University of Allahabad

Overview

The University of Allahabad was the fourth higher education institution to be established in India. Over the 137 years of its existence, it has grown in both area and reach, and is currently home to more than 25,000 students. Academic and research activities are organized into four Faculties (Arts, Science, Commerce, and Law), with 33 Departments under them. There are also 4 interdisciplinary Institutes and 21 Research Centers. The University Industry Interface Cell provides companies access to young talent, and also allows the campus incubator to provide startup funding to entrepreneurial students. 11 colleges in the city of Prayagraj are affiliated with the University of Allahabad.

The University Placement Cell of AU coordinates corporate relations, training, and career events. Through pre-placement talks, workshops, and soft skills sessions, it ensures that students are well prepared for company selection rounds. The placement results have steadily improved over the first seven years of the Cell's existence, and the median salary is above INR 6 LPA for most UG and PG programs. Prominent blue chip recruiters include Reliance Jio, Tata Consultancy Services, NIIT, and the Piramal Foundation.

The 232 Acre campus of the University of Allahabad has state-of-the-art academic facilities, extracurricular performance venues, and sports grounds. The Athletic Association of the University organizes selection trials and coaching camps for gifted students. It also trains 25 teams in different sports, which participate in various inter-university, zonal, and national championship events. Teams in five sports - Boxing, Athletics, Gymnastics, Swimming, and Wrestling - achieved accolades in all-India competitions.

University of Allahabad Highlights

University of Allahabad Fees

The academic fees for students of the University of Allahabad have multiple components e.g. tuition fees, examination charges, registration fees, and caution deposits. The fee breakup for a typical professional course (Integrated Five Year BA + LLB Honors) is as follows:

• Tuition fee: INR 32,000 per year.
• Re-admission fee: INR 20,000 per semester.
• Academic support service charges: INR 5,000 per year.
• Examination fee: INR 4,500 per year.
• Campus development fee: INR 3,000 per year.
• Admission fee: INR 2,500 (one time).
• Library security deposit: INR 2,500 (one time, refundable).
• Annual dues: INR 500.

Other programs have similar fee structures. The BVoc (Software Development) course has substantially lower fees (by up to 30%), and the BCA+MCA integrated program has the highest fees, going up to INR 75,000 in the fifth year.

The living cost has two major components: hostel and mess fees. Mess charges vary according to the semester and caterer. The hostel fees have the following components:

• Hostel maintenance charges: INR 2,000 per year.
• Electricity and water fees: INR 7,000 (double room) or INR 8,000 (single room). This is a one time payment.
• Rent: INR 300 per month (single room), INR 200 per month (double occupancy).
• Sports and Games: INR 1,000 per year.
• Cultural Activities: INR 500 per year.
• Admission Fee: INR 500.

University of Allahabad Admissions

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

• UG programs:
  • Students must have a 10+2 or 11+1 pass certificate issued by any recognized Board of Higher Secondary Education. Students who are giving their Standard XII examinations in the year of admission may also apply.
  • Different UG programs mandate different cut-offs. For example, BCA General Category applicants require 55% in their Board Examination. BA LLB applicants must have 45% or higher. There is no cut-off for BA Media Studies (provided that the student has passed the exam).
  • Students must appear for the UGAT entrance examination conducted by the University of Allahabad.
  • Students who have taken a gap year after Standard XII have a penalty of 5% applied to their qualifying examination score for each year's gap between their 10+2 test date and their application to the University of Allahabad.
• PG programs:
  • The applicant must hold a Bachelor's degree in a discipline related to that of the Master's program to which he/she is applying. A full list of prerequisites can be found in the course brochure.
  • All applicants must have a valid PGAT score.
  • The general category cut-off for most programs is 55%. This is relaxed by 5% for reserved category applicants.
  • Certain programs mandate additional cut-offs based on the PGAT score (50% minimum for Development Studies applicants).

