YCMOU's Review & Verdict by CollegeDekho

Campus at a Glimpse

Nestled in Nashik close to the Gagapur Dam, Yashwantrao Chavan Maharastra Open University (YCMOU) has a breathtaking picturesque campus spread across an expansive area of 147 acres. The campus is popularly called 'Dnyangangotri', which means river of knowledge that aptly defines the college’s motto. As you walk down the entrance, the lush green environment will quench your aesthetic self. The college campus is segregated into different blocks and has a well-maintained parking lot. It is recognized as the fifth open university in India established in 1989 by Act XX of Maharastra State legislature. This reputed varsity believes in imparting education to all irrespective of age, gender, place, or entry qualification. 

YCMOU Nashik offers 20 undergraduate and post-graduate programs in the distance mode; however, two courses including MCA and B.Lib.I.Sc requires students to visit the college. Undoubtedly, the institute enables working professionals to continue with their academics. However, students at YCMOU get minimum exposure in terms of internship and placement opportunities. Furthermore, incidents of manipulating students’ mark sheets and a politically biased curriculum often raises questions about the validity of this open university.

Our Take:

Be it the location, infrastructure, and course offering, YCMOU can be called an ideal choice for students who want to pursue higher education in distance learning mode. However, looking at the placement scope, the university might pose doubts and uncertainties.

YCMOU Academia & Batch

Currently, the university manages to provide over 120 academic programs across multiple disciplines. As per data gathered from some media sources, the varsity enrolls 2,50,000 new students each year in their 8 regional centers and 1700+ learner support centers. Entrance exams like CET and PET are conducted to offer admission but some courses have direct admission as well.

Our Take:

• The quality of students is often a matter of concern as anyone with a satisfactory passing mark can get admission. 
• As per the student intake data, it can be revealed that a marked disparity in female participation compared to male exists.
• The study center is too close to the main road causing a nuisance for the students who really have a hard time concentrating on the lectures.

YCMOU Courses & Fee Structure

YCMOU Nashik is a pioneer among the open universities in India imparting quality education across streams like management, architecture, humanities, education, and science. Before you herald towards the application process, let's help you find the academic programs and their fee structure so that you make the right decision.

Our Take:

Undoubtedly, YCMOU provides a diverse range of courses without straining your budget which is why admission rates are higher compared to other state universities. Still, we believe eligibility criteria require an update as it can grimly affect the academic record of the varsity.

YCMOU Infrastructure

Let’s explore the intricate details concerning the infrastructure of YCMOU.

• Classroom: The Yashwant Chavan University has well-facilitated classrooms with uninterrupted internet connection. The classrooms are spacious and designed with beautiful layouts.

• Library:The library has a rich collection of books and research papers. As per students, one can easily spend time assimilating knowledge in their respective fields as the library has a stock of over 20,000 books.

• Labs:The study center provides organized labs that are equipped with swift internet facilities to enable students to gain access to online resources without any hassle. The computers are pretty new and properly maintained.

• Canteen:The campus has a canteen, cafeterias, and food courts. But as per students, the food quality is average. As it's a distance learning center so doesn’t concern the students, however for regular students the varsity needs to address the food quality.

• Sports complex:The varsity has an expansive and beautiful sports complex that can be used by students in their leisure hours. In fact, sports tournaments are organized to help students maintain harmony between study load and physical activities.

Our Take:

YCMOU, being a distance learning center, doesn’t have any proper hostel facilities. It might not be a matter of concern for online learners who visit the campus only on Sundays. But we believe that the varsity needs to make proper arrangement for accommodation for the learners joining regular classes as finding a rented apartment or hostel might burn a hole in the student's pocket.

YCMOU Internships & Placements

Internships

The internship programs are limited to some specific courses like B.Com, Graphic Designing diploma, BCA, MCA, etc. As per the alumni of YCMOU, the stipend is not satisfactory. 

Placement

The varsity organized placements for regular technical courses. According to the YCMOU placement report 2022, the highest package stood at INR 4 LPA while the average salary tagged by the students was around INR 2.50 LPA. 

