From Classrooms to Career Worries: Why Odisha Students Are Skipping Undergraduate Degrees

ଶିକ୍ଷା

CBSE ରି-ଇଭାଲୁଏସନ୍‌ରେ ଚମତ୍କାର: 95.2%ରୁ ସିଧା 500/500, ଦେଶର ଟପ୍...

June 24, 2026

NEET-UG 2026 ପୁନଃପରୀକ୍ଷା ତ୍ରୁଟିମୁକ୍ତ ଓ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦୋଷ ଭାବେ ସମ୍ପନ୍ନ...

June 22, 2026

ନାଗପୁର ନିଟ୍‌ ଛାତ୍ରଙ୍କ ଆବୁଧାବି ସେଣ୍ଟର ବିବାଦରେ ନୂଆ ମୋଡ଼,...

June 20, 2026

ନାଗପୁର ଛାତ୍ରଙ୍କୁ ଅବୁଧାବି ପରୀକ୍ଷା କେନ୍ଦ୍ର ଆବଣ୍ଟନ ତ୍ରୁଟି ସୁଧାରିଲା...

June 20, 2026

ବ୍ୟବସାୟ

ରଜ ପୂର୍ବରୁ ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ପାଟ ଦଉଡ଼ିର ଚାହିଦା କମିଲା, ପ୍ଲାଷ୍ଟିକ...

June 12, 2026

ପେଟ୍ରୋଲ ଓ ଡିଜେଲ ଦର ପୁନି ବଢ଼ିଲା, ୧୦ ଦିନରେ...

May 23, 2026

୧୦ ଲକ୍ଷ ଟଙ୍କାରୁ ଅଧିକ ଦାମର କାର କିଣିଛନ୍ତି? ଏହି...

May 07, 2026

ପେଟିଏମ୍ ଶେୟରରେ ୬% ରୁ ଅଧିକ ଉଛାଳ: ଆଜି କାହିଁକି...

May 07, 2026

From Classrooms to Career Worries: Why Odisha Students Are Skipping Undergraduate Degrees

In Odisha, traditional BA, BSc, and BCom degrees are increasingly viewed as expensive investments with uncertain returns, reflected in shifting student admission trends.

Published by Abhishek Swain | January 15, 2026

In Odisha, traditional BA, BSc, and BCom degrees are increasingly viewed as costly investments with uncertain returns, rather than reliable pathways to employment. This shift is evident in official admission data: over 80,000 undergraduate seats remained vacant in 2025–26, and at least 10 colleges reported zero first-year admissions. Meanwhile, teacher-training programs like BEd and MEd are running near full capacity, reflecting a clear pivot toward job-oriented education.

Decline in UG Demand

Out of a sanctioned capacity of 2.77 lakh UG seats, 81,664 remained vacant in 2025–26, up from over 74,000 the previous year.
Many colleges, especially in arts, science, and non-professional streams, are struggling to attract students due to low perceived value, remote locations, limited facilities, or poor reputation.

Reasons Students Are Shunning Traditional Degrees

Low Return on Investment: Students increasingly view general degrees as offering limited job prospects, prompting many to pursue alternatives such as CA, professional diplomas, or skill-based courses.
Oversupply vs. Falling Demand: New seats continue to be added—4,000–5,000 annually—while student interest declines. In 2024–25, 12 new colleges opened despite high vacancies.

Rising Popularity of Teacher-Training Programs

BEd and MEd courses are oversubscribed, with more than 1.26 lakh applicants for fewer than 3,000 BEd seats in a year.
Teaching is perceived as a stable, respected career with government employment prospects, outweighing current challenges like protests for pay and regularisation.

Structural Challenges

Odisha universities and colleges face severe faculty shortages, with over 1,000 teaching posts vacant in state universities alone.
Experts warn this affects teaching quality and student experience, creating a feedback loop where lower quality drives fewer admissions.

This trend underscores a decisive shift among students toward professional and job-oriented education, as traditional undergraduate programs struggle to maintain relevance in today’s competitive job market.