BCA – Full form, Eligibility Criteria, Entrance Examination, Admission 2024, Fee Structure, and Top Colleges

In today's world, technology and computers play a vital role in every sector: education, research, shopping, infrastructure, data management, product manufacturing, product marketing, product placement, statistics, learning, etc. Universities and Colleges provide many skill-based professional courses to meet the growing demand for computer technology worldwide. A bachelor's degree in Computer Applications is one of them.

Bachelor of Computer Applications is a three-year, full-time course that can be done after completion of senior secondary education. One can build an accomplished career in computer technology by opting for BCA after 12th.

Bachelor of Computer Applications is one of the most demanding courses in India and around the globe, firstly because it deals with one of the significant requirements of the market, i.e., technology, and secondly, it is a more skilled-based and less theoretical course.

In the past few decades, India has become the most significant technology hub in the world, and many prominent international companies are stepping into India in the computer technology field. These companies have a plethora of career opportunities for BCA graduates. Also, many startups across the country are looking for skilled technology graduates.

One can join the industry after completing a Bachelor of Computer Applications course or pursue a post-graduation degree in the following:-

• Master in Business Administration

• Master in Computer Applications

• Master in Computer Management

• Network engineering-certified courses

• Product Management Training

• Digital Marketing Course

• Data Science 

• Data Management

In this article, we will further discuss the BCA course in detail. This article provides insights into BCA courses like syllabus, eligibility criteria, entrance examinations, admission process, top colleges, career prospects, and top recruiters.

Table of Contents

BCA Highlights

Eligibility Criteria for BCA

The eligibility criteria for a Bachelor of Computer Applications differ in every institute and University. There are some standard requirements that the students must fulfil to enrol in the course.

• A pass in 10+2 or equivalent examination with mathematics as a compulsory subject from any recognized institution.

• A minimum of 50% marks in the 10+2 examination from any recognized institution.

Entrance Examination for BCA

Admission to the BCA program is offered based on merit and entrance examinations. While some colleges offer admission on a merit basis, few Colleges prepare the allocation of seats in the BCA program through entrance examinations.

Various entrance examinations are conducted for admission to BCA courses at the national and state level. The most popular entrance examinations for the BCA program are –

• CUET (Common University Entrance Test) 

• SET (Symbiosis Entrance Test)

• CUCET (Chandigarh University Common Entrance Test)

• IPU CET (Indraprastha University Common Entrance Test)

• MET (Manipal Entrance Test)

• CUCET (Central Universities Common Entrance Test)

Admission Procedure of BCA

The admission procedure for a Bachelor of Computer Applications course follows the following steps-

• Application - Students are required to apply to any institution by filling out the application form and registering for the entrance examination. This application form can be filled out directly by visiting the institution's official website. The registration fees generally vary from 200 to 500 INR. 

• Entrance examination - The entrance examination procedure is different in every institution. Some institutes conduct entrance examinations based on the syllabus of 10+2, while others give direct admissions based on the marks obtained in the 12th. Institutions may also ask for the percentile obtained by the students in national entrance exams for BCA like CUET, SET, IPU CET, MET, and CUCET.

• Interview/counselling - After being selected in the merit list released by the institution, a personal interview or counselling round is conducted. This round is held basically to know about the aspirations and communication of the student.

Top Colleges/ Universities offering BCA program 

• Christ University, Bangalore

• Amity University, Noida

• Amity University - Mumbai

• Presidency College, Bangalore

• Parul University, Vadodara

• Graphic Era University, Dehradun

• SRM Institute of Science and Technology - [SRMIST], Chennai

• Institute of Management Studies, Noida

• Symbiosis Institute of Computer Studies and Research - [SICSR], Pune

• Loyola College, Chennai

• Xavier's Institute of Computer Application, Ahmedabad

• Department of Computer Application Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana

• Madras Christian College (MCC Madras), Chennai, Tamil Nadu

BCA program Fee Structure

The fees for BCA degree courses vary from college to college. The government or government–funded colleges have a minimum fee structure for a BCA degree. Generally, the annual fee of the BCA program in government Colleges/Universities ranges from INR 10,000 to INR 50,000. Private Universities' fees are much higher than Government Colleges, which vary from INR 50,000 to INR 2,00,000 annually. 

A candidate must appear for the national or state-level entrance examination to secure a seat in any Government University's BCA program. After that, the University conducts a counselling or interview round to allot the BCA seat to the candidate.

The following are the top BCA colleges and their fees –

BCA Syllabus

The basic syllabus of a BCA course typically includes the following topics and subjects:

• Mathematics: - The mathematics syllabus of the Bachelor of Computer Applications includes the syllabus covered until intermediate, like calculus, coordinate geometry, algebra, trigonometry, integration, and differentiation. The mathematics syllabus also includes discrete mathematics and linear programming.

