Central University of Jammu

Overview

The Central University of Jammu (CU Jammu) is a rapidly growing institution of higher education in the Samba district of Jammu. In just over a decade since its inception, it has grown from offering three courses to having 9 Schools with 24 Departments offering academic and research studies. There are several unique programs relevant to its location, including those offered by the School of National Security studies. It is also home to the Dr. Ambedkar Center of Excellence, which aims to coach 100 students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds for the UPSC examination.

The Placement Cell of CU Jammu coordinates the training, internship selection, corporate relations, and interview activities of students from different Departments. MBA students achieve the highest CTCs on average, with INR 10 LPA being the highest salary offered, for a Business Development Associate role. Examples of MNCs making full time offers to students are Aditya Birla Group, Bank of America, Procter & Gamble, Hindustan Unilever Limited, HDFC Bank, and PVR Cinemas.

Though the Central University of Jammu currently operates out of temporary quarters, the full campus, which is under construction, will be spread over the lush green outskirts of the city, with 610 acres allotted. Despite the fact that there is no full campus operational currently, CU Jammu provides its students with world class educational facilities, including an extensive library and auditorium. There is also a health center and access to nearby grounds for physical and mental wellness.

Highlights

Fees

The academic fees for students of the Central University of Jammu have multiple components e.g. tuition fees, examination charges, registration fees, and caution deposits. The fee structure for the MSc program is given below; other UG and PG programs vary mainly in the tuition fee amount:

• Tuition fee: INR 1,500 per semester.
• Admission and Registration fee: INR 1,000 (one time; payable during the first semester).
• Examination fee: INR 950 per semester.
• Student Insurance: INR 130 per year.
• Degree and migration fee: INR 1,200 (one time).
• Alumni membership fee: INR 1,000 (payable at the time of admission to CU Jammu).
• Training and Placement fee: INR 1,000 (payable during the second semester).
• Dissertation and project fee: INR 3,000 (payable during the last semester).
• Other fees (including campus development, library students’ welfare fun, convocation, and internet charges): Vary from INR 3,765 (last semester) to INR 8,298 (first semester).

Tuition fees for some other prominent programs are:

• BTech: INR 45,000 per semester.
• MTech: INR 2,250 per semester.
• MBA: INR 23,250 per semester.
• BVoc: INR 1,000 per semester.
• MA: INR 750 per semester.

Program fees for most PhD students are INR 15,765 per semester.

Living costs for students who live on the CU Jammu campus have three components:

• Hostel security fee: INR 2,500. This one time fee is refundable when the student leaves the hostel, provided that no harm is caused to University property.
• Hostel rent: INR 12,000 per semester.
• Mess fee: INR 3,090 per month.

Admissions

The eligibility criteria for admission to the Central University of Jammu, are as follows:

• UG programs:
  • All applicants must have a 10+2 pass certificate issued by any recognized Board of Higher Secondary Education in India or abroad.
  • Most programs require an aggregate of 50% or higher for General and OBC candidates and 45% for SC, ST, and PwD applicants. However, some programs (e.g. BTech Computer Science) have higher cut-offs than the average (65% for general category students, with a corresponding reduction for reserved category students).
  • Applicants to most UG courses must have a valid CUET (UG) score. Some programs (e.g. BTech) accept JEE Main scores.
• PG programs:
  • Applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline, or be in the final year of such a degree.
  • The cut-off for most programs is 55% for general candidates, with a 5% relaxation for reserved category applicants.
  • Applicants must have a valid CUET (PG) score for most programs; however, the MBA program requires a score from a relevant management aptitude test e.g. CAT, XAT, or MAT.

Students who wish to apply to the Central University of Jammu must follow these steps:

• Visiting the Samarth portal of CU Jammu for either CUET UG or CUET PG applications.
• Creating an applicant account and choosing CU Jammu as the top preference.
• Submitting personal details and entering all grades and marks obtained from Standard 12 onwards. Any incorrect information can lead to subsequent cancellation of the application.
• Appearing for the CUET UG or CUET PG examination on the date allotted to the subject(s) chosen.
• Participating in the seat allocation process for CU Jammu.
• After all seats are allotted successfully, the University authorities publish a merit list on the Samarth website.
• Candidates who wish to join CU Jammu must pay the first semester's fees and complete the academic registration process.

Placements

As one of the top Universities in India, the placement highlights of the Central University of Jammu are as follows: 

• The highest salary offered to a graduating student of CU Jammu was INR 10 LPA during the most recent placement season for which data is available; this position was offered to two MBA students by Byju’s.
• Prominent recruiters include the Aditya Birla Group, Bank of America, Procter & Gamble, Hindustan Unilever Limited, HDFC Bank, PVR Cinemas, Chandigarh University, Vedanta, Agile Capital, Planet Spark, Kent, and Save the Children.
• The central Placement Cell of the University works with potential recruiters to organize in-person and virtual placement drives; it also organizes training activities for students of different Departments to enhance their employability.
• Examples of roles for which students of CU Jammu are hired include Management Trainee, Staff Engineer, Assistant Professor, Tourism Officer, Content Writer, Human Resources Manager, Business Development Associate, Assistant Brand Manager, Sales Executive, and Digital Marketing Manager.
• The average placement salaries over the recent past (three year window) offered to students of the Central University of Jammu are:
  • UG 4 year programs: INR 2.4 LPA.
  • PG 2 year programs: INR 3.6 LPA (exactly in line with the median CTC two years previously).
  • Integrated UG+PG 5 year programs: INR 3.7 LPA (up slightly from INR 3.5 LPA two years earlier).
• The ratio of students receiving at least one job offer during the final placement season to the total number of graduating students varies by program type. It is highest for two year Master’s students:
  • UG 4 year programs: 4 successfully placed students out of 30 registered with the placement cell (13%).
  • PG 2 year programs: 187 out of 413 (45%).
  • Integrated UG+PG 5 Year programs: 38 out of 98 (39%).

