Also, you should know that irrespective of which university you are taking, you will have to study on your own. You may get assistance from your professor or your friends. However, you will have to put in the extra effort to do well in your academics and get a job.
One of my friends studied at Calcutta University, so I might be able to give you some details about it.
Finally, you should keep in mind that other mentioned universities may not be as old and experienced as CU, but they will show a bit of leniency while giving marks. So ultimately the decision is yours, whether you want to study in a reputed university with a strong and reliable alumni network or opt for the easier way out by getting admission to newer institutions.
You should join Presidency University Kolkata for MA in Geography. It is one of the best Master's programs in Geography in the region. The university has an excellent faculty pool. The syllabus followed by Presidency University is more advanced than many universities and gives you an edge if you want to stay in academics. Scoring well in NET/SET examination will be easier.
Each year, students of Presidency University qualify for reputed institutes like National Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Indian Institute of Population Science.
The University of Calcutta is among the top 10 universities in India, as per the NIRF ranking 2020. According to the India Today survey, the university got the fifth rank among all the general universities of the country. St. Xavier's College has recently ranked 7th in the NIRF, 2020. The institute is the only one with an A++ grade by NAAC.
Admission:
University of Calcutta:
For admission to MSc programs, the university has its entrance exam followed by an interview.
Applicants should have at least 55% marks in BSc (Hons.) Computer Science or equivalent.
1st-year fee for MSc in Computer Science is Rs.2,314.
St. Xavier's College:
Admissions to PG courses, including MSc in Computer Science are based on the entrance test conducted by the university.
Applicants must have attained a bachelor’s degree in computer science or equivalent (BIT/BCA) with a minimum of 55% in Honors. The minimum percentage required is 45% for the reserved category.
The total fee for the 1st year in MSc Computer Science is Rs.22,000.
Placement Statistics:
University of Calcutta:
The university is partnered with various government agencies and private organizations to provide placement and training workshops to the students.
Few of the partner companies are BSNL, ONGC, CSIR, SBI, GSI, DLF, Albert David, and Cognizant.
The average salary package offered was 3 LPA in the last academic year.
Top recruiters are Axis Bank, TCS, Wipro, HSBC, PWC, Tata Motors, Samsung, NSE, ITC, Reliance, Nestle, etc.
St. Xavier's College:
SXC has witnessed an increase in the number of offers and average CTC offered during the on-campus placements in the past three years.
During the 2016-17 academic session, around 30 companies participated in the placement drive, and in the 2018-19 session, this increased to 43.
Students got placed with an annual CTC ranging from 3 Lakhs to 20.5 Lakhs.
The highest package offered by the companies is 14 Lakhs, and the average package is around 9.5 Lakhs
Uber, Adidas, Cognizant, Sony India Ltd., HSBC, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, J.P. Morgan, Google, Zomato, Infosys, etc. are the top employers.
These are the few factors that you need to consider while comparing these two institutes for MSc Computer Science. As for which institute will be a better option, you should decide that.
The University of Calcutta and the University of Burdwan have been ranked 11th and 101st respectively for overall by NIRF 2020. Calcutta University is considered as one of the biggest universities based on the no. of students. NAAC ranked the university as 'A’ grade in 2008.
Burdwan University is ranked 22 for its MBA by Business Today and 3rd among all West Bengal Universities.
There are certain factors that differentiate both the Calcutta University and Burdwan University from West Bengal.
Affiliated Colleges:
Courses:
Admission: Admission to both the institutes are mainly merit-based or based on the performance of the candidates in entrance examinations.
Facilities:
Scholarships:
Calcutta University- Multiple Scholarships are available at CU.
Burdwan University- The university offers multiple scholarships options like Swami Vivekananda Merit Cum Means Scholarship and Scholarship Schemes by Government of India and UGC including P.G Indira Gandhi Scholarship.
Placements:
Calcutta University- The placement cell collaborates with various industries and establishments for the placement of the scholars. It has already effectively placed a number of students in the industry. The top recruiters at the institute are TCS, Bhel, Wipro, NTPC.
Burdwan University- The university makes sincere efforts to arrange a number of interviews both on-campus and off-campus, where the students need to prove their merits to secure employment. Some of the major recruiters at the university are Cognizant, TCS, IBM, L&T.
As for which is better between CU or Burdwan University that depends on the specific course. The faculty should also be taken into consideration while choosing.
Even though Calcutta University is one of the oldest and most-renowned Indian universities, it has a very strict marking system.
Though Amity University is new and does not have the history that Calcutta University does, if you work hard you can score good marks in your BBA and get admission to a prestigious university for your MBA.
Amity’s environment can be a bit distracting at times, however, it is upon the students to maintain a good academic score.
In terms of placements, Calcutta University’s brand will hold importance and even the recruiters are aware that 55-60% is the score of the top students at Calcutta University. On the other hand, Calcutta University’s marking scheme can also cause problems during placements because regardless of the reputation of an institution, if the students do not score more than 50%, some companies will simply not allow them to sit for the placements.
Other factors that can guide your decision are - Ease of travel/Distance from home, Fee vs Potential, and the reason for pursuing the particular course, among others.
Amity is on the costlier side, but the faculties at both are equally good.
