The First Year Junior College (FYJC) admission process has highlighted a surge in enrolments across Mumbai and its extended regions, including Palghar, Raigad, and Thane. Nearly 2.97 lakh students have registered for Class XI in this zone alone, with Commerce emerging as the most preferred stream. Around 1.49 lakh students opted for Commerce, while Science drew nearly 1.1 lakh aspirants. In contrast, only 36,356 students chose Humanities. This pattern reflects the growing inclination towards job-oriented courses, particularly in the financial and marketing sectors, which continue to expand rapidly and influence the academic preferences of young learners across Maharashtra.
According to educators, the popularity of Commerce stems from its broad career scope and immediate job opportunities. Dr. Parag Ajgaonkar, principal of NM College, noted that the sector’s growth in finance and marketing is a major attraction for students. However, newer undergraduate options like BSc Finance are allowing students to diversify their interests while still pursuing Commerce-based foundations. Interestingly, trends varied across regions—Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar recorded the highest number of Arts admissions at 55,545, while Pune topped the Science category with more than 1.2 lakh students. In Mumbai, 6.59 lakh applicants registered under the Central Admission Process.
Despite the official commencement of colleges on August 11, the admission drive remains ongoing. Thousands of students have not yet confirmed their seats, prompting the Directorate of Education to introduce another “Open to All” round between September 3 and 9. Earlier, a special round held on August 29 allotted 38,853 students their chosen colleges. This included 10,747 students in the Arts stream, 11,719 in Commerce, and 16,387 in Science. Authorities have urged applicants to finalize their admissions promptly to avoid further delays and ensure smooth academic schedules across junior colleges.
Meanwhile, the University of Mumbai has addressed queries regarding its admission and academic procedures. A senior official stated that the Research Recognition Committee (RRC) has already taken decisions on faculty proposals for PhD programs. The outcomes will be shared with concerned teachers shortly as the process is still in progress. This clarification comes amid the parallel rush of junior college admissions. While undergraduate enrolments remain the main focus, the university is ensuring that higher research-level processes are not neglected during this crucial academic season that has seen unprecedented numbers across multiple districts.
The overall admission data paints a clear picture of student preferences across streams and districts. Commerce registered 2,95,442 admissions, while Arts attracted 3,51,696, and Science emerged on top with 6,65,295 students. District-wise, Mumbai saw the highest intake with 2,97,732 admissions, followed by Pune with 2,31,514. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar accounted for 1,62,031, and Nashik recorded 1,46,233 students. Nagpur (1,34,433), Kolhapur (1,32,168), Amravati (1,27,239), and Latur (81,083) also witnessed significant enrolments. Mumbai led in Commerce admissions with 1,49,456 students, Sambhajinagar topped Arts, while Pune emerged as the favorite for Science, with an impressive 1,28,190 admissions.