ruia Autonomous College recorded high cutoffs for Biotechnology, Computer Science, and Biochemistry programs. At St. Xavier's College, FYBA admissions closed at 97 percent, whereas the FYBSc cutoff remained comparatively lower at 66 percent.
B.Com, IT and Cyber Security Among Most Demanded Programs
Commerce-related programs received the highest number of applications overall, particularly B.Com, Accounting and Finance, Management Studies, IT, and Computer Science. Students also showed growing interest in emerging fields such as AI, Cyber Security, Digital Forensics, and Data Science. University officials have instructed colleges to strictly follow admission schedules, reservation norms, eligibility criteria, and sanctioned intake capacities during the admission process.