Cut-Offs

Most PG Programs offered by the Central University of Jammu have cut-offs based on the aggregate of all UG semester examinations. The General Category cut-offs are usually 55% for most courses except for MBA in Tourism and Travel Management, where it is 60%. There is a 5% relaxation for reserved category applicants. The UG cut-offs vary based on the program, with the highest cut-offs corresponding to BTech (CS) applicants (65% for general category applicants in  the Standard 12 Board Examination). The only program which has an entrance examination cut-off announced in advance is BTech (Computer Science): only students with a rank below 5 lakh in the JEE Main Common List can apply. All the other programs have entrance test cut-offs determined after the seat allocation process.

Faculty & Alumni

The Central University of Jammu is home to 222 full time Faculty members. Of these, 102 (46%) are Assistant Professors, 26 (12%) are Associate Professors, and the remaining 94 (42%) are full Professors. Most Faculty members (203 out of 222, or 91%) hold PhD degrees, with the remaining holding high quality Master’s qualifications. The faculty members work closely with the placement cell and alumni to assist students with professional training and industry relevant courses.

Several informal Alumni Association pages exist for the Central University of Jammu on social media. The University encourages its graduates to stay in touch through regular events, announcements on its website, and outreach activities through the placement cell. Alumni are also approached for donations regarding developmental activities on campus, and their inputs regarding mentorship for current students. As the University grows, the network of the alumni cell is expected to increase in both scope and geographical reach, with 9 Schools and 20+ Departments, and 500+ graduating students every year.

Scholarships

As of 2024, 504 out of 2,032 students (25%) receive full tuition fee waivers from the Central and State Governments, and no students receive full scholarships via either University funds or private bodies and Trusts. However, some students may receive partial tuition fee waivers via these routes. There are seven financial aid schemes in order of popularity, which are:

1. Jammu and Kashmir Post Matric Scholarships: These are awarded to SC, ST, EWS, PwD and Pahari speaking students of Jammu and Kashmir; applications must be submitted via the UT Scholarship Portal, and selected students will receive a tuition fee waiver in addition to a living stipend to help finance their studies.

2. NSP Scholarships: The Government of India maintains the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) which allows students to create a profile with details of family income and caste status, if applicable. This can then be used to apply to 60+ scholarships with different eligibility criteria. Students must ordinarily submit their applications soon after receiving an admission call to join CU Jammu.

3. Research Scholarships: There are several Central Government agencies that provide funding to PhD and PG research students. For example, there are UGC NET, CSIR NET, and non-NET scholarships. All these financial aid schemes provide a monthly stipend to selected students, in addition to an annual contingency amount that can be used for travel and other living costs.

4. Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority students: This aims to encourage students from religious minorities to pursue higher education by providing a monthly stipend to academically exceptional students whose family income is below the specified limit. The monthly stipend can be used to cover tuition fees and living costs.

5. Ms. Agatha Harrison Memorial Fellowship: This is a grant offered to up to one Indian student every year to complete an exchange semester at one of the constituent colleges of Oxford University. It has a stipend amount of more than USD 24,000, and is funded completely by the Government of India.

6. Rajiv Gandhi National Scholarship for students with disabilities: This is offered to students who have already secured admission to CU Jammu and have a partial (more than 40%) or total disability of any kind. Students who are applying must submit a certificate signed by a registered medical practitioner.

7. Scholarships offered by other State Governments: Students of other states enrolled in the Central University of Jammu can apply to their state governments for various scholarship schemes. For example, UG and PG students of the University currently avail the Post Matric Scholarship offered by the Government of Bihar.

Students of CU Jammu are also free to apply to private organizations (CSR Departments of companies and trusts) for scholarships, provided that they are not already receiving a scholarship under any of the categories listed above.

Preparation & FAQs

Most applicants to the Central University of Jammu must qualify via either the CUET UG or CUET PG examination. Therefore, the bulk of the preparation must focus on attempting sample tests and mock exams for CUET 2025, with a view to improving speed and accuracy. Going through previous years’ CUET papers can also help to understand the format and difficulty level of questions better. Certain programs have their own entrance test requirements other than CUET; for example: BTech applicants can submit JEE Main scores, and MBA aspirants can qualify via the CAT or MAT. These are highly competitive entrance tests, and candidates should attend intensive classroom training sessions for multiple years to ensure success.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Which is the top University in India?

The Central University of Jammu is one of the best Universities in India. It is ranked #39 among the best Universities in India, according to the IIRF 2024 ranking list.

Q. What are the application fees to the Central University of Jammu?

The application fees to the Central University of Jammu vary according to the level of the program to which the student is applying (undergraduate, postgraduate, or PhD). The CUET UG application fee is INR 1,000, and the CUET PG application fee is INR 1,200 (for general candidates).

Q. What are the expected dates of the Central University of Jammu recruitment 2025?

The expected dates, mode of application, and submission deadlines for all part time and full time roles offered by the Central University of Jammu in 2025 can be found on its website. Through this portal, prospective candidates can also see the list of selected job applicants.

Q. How does the Central University of Jammu encourage students who are interested in entrepreneurship?

As a notable research institution, CU Jammu maintains an active IPR and patent cell that assists students with filing claims to establish the right to monetize their innovative ideas in association with the University.

Q. Which are the unique student clubs at the Central University of Jammu?

CU Jammu is home to several unique student associations including the E-Sports Club, where competitive gamers from the student body take part in internal, national, and international tournaments.