12-05-2025
Computer science courses gain popularity in PU colleges
Mangaluru: Prominent colleges across the district are currently processing I PU admissions and have reported a surge in applications for computer science in both science and commerce streams.
Previously, the science stream's PCMB (physics, chemistry, mathematics, and biology) was highly sought after, followed by commerce courses. However, the current trend shows students and parents are seeking programmes that incorporate computer science as one of the core subjects. This shift, which began two years ago, is attributed to the increasing significance of
artificial intelligence
, robotics, and
machine learning
in the market, as well as the high competition for medical UG Alva's PU College, approximately 320 seats in commerce and about 600 seats in science are reserved for computer science combinations.
College principal Mohammed Sadakath said that there is an equal demand for PCMB and PCMC combinations in their college. This is because they have students interested in pursuing medicine and engineering courses after PU.
The demand for the electronics subject shifted to computer science about two years ago. Some students who do not pursue medicine or a related field opt for computer science as an optional subject. Additionally, taking biology involves a lot of work, records, and other responsibilities. Sadakath noted that the demand for computer science combinations is higher in urban areas, while in rural areas, PCMB is still preferred in the science stream. He also mentioned that the electronics subject, which was once in high demand, has no takers L Nayak, chairman, Expert Group of Institutions, explained that the demand for computer science and combinations of non-biology subjects in PU started only after the recent NEET-2025, which was one of the toughest entrances so far. He said that only those with strong determination opt for PCMB with an eye on medical education. However, others who are aware about recent NEET test, which was tough, are reconsidering and exploring engineering as their first choice. Nayak said that there are others who take home science as a combination with physics, chemistry and biology instead of computer science, which is an easy official from St Aloysius PU College explained that the high demand for computer science is due to emerging fields like AI, ML, data science, and data analytics. There are good takers for
computer science courses
in both science and commerce.
