University of Delhi (DU)

Overview

The University of Delhi (DU) is a prominent Central University located in the country’s capital. With more than a century of sustained growth and success, it is now home to 16 Academic Faculties, 80 Departments, 80+ Colleges, and 7+ lakh students enrolled in full time, part time, and distance learning modes. It offers a mix of 500+ approved central courses, in addition to programs offered by individual colleges. 

Placement activities at Delhi University are primarily managed by the individual colleges’ career cells. For postgraduate students, there are also centralized pathways through individual Faculties to provide jobs and PhD support for graduating Master’s students. For example, the Department of Computer Science connects with prominent MNCs and Indian corporations including Adobe, Amazon, BlackRock, Sapient, Deutsche Bank, and Thoughtworks. 

As one of India’s largest Universities, the constituent colleges of Delhi University are spread across 4 campuses: North, South, East, and West. The North Campus has the founding colleges of the University, with four main Faculties: Arts, Science, Law, and Management. The South Campus has a library, a Health Center, a bank, and accommodation for both faculty members and students from outside the city. All four locations of DU are well known for their green atmosphere and shared facilities among colleges. They are notable for their cultural activities, sports events, and student politics. Events are organized both at a University level (e.g. the annual Convocation and Flower Show) and within individual colleges, with Department Festivals, cultural Festivals, and Sports Meets being held at various locations within Delhi University.

University of Delhi Highlights

University of Delhi Fees

The tuition fees for undergraduate students of Delhi University vary according to both the College in which the student is enrolled and the type of course. Delhi University releases the annual fees for each college and course annually. Some highlights are:

• The annual tuition fees for BA students in most colleges range from INR 5,260 to INR 13,830, with BE Honors (Economics) having the highest fees on average.
• The merit-based admission fees for General Category, SC, ST, OBC, and EWS candidates are the same, with PwD students having substantially lower fees, rarely exceeding INR 1,000 per year.
• The highest course fees on average are for BSc programs across colleges, with Food Technology and Computer Science being relatively more expensive.
• St. Stephen’s College has the highest average fees, exceeding INR 40,000 per year for all programs.

Similarly, fees for PG courses offered by Delhi University can be found on the websites of the respective colleges. For example, SOL DU charges INR 9,370 per year for students of both the MCom and MA (Hindi) degree programs.

Foreign students pay substantially higher fees for all courses (UG and PG). In addition to tuition fees, they must also pay a one time registration fee and annual course registration charges. For example, the course fees for BSc Honors (Computer Science) is INR 1.94 LPA for all foreign students at Delhi University except those from Tibet and the SAARC countries. The one time registration fee is INR 40,000, and the annual course registration charges are INR 18,000.

Living costs for all students vary widely according to whether the student is staying in a hostel, in a Paying Guest accommodation, or at home. Hostel residents must budget for monthly rents and food costs, while students staying off campus must additionally consider transportation costs.

University of Delhi Admissions

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

• Undergraduate courses: Students applying to various UG degree programs (BA, BSc, and BCom) must satisfy prerequisite subject requirements at the Standard 12 Board Examination level. For example, applicants to the BSc program in Biomedical Science offered by Delhi University must have Physics, Chemistry, and any one of Biology, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry in the 10+2 exam. Some programs also mandate minimum CUET scores for admission.
• Postgraduate courses: Delhi University publishes a PG Bulletin of Information (BoI) every year, in which the admission criteria for each course are laid out; these are mostly related to the subjects allowed at UG level. Students may choose to apply under the Merit or Entrance category, each of which have different cut-offs. For example, applicants to the Delhi University MA (English) program under the Entrance category must have a minimum aggregate of 45% in their BA studies, or 40,5% for OBC, SC, and ST candidates. However, applicants under the merit category must have a BA aggregate above 60% (or 54% for reserved category applicants).
• PhD admissions: Doctoral degree aspirants must appear for the UGC NET examination, in addition to having a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline, as listed on the DU Admissions website.

Applicants to UG courses offered by Delhi University must appear for the CUET (UG) examination for their subject of interest. The subject prerequisites for each course are given on the DU admissions website. For example, applicants to the BSc (Honors) degree program in Electronics and Instrumentation must attempt CUET papers in English, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Informatics Practice. After the CUET scores are declared, various combinations of total scores based on the subjects attempted are computed, and the highest score is considered during the Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS) process run by DU to streamline admissions in a transparent manner. 

PG Admissions to Delhi University are run in a similar manner. However, instead of CUET (UG) and CSAS (UG), the respective processes are organized for PG aspirants. PhD admissions are made on the basis of NET marks (70%) and interview performance (30%).

University of Delhi Placements

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

• The median salaries for both UG and PG students are favorably comparable to those in any other Central University. For example:
  • UG (3 year) graduates of Delhi University were paid an average CTC of INR 5.5 LPA in their first jobs.
  • UG (4 year) graduates of DU had an average CTC of INR 8.5 LPA in the most recent placement season for which data is available.
  • PG (1 year; executive) graduates of Delhi University had an average CTC of INR 5.5 LPA.
  • PG (2 year) graduates of DU had an average CTC of INR 16 LPA.
  • PG (3 year): INR 14 LPA.