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

• Visiting the University of Allahabad website and registering for the UGAT or PGAT examination.
• Providing contact details that will be active during the period of admission.
• Filling up the application form for one test phase (UGAT) or two test phases (PGAT).
• Choosing a test center (either online or offline depending on the city).
• Uploading soft copies of identity documents, transcripts, and caste certificates (if applicable).
• Paying the test fee and submitting the test application.
• Downloading a soft copy of the admit card and printing it out for use during the test date.
• Appearing for the test and checking the score on the University of Allahabad website.
• After the test scores are released, the University releases merit lists for each program offered.
• Students who are shortlisted in the first round of counseling can choose to accept their offers by paying the first year's fees.
• Any seats left vacant after the first round are filled in the second and third rounds of counseling.
• Students who pay their fees within the deadline are allowed to complete the academic registration procedure.

University of Allahabad Placements

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

• The average (median) placement salaries over the past three years offered to students of different program types during the most recent placement season for which data is available are:
  • UG 3 year programs: INR 5 LPA (up by ~20% from INR 4.2 LPA two years earlier).
  • UG 4 year programs: INR 7 LPA (approximately in line with INR 6.3 LPA and INR 6.5 LPA in the two previous years).
  • UG 5 year programs (Integrated UG+PG): INR 6.5 LPA (almost in line with INR 6 LPA two years previously).
  • PG 2 year programs: INR 6 LPA.
• The percentage of students successfully placed varies very widely across course types. For example:
  • UG 3 year programs: 1,502 placed out of 5,708 graduating students (26%).
  • UG 4 year programs: 92 placed out of 171 final year students registered for placement (54%).
  • Integrated UG+PG 5 year programs: 110 out of 120 (92%).
  • PG 2 year programs: 325 out of 3,181 (10%).
• The University Placement Cell (UPC) represents all Departments of the University in negotiations with potential corporate employers. It has a large building on campus, the Model Career Center, where training activities and final interviews are organized.
• The Cell organizes four kinds of corporate interaction events: pre-placement talks, workshops, campus interview drives, and career talks by distinguished alumni from various industry sectors.
• Examples of large conglomerates giving internships and full time job offers to students of the University of Allahabad are Tata Consultancy Services, the Gandhi Fellowship, Prism Cement, NIIT, Reliance Jio, and Axis Institute.
• The Placement Cell was formed in the 2017-18 academic year, and was able to deliver strong results even during the pandemic years.
• The Cell also conducts personality development programs to improve the employability of students starting in their first year.

University of Allahabad Cut-Offs

Applicants to UG programs offered by the University of Allahabad must check the course prospectus for their qualifying examination cut-off. For example, BA LLB Integrated 5 year general category applicants require a 10+2 aggregate above 45%. The OBC category cut-off is 42%, and the SC/ST cut-off 40%. Certain other programs (e.g. integrated BCA and MCA) have higher cut-offs (55% for the general category) and some programs (e.g. BVoc) have no cut-off. The UGAT cut-off is only determined after the seat allocation process is completed, and is equal to the entrance test score of the last student to be offered admission.

Similarly, most PG programs offered by AU have a cut-off of 55% aggregated across all UG semester examinations. Some of them (e.g. Master in Development Studies) mandate a cut-off of 50% in the PGAT examination as well.

University of Allahabad Faculty & Alumni

The University of Allahabad is home to 568 full time Faculty members. Of these, 348 (61%) are Assistant Professors, 71 (13%) are Associate Professors, and the remaining 149 (26%) are full Professors. Most Faculty members (538 out of 568, or 95%) hold PhD degrees; this is a reflection of the highly qualified academic and research credentials of the University. A similar number of Faculty members (531) work as regular employees of the University, with only 37 being employed on a temporary contract basis. 

The Alumni Association of the University of Allahabad (AUAA) provides an online portal via which graduating students can purchase life membership after paying INR 1,100. The alumni database allows ex-students of the University to find alumni living in their cities, and the Association inaugurates chapters in various areas of India and abroad. It also educates students and alumni of AU on the achievements of their peers and distinguished alumni in the past e.g. Gulzari Lal Nanda, twice interim Prime Minister of India. Students can update their alumni profiles on the portal to connect with others working in related fields for professional networking.

