GetMyUni's Verdict on Jadavpur University

Parvathy Krishnakumar

“Jadavpur University, renowned for its academic excellence and vibrant campus life, stands among the top institutions in the country despite a few shortcomings.”

With a strong reputation for its academic excellence, Jadavpur University, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, is considered to be one of the top universities in the country. Students who have graduated have described their educational experience at the university as irreplaceable, which has helped them not only be academically qualified but also shape them into who they are. 

However, like all the universities and colleges around the world, JU also has its drawbacks when it comes to its lazy administration, conditions of the facilities and the lack of extracurricular activities. Nevertheless, the overall environment at the university is vibrant, with students from different departments involved in a myriad of activities all the time. 

Students from all walks of life have the opportunity to gain quality education at the university due to its nominal fees and scholarships provided based on their talents. Several reputed companies participate in the placement drives conducted by the university, through which more than 90% of the students are hired.

Table of Contents

• Outstanding Multidisciplinary Programs
• Plentiful of Qualified Professors
• Reasonably Well-Equipped Infrastructure
• Ample Housing Facilities
• Lively and Interactive Campus Environment
• Remarkable Placement Prospects
• Collective Perception of Jadavpur University

Outstanding Multidisciplinary Programs

Jadavpur University offers a plethora of courses in different disciplines, namely, Arts, Engineering and Technology, Interdisciplinary Studies, Law, Management and Science. Several courses are available at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels, with various specialisations. The quality of education, curriculum and teaching varies from one department to another. Yet, the general opinion about the courses offered by the university is good, with a great deal of students praising the research departments. 

According to past and present students, the best programs available at the university are in the field of Engineering, which has several options for specialisations in both bachelor’s and master’s degree levels. The departments of Computer Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Electrical Engineering at the university are highly regarded. Students who intend to pursue B.Tech or M.Tech programs in Computer Science and Engineering are highly recommended to join the university.

In the case of the other fields, the Arts and Humanities programs offered by the university are appreciated for their academic rigour and cultural exposure. The university offers a wide range of courses in these disciplines, among which the best are considered to be the English Literature, Philosophy, Economics and History programs. 

The Science programs available at the university, especially the Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics courses, have been well-received by aspirants pursuing scientific research and academia as professions. 

The university is also famous for its Department of Comparative Literature, which avails students of a distinctive program that has an interdisciplinary approach to literature and cultural studies. In addition, the Film Studies department is popular for its unique programs availed of students aspiring to pursue a career in the field of Cinema and Media Studies.

Nominal Fee Structure

The university is focused on ensuring that all students who have the required merit and talents have the chance to pursue quality education by implementing a reasonable fee structure that is affordable to all students. 

For example, the overall tuition fee for Bachelor of Engineering (BE) programs is INR 17,829, and for B.Tech programs, it is INR 8400. For master’s programs, the fees range from INR 1,12,300 to INR 1,52,000. For other fields, the course fees are from INR 7,200 to INR 48,000.

Plentiful of Qualified Professors

In general, the university has top-tier professors who are dedicated to ensuring that students have access to quality education within and outside the curriculum. They are known for their interactive approach to the subjects, where students are encouraged to explore the fields of their interest themselves. 

Certain professors are exceptionally good, particularly those in the Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering departments, who are even worshipped by their students. They are known for their knowledge, humility and approachability. Students are given the space to ask them questions and doubts, which helps in a strong student-teacher relationship.

Nonetheless, some lethargic and uninterested teachers fail to conduct productive classes. There have been instances where such professors have taken a few classes and asked the students to prepare themselves by giving them presentations and notes.

Another interesting fact about the professors is their connections and contacts in the industry that benefit the students who are pursuing research programs at the university. They have gone above and beyond to ensure the students are equipped with all the necessary resources to complete their research.

In short, the professors at Jadavpur University can be called the pillars of the institution, who have played an influential role in nurturing talented and qualified students who have fruitful careers in their chosen fields.

Reasonably Well-Equipped Infrastructure

The university infrastructure is a combination of modern and poorly maintained facilities. While some of the departments have impressive facilities, such as amazing classrooms, well-equipped laboratories, extensive library, etc., the other departments tend to lack the required amenities. Yet, all the classrooms at the university have audio-visual facilities to enhance the interactive learning experience of the students. 

Although the university has exceptional academic facilities, it falls behind in terms of having developed infrastructure that enables sports and other extracurricular activities. The overall infrastructure can only be categorised as above average as there is nothing that stands the university out from the other institutions. 

The university has a central library and several departmental libraries that consist of multiple copies of relevant books. Students have access to a large collection of academic-related as well as literary books. They can utilise the spacious seating areas in the library to read and study for their exams. Even though the libraries have good collections of printed books, the digital library is barely accessible to the students.

The laboratories are equipped with the necessary instruments and technologies to ensure the practical learning of the students. Apart from the generally required facilities, the university also has many other facilities beneficial for the teaching and non-teaching staff, such as banks, guest houses, day care centres, and Computer-Aided Design Lab (CAD), among others. 

In any case, the sports facilities available on the university campus include a cricket pitch, football ground and a general playground, which are not maintained well. The university also has multiple restaurants and canteen facilities where different types of food and beverages are available at low rates. 