University of Delhi Cut-Offs

Not all UG programs offered by Delhi University are associated with cut-offs. For example, BCom (Honors) has no mandated cut-off, but applicants to the BSc program in Microbiology must have 30% in any one language in the CUET examination. The final cut-off for all streams for both UG and PG aspirants is determined after the CSAS UG or PG process, and is a combination of the Standard 12 Board Examination score and the CUET aggregate in the subjects taken. It is not decided before the admission process to Delhi University begins.

University of Delhi Faculty & Alumni

The University of Delhi is home to 1,402 highly qualified full time Faculty members. Of these, 725 are Assistant Professors, 123 are Associate Professors, and the remaining are either Full or Adjunct Professors. The Delhi University website has an updated list of all the teaching staff organized by the Department and Faculty to which they are affiliated. This also shows their qualifications and academic history. Finally, individual colleges may also appoint additional lecturers and academic support staff.

The Delhi University Alumni Association (DUAA) has an active online portal. The Dean, Alumni Affairs, works with senior Faculty members from various colleges within Delhi University to ensure that alumni feel connected to their parent institution. The various services provided to graduates of Delhi University include support for issue of marksheets and academic transcripts, degree-related help, networking through the portal, and information regarding achievements and distinguished alumni. DUAA also organizes regular Alumni Events, including the annual meet, sports competitions between current students and recent graduates, and felicitation functions for alumni who have exceptional achievements in various fields.

University of Delhi Scholarships

As in other top Universities in India, there are multiple financial aid options available to students of the University of Delhi. The main categories of scholarship schemes are:

1. For Undergraduate students: 16 Book Grants and 2 Charitable Scholarships are awarded to UG students of Delhi University based on academic merit and financial need. The Book Grants are mostly applicable in the first year of the three year degree programs, and entail a one time cash payment. Scholarships are offered by Charitable Trusts (e.g. the Pandit Udho Ram Rampal Charitable Scholarship, which has an associated amount of INR 100 per month).

2. For Postgraduate students: PG students across departments may apply for the Delhi University and All India Postgraduate Scholarship. This awards INR 400 per month to 20 students, and cannot be combined with any other form of financial aid. Applications must be submitted by January 31 of the year after the one on which the student was admitted to DU. The second PG scholarship is His Holiness The Pope Scholarship, which awards INR 150 per month to two students within Delhi University whose parental income does not exceed the minimum amount that is liable for income tax.

3. Department-specific Scholarships: There are 91 scholarships that are awarded to UG or PG students of specific departments across all Delhi University colleges. Most of them are instituted in memory of specific alumni of the University. For example, the Dr. NC Kapoor Memorial Scholarship is awarded by the Faculty of Medical Sciences to support exceptionally talented MBBS students who require financial aid to complete their studies.

In addition, all the major scholarship schemes offered by the Government of India to students from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds are applicable to UG and PG students of DU, including the Post Matric Scholarship for SC, ST, and OBC students, which offers a full tuition fee waiver and living stipend to eligible students whose family income is below the specified threshold.

University of Delhi Preparation & FAQs

The crucial element of admissions to UG and PG programs offered by the University of Delhi is the performance in the CUET examination. After deciding their combination of subjects, students should go through previous years’ CUET test papers and purchase mock tests and sample papers to familiarize themselves with the exam pattern. They should also attempt at least 10 examinations in their chosen subjects to balance the time allotted with the required accuracy to clear the expected cut-offs for their chosen Delhi University college and course combinations.

University of Delhi Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Which is the top University in India?

The University of Delhi is one of the best Universities in India. It is ranked #6 among the top Universities in India, according to the NIRF 2024 ranking list. It is ranked #2 among the best Central Universities in India, according to the IIRF 2024 ranking list.

Q. What are the application fees to The University of Delhi?

The application fees to the University of Delhi vary according to the level of the program to which the student is applying (undergraduate, postgraduate, or PhD). For example, the UG application fees are INR 250 for General Category applicants, and INR 100 for SC, ST, and PwD candidates. Certain courses (e.g. BFA) are associated with an additional fee of INR 400.

Q. Do applicants to undergraduate courses at Delhi University need to apply separately to every college they are interested in?

Applications to UG courses at Delhi University are done in a centralized manner. Two colleges (St. Stephen's and Jesus and Mary) mandate additional steps for admission, over and above the central DU requirements.

Q. What is the procedure for offline admission to undergraduate programs offered by Delhi University?

Delhi University only allows online applications to its undergraduate courses in order to follow an efficient centralized method.

Q. Which courses at undergraduate level offered by Delhi University require Mathematics as a subject in Standard 12?

In addition to UG courses in Mathematics, Delhi University also mandates Mathematics as a compulsory subject in Standard 12 for all applicants to Economics (Honors) and BCom (Honors) degree programs.