Nearly half of Gujarat’s prestigious MBA Centres of Excellence (CoEs) are grappling with a significant enrollment issue. Despite two rounds of admissions through the Common Admission Test (CAT), 98 seats remain unfilled this academic year.
Official statistics reveal that 214 MBA seats were up for grabs under the 25% CoE quota across four key institutions. Out of 847 candidates who registered, only 709 showed up for group discussions and personal interviews, ultimately leading to a merit list comprising just 706 candidates.
The final seat allotment process wrapped up on April 13, with fees due the next day. However, many seats went unclaimed, triggering discussions among officials about launching a third round of admissions. This could lead to offering spots to candidates lower on the merit list, although no timeline has been set yet for this additional round.
Institution-Specific Vacancies
At Nirma University, there are currently 23 empty seats out of a total of 104. PDEU reports having 33 vacant seats from their pool of 62. Meanwhile, Ahmedabad University is facing a unique situation with all its offered 25 seats remaining unoccupied. CEPT University isn’t faring much better either, with 17 out of its 23 available seats still open.
As authorities consider options to fill these vacancies, it raises questions about the demand for MBA programs in Gujarat and what steps will be taken to attract more students moving forward.