Both the institutes are a good choice, however, Amity University is more beneficial considering all the factors.
If you are considering joining JU then go for either JD Birla or Institute of Business Management. Their BHA program is one of the best in the country. However, JU has a bit of political influence so that might affect your learning experience. That being said, MAKAUT BBA seems to be the best option for you. Their curriculum and job opportunities are top notch and the institute does not have any kind of political affiliations.
I will not suggest you join CU unless you are getting Goenka or Scottish. From what I have heard, the university has a very tough grading system. This might affect your job opportunities so consider this once before joining.
Here is a comparative analysis of the placement scenario of these institutes
Particulars |
JU |
Calcutta University |
MAKAUT |
Highest CTC |
INR 1.8 CPA |
- |
- |
Median CTC |
INR 9.20 LPA |
INR 4.50 LPA |
|
Top Recruiter |
|
CESC, Cognizant, L&T Infotech |
Wipro, Cognizant, HDFC Ltd., IDFC Ltd., TCS, etc |
Other good private universities you can consider are Amity, Symbiosis, etc.
If you want to learn about Computer Science Engineering or IT, then the Science College of Calcutta University is the perfect place.
Faculty: (Winning Institution - Calcutta University)
Placements:
If you are looking for good placements in CSE, then after IITs/IISc/IIEST/NITs, VIT Vellore, BITS Mesra, or even Manipal is better than Jadavpur University.
Here is a brief overview of CSE at CU and JU.
Particulars |
Jadavpur University |
Calcutta University |
Median CTC |
19 LPA |
4 LPA |
Fee (1st year) |
?2,400 |
?9,094 |
Achievements - CU:
Although people are trying to dismiss CU's contribution, it is the only university in India that has Noble Award-winning alumni, such as Dr. CV Raman, Dr. Amartya Sen, and World-renowned physicians Jagadish Bose, Meghnad Saha, and Dr. Ashok Sen at present.
If you have the knowledge and skills in CSE or IT, you don’t have to worry about placement. With proper skills, you can excel faster than even IIT graduates.
Being a public state university, various colleges under the Calcutta University are quite affordable to pursue B.Com. Here is a comparative study for five of the best colleges under Calcutta University to pursue BCom honors:
Course Fee and Placement Rate Statistics
College |
Total Fees |
Placement Rate |
Average CTC (In lakhs) |
Highest CTC (In lakhs) |
St. Xavier’s Kolkata |
Rs 1.23 Lacs |
70% |
9.5 |
14 |
Heramba Chandra College |
Rs 16,020 |
70% |
2.25 |
15.15 |
Bangabasi College |
Rs 15,060 |
35% |
2 |
6 |
AJC Bose College |
Rs 30,100 |
60% |
3.25 |
15 |
Vivekanand College |
Rs 15,774 |
75% |
1.5 |
8 |
Highlights of the Colleges:
Along with a decent affordability, these colleges have some distinctive highlights. For instance, St. Xavier’s Kolkata has 1,180 seats for students that are interested in taking admission in B.Com honors course while Heramba Chandra College provides reservation only to the students of West Bengal origin (SCs/STs/OBCs). On one hand, Bangabasi College provides opportunities to work with big names like Tech Mahindra, TCS and Wipro and on the other hand, AJC Bose College has a decent infrastructure. Vivekanand College provides scholarships like Students’ Aid Fund, Minority Scholarship and Merit based scholarship.
The table given below gives a brief overview of both institutes:
PARAMETERS |
CALCUTTA UNIVERSITY |
PRESIDENCY UNIVERSITY |
ESTABLISHED |
1857 |
2010 |
NIRF RANKING(last 5 years) |
5th-10th |
40th-50th |
AVERAGE SALARY |
4 LPA |
5 LPA |
AVERAGE PLACEMENT RATE |
>60% |
>65% |
COURSES OFFERED |
OVER 1500 |
OVER 30 |
Calcutta University has earned many recognitions and honours to its name; it was awarded the 1st position among the state universities in QS BRICS & QS India University Rankings 2019. Scholarly and eminent personalities like Swami Vivekananda, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Dr. Rajendra Prasad are alumni of this prestigious university. Key features about placement statistics:
Highest salary package offered was 8LPA, in the last academic session.
Median salary package offered was 4LPA, in the last academic session.
Tie-ups with foreign universities like Oxford University, Princeton, University of Glasgow among many others.
Top recruiters being Samsung, TCS, HSBC, Wipro and government agencies like ONGC, BSNL, CSIR.
In 2010, Presidency University formally received status of a distinguished university and since then has earned many recognitions like the Institute of Eminence by UGC. The diverse culture brought along with international students enables the holistic development of an individual and the collaboration with over 19 foreign universities helps increase the global outlook and aids in higher studies and fellowship programmes abroad. It is known that this institution has a very vibrant social and cultural life which in general helps improve soft skills, leadership and management skills. Key highlights of the placement statistics with around 70% average placement rate are:
Highest salary package offered was 13LPA
Average salary packages offered is 8LPA
Tie-ups with foreign universities like Georgia State, University of Cambridge, Trinity college Dublin roll out scholarships and fellowship opportunities.
Top recruiters are MU Sigma, Deloitte, Big Bazaar among many others.