Some canteens are air-conditioned and have separate sitting areas for students and faculties. There are various options and cuisines for the students to choose from. Overall, the campus is filled with greenery, set in a serene, refreshing background. 

Ample Housing Facilities

The university offers accommodation on campus through a number of hostels for boys and girls. Though there are several benefits of living in these hostels, there are certain potential drawbacks that must be considered by the students. The hostel allotment is done by the university during the admission process based on various criteria, such as the caste category and financial background of the students. 

The main factor that attracts students to these hostels is the affordability. The students are required to pay INR 3000 at the time of admission, and the hostel fee is at INR 25, inclusive of room rent and electricity charges, for all students except for research scholars. Those students must pay INR 300 as rent plus INR 150 for electricity charges.

Located on the campus, students have easy access to their classes and can save money for the commute. However, the hostel rooms lack enough space, making them crowded, and there are several situations where students have to share rooms with multiple people.

Hostels, however, are a great place for students to interact with their batchmates as well as seniors/juniors, making it easier for them to create new friendships. This helps them to be more involved in extracurricular activities, such as clubs, social events and sports. The hostel staff are extremely helpful and supportive to the students as well.

The drawbacks of living in the university hostels also include a lack of privacy as the students have to share their space with other students and the strict rules imposed on the inmates, restricting them from enjoying their campus life.

Timely, hygienic meals are served through hostel mess in spacious dining areas, but the overall quality of food is unpredictable as it varies from one day to another. Certain students have expressed their dislike for the hostel meals. The students are safe within the hostel as the university gives great importance to the security of the students.

Besides the on-campus housing facilities, several PGs and private hostels are available around the premises of the university at reasonable rents. These facilities are located within walking distance of the university, making it easy for students to reach the university on time.

Lively and Interactive Campus Environment

Though the university offers a high quality of education, the most important thing for the students graduating from Jadavpur University is their campus life. Even those students who initially disliked being part of the university have turned to liking it because of the welcoming and comfortable atmosphere created by the teachers as well as fellow students. There are no strict rules or attendance policies, which gives the students absolute freedom to express and evolve. 

Students have various clubs and associations they can be part of based on their interests. There are multiple academic-related as well as co-curricular clubs for students interested in photography, science, coding, dance, music, mountaineering, and many other activities. 

The senior students at the university are very friendly and always ready to help their juniors with matters related to academics and otherwise. They share their old question papers, textbooks, and other study materials with their juniors. The campus is a ragging-free environment, enabling the freshers to be more comfortable in their initial days.

Student politics is active on campus, with regular rallies and events related to politics happening on campus. Yet, nobody compels the students to join these activities or contribute to the party funds. It is completely up to the students whether they want to participate in campus politics.

Annual cultural and tech fests are conducted every year, separately by departments and collectively as well. The academic and non-academic events create an ambience for the students to enjoy their college life to the fullest.

Absolutely Diverse Campus

The university has a healthy gender ratio in the general student populace on campus. The student crowd is very open, progressive, and accepting of their peers regardless of their gender, caste, creed or economic status. However, there can be an issue of language barrier as Bengali students constitute most of the student population.

No Dress Code

There is absolutely no dress code or uniform. Students have the freedom to wear whatever they want and express themselves with no boundaries. There are cases where certain professors are judgemental about the choices of the students, but there are no specific rules or regulations in this aspect. 

Remarkable Placement Prospects

The placement scenario at Jadavpur University is different for each department. Students belonging to Engineering departments, such as Computer Science and Engineering, Information Technology, and Electrical Engineering, have higher chances of getting job opportunities at reputable companies with high salary packages than in other fields. However, the other departments also have fairly decent placement records, with several students getting jobs in top companies. 

The impressive reputation that the university has gained over the years through talented and qualified alums plays a significant role in attracting prestigious companies to participate in the placement drives conducted on campus. 

Based on the past years’ placement records, the highest salary package offered was INR 1.8 CPA, with the average package at INR 12.83 LPA. Over 150 companies participated in the campus placement drives, and more than 1,500 students graduating from undergraduate and postgraduate programs were offered jobs. The top recruiters of the university include the following.

• Amazon
• Meta
• Google
• HSBC Bank
• Accenture
• Tata Consultancy Services
• Samsung
• Deloitte
• Morgan Stanley
• Indian Oil.

Additionally, the connections that the professors have within the industry enable several students to obtain summer internships, which help them improve their chances of getting good job offers.

Collective Perception of Jadavpur University

Being one of the biggest universities in the state of West Bengal, Jadavpur University has an overall impression of being one of the best institutions in terms of academic and cultural richness. The university has impressive academic professors, those who are considered to be even better than the IITs. Although the standard of curriculum and teaching is different from one course to another, the general impression is that the students have a fruitful experience here. 

With few exceptions in cases of the facilities and faculties, the students who have graduated from the university in the past years highly recommend the future aspirants to join the university, provided they work towards utilising the resources accessible to them.

The pros and cons of being part of Jadavpur University are tabulated below for the aspirants to get a better understanding.

*Source: jadavpur.university Instagram