University of Allahabad Scholarships

The primary scholarships to which AU students apply are:

1. Merit-cum-Means Scholarship: This financial aid scheme is awarded by the Dean of Student Welfare to students from any category based on their family income and merit in the qualifying examination. Only students who do not receive scholarships from other sources are eligible, and the award entails a partial tuition fee waiver. Continued award is contingent on maintaining a clean academic record with no backlogs.

2. Academic Merit Scholarships: These are awarded by the University to the best performers in each batch and stream. Five students who achieve the best scores (either in the qualifying examination or the previous end-semester exam) will be given scholarships of INR 2,500, INR 1,500, and INR 1,000 per month for the subsequent semester. The scholarship is re-awarded every semester, and the list of selected students can hence change twice a year.

3. Central and State Government Scholarships: These encompass all the funding schemes listed on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), including Post Matric Scholarships for socially disadvantaged students, all the Uttar Pradesh State Government social welfare scholarships, and financial aid schemes instituted in the memory of distinguished alumni and educators (e.g. the Agatha Harrison Memorial Scholarship). Students must apply to them after being selected to join the University of Allahabad, and they entail either a partial tuition fee waiver or a fixed amount awarded every month that covers a portion of the academic fees and living costs.

As of 2024, out of 25,264 students, 53 (0.2%) receive full tuition fee waivers from the Central and State Governments, none receive full scholarships via University funds, and only 15 receive full tuition fee scholarships from private bodies and Trusts; the majority of students receive partial scholarships.

University of Allahabad Preparation & FAQs

Applicants to PG programs offered by the University of Allahabad must familiarize themselves with the PGAT 2025 Phase 1 and 2 exam patterns by going through the PGAT brochure on the AU website. The first 50 questions are in a unique format as compared to other entrance examinations, and contain questions related to General Awareness, General English, General Hindi, Logical Reasoning and Mental Ability. Therefore, students must go through previous years' PGAT papers, and work out mock tests to ensure that they optimize the combination of speed and accuracy required to get an offer of admission.

University of Allahabad Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Which is the top University in India?

The University of Allahabad is one of the best Universities in India. It is ranked #27 among the best Central Universities in India, according to the IIRF 2024 ranking list.

Q. What are the application fees to the University of Allahabad?

The application fees to the University of Allahabad vary according to the level of the program to which the student is applying (undergraduate, postgraduate, or PhD). The application fees for PGAT Phase 1 are INR 1,000 (for General Category and OBC students) or INR 500 (for SC, ST, PwD, and EWS applicants. PGAT Phase 2 has application fees of INR 1,600/INR 800.

Q. What are the fees for international students enrolled in the University of Allahabad?

International students studying in the University of Allahabad must pay one time fees of INR 30,000 to their Department at the time of registration, and an amount of INR 1.5 Lakh to the Finance Officer of the University at the same time. The tuition fees per semester range from INR 26,000 to INR 1 Lakh, with the highest fees associated with the constituent MLN Institute of Research and Business.

Q. Can students who excel in sports apply to the University of Allahabad?

The University of Allahabad has a sports quota for students who achieve success in state and national sports competitions. Up to 2% of the seats in all programs are reserved under the sports quota.

Q. What is the expected exam pattern of PGAT 2025?

PGAT 2025 will have 150 questions for a total of 300 marks. The first 50 questions are related to General Knowledge, and are common to students applying to all programs. The next two sets of 50 questions each are based on two core subjects related to the program to which the student is applying.

Q. What photographs must be scanned and uploaded by students during the PGAT 2025 application process?

All candidates applying for PGAT 2025 must upload recent scanned copies of their photographs (3.5 cm by 4.5 cm) against a wide background, and of their valid signature. Neither file size can exceed 80 KB.

Q. In which mode (online or offline) will PGAT 2025 be conducted?

PGAT 2025 will be conducted simultaneously in both online and offline modes in different cities. The physical test centers are located in 7 cities: New Delhi, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Kanpur, and Bareilly. Four cities have online test centers: Kolkata, Patna, Thiruvananthapuram, and Bhopal.