Top Recruiting Companies 

Data on Sector-wise Alumni Placements:

Though placements are conducted across various domains however some sectors bagged maximum offers due to industry demands and student performance. Explore the domain-wise placement rate below for a better understanding of the recruitment at YCMOU.

As per the statistics gathered from student reviews and media sources, we've observed that the maximum placement offers were bagged by engineering students. Engineering seems like a popular and booming field of study.

Our Take:

The placement rate and salary package are comparatively lower compared to the current market trends. Furthermore, YCMOU needs to provide better exposure to the students in terms of pre-placement training to help them bag lucrative job offers.

YCMOU Diversity & Demographics

The total number of students in YCMOU is around 591797, hailing from a total of 120+ departments including distance and regular study mode. There are around 8 regional centers with a total of 32 faculties. The varsity boasts cultural diversity as students come from diverse social, cultural, and economic backgrounds. If we look at the male-female ratio, the data might prove a bit distressing for females as for every 77% of male students, there are only 23% of females. 

Our Take:

The gender diversity ratio is pretty alarming as female participation is found to be lower compared to males. We believe the campus environment and location might act as a principal reason behind the dipping rate of female participation.

Faculty/College Administration & Management

According to sources, the YCMOU has a dedicated Student Services Divison nestled at the headquarters whereby adequate support regarding study centers, counseling, and placement opportunities are provided. The learner's support centers play a pivotal role in making educational opportunities accessible to the rural folks. The SSD committee comprises of:

1. Regional Director of the region
2. Adminsitrative Assisstant
3. Director of the Student Services Division or the Representative
4. Director of the concerned school or representative
5. One local expert nominated by the Vice Chancellor

The students hailing from rural areas are granted basic facilities from learning resources, training, and employment scope through this division.

As far as faculty is concerned, YMCOU Nashik has a team of vibrant, trained, and experienced team of teaching staff. The varsity has associate professors, a director, and other members of the fraternity who act as guiding stars to the students during the course duration. In fact, the university website claims to hold workshops, and lectures by eminent professionals to empower the academic knowledge of students. Well, students' reviews reveal a different picture altogether.

Our Take:

In our research, we observed a disparity in students’ opinions regarding the quality of faculty. We observed two groups; the MBA and MCA students enrolling in regular classes were highly satisfied with the teaching pedagogy, curriculum, and teaching staff. However, a different scenario was noticed for students seeking distance or online learning at YCMOU. According to the online learner class, curriculum, and education quality is average.

YMCOU Nashik Location

YMCOU or Yashwantrao Chavan Maharastra Open University is nestled in Nashik near the Gangapur Dam in Govardhan. The location is feasible and convenient for those residing in the suburbs. The nearest railway station is 25 km away from the varsity which is Nashik Road Railway Station. Those residing nearby can avail the bus service from the bus depot located 4.5 km away from campus.

Our Take:

Undoubtedly, the location is not convenient for students commuting from the main city areas. Railways station being 25 km away requires students to spend a lot of time traveling which can drain their energy and concentration power.

Expectation vs Reality-CLD Verdict

YMCOU proves to be the best institute for students who couldn’t complete their higher education either due to financial constraints or job responsibilities. The 8 distance learning centers equipped with internet connectivity, and adequate facilities are enabling students to keep the right balance between career and education by organizing classes on Sundays. The best part is affordability, which invites large-scale applications each year. On average, technical courses like MBA or engineering courses are a bit expensive having a fee ranging between INR 1.02 to 2.2 LPA. For some selective courses, the varsity organizes workshops, lectures, and even sports events that help foster the overall development of the students.

Our Take:

YCMOU Nashik proves to be the best place for candidates wishing to achieve a perfect balance between education and professional or personal responsibilities. Looking at the faculty level and education standards for technical courses, we recommend not shortlisting this open university for those willing to embark on the path to pursue technical courses.

Yay or Nay