• Programming languages: - The syllabus of BCA includes the basic and advanced computer programming languages. Students are taught many computer programming languages in the three years of the course. These programming languages include HTML, Assembly, C, C++, JAVA, PYTHON, COBOL, etc.

• Data structures and algorithms: - Data structure and algorithms is one of the crucial topics covered in the BCA course. Algorithms and data structures enhance data management skills in any software application. It is helpful in website and application development and systematic management of Coding. The recruiters often ask for the one highly skilled in data structure management. 

• Operating systems: - The operating systems topic in the course consists of the functions and features of operating systems. The history and development of the operating system are covered in a syllabus. The other topic falling under the studies of operating systems includes process management, shell programming, memory management, UNIX (UNIX file system), etc. 

• Database management systems: - The Bachelor of Computer Applications course allocates a sufficient amount of course time in dealing with data management, whether the data is in the form of character, integer, long, short, Boolean, etc. This includes organizing, categorizing, placing, administering, and collecting data. An infinite amount of uncategorized and unorganized data is available on the Internet; the requirement for database management is growing daily.

• Computer networks: - Computer networks are the modern data communication mode nowadays. The syllabus structure of the Bachelor of Computer Applications includes the knowledge and working of network types, i.e., local area network, personal area network, wide area network, and metropolitan area network. This includes connecting two different computer equipment from two different locations with the help of a network.

• Web development: - This topic includes coding and developing websites, applications, etc. The maintenance and amendment of websites is the core subject of the topic. Web development is one of the most demanding skills recruiters ask for.

• Software engineering: - Bachelor of Computer Applications includes fundamentals of software engineering, System analysis, System planning, System design, System documentation, Coding and programming, Software testing, Cost and time estimation, Software project management, and Software quality.

• Information security: - Various tools and programs used to protect, modify, and safeguard particular data and information are covered under this topic. Modules included are security problems in computing, program security, database security, and Administering Security.

• Artificial intelligence: - It includes the study of graphs, frames, related structures, knowledge organization, manipulation, Matching Techniques, Management, Natural Language Processing, and Pattern recognition of AI.

• Data science: - It includes statistics, analytics, data types, Coding, machine learning, software engineering, etc.

BCA Career Prospects 

After completing a Bachelor of Computer Applications, there is a wide range of career scope, growth, and stability. The degree provides you with vast career opportunities in the IT sector. There are various jobs and roles that a BCA graduate can undertake.

○ Software developer: - The growth in this field is fast and based on your skills. It is the most appealing career path with attractive salary packages. A software developer's average starting salary package in India is around INR 4.5 lakh per annum. 

○ Web developer: - The designing and making of a website is the main work of a web developer. Today, when everything is available on the Internet, there is an obvious need for websites and applications where the most relatable and organized data should be accessible. Hence, web development has a vast scope in the IT field. The average starting package of a web developer in India is around INR 3.67 lakh per annum. 

○ Database administrator: - The company hires a database administrator to protect, secure, and manage the company's data. The need for database administrators has increased in the past few years with the increase in cybercrime. The average starting salary of a database administrator is around INR 3.5 – 4 lakh per annum.

○ Network engineer: - Network engineer supports, maintains, and resolves connectivity issues. The network engineer connects the hardware devices to the appropriate network. The average starting package for a network engineer is INR 3.4 lakh per annum.

○ System analyst: - System analyst analyzes data and designs of any website whenever required, further resolves the occurring problems. The average starting salary of a system analyst is INR 3 lakh per annum.

○ IT consultant: - IT consultant troubleshoots technical issues related to hardware, Internet, connecting devices, etc. An IT consultant's average starting salary package is INR 2.5 – 3 lakh per annum.

○ Data scientist: - The data scientist analyzes the data and develops the models per the given data. A data scientist's average starting salary package is INR 5 lakh per annum.

○ Artificial intelligence engineer: - Artificial intelligence engineer is responsible for the programming and development of AI. An artificial intelligence engineer's starting average salary package is around INR 6 – 8 lakh per annum.

Average Salary of BCA Graduates 

The salary of BCA graduates is variable as per the individual's skills and experience. A fresher BCA graduate with 0 to 1-year experience can receive an average salary package of INR 2.5 to 3 LPA. An experienced and skilled individual holding BCA degree can get as high as INR 15+ LPA salary package. 

The salary package of the BCA graduates also depends on their job profile and role in the company. While the IT Consultant receives a starting salary package of INR 2.5 to 3 LPA, the Artificial Intelligence Engineer can get a starting salary package of INR 6 to 8 LPA.

The following table mentions the starting salary packages of BCA graduates in different job profiles –

Top Recruiters of BCA Graduates

Conclusion

We have already discussed the merits and career prospects of a Bachelor of Computer Applications. It is the best course to join after the 12th to start a career in the IT sector. It provides you with all the required skills and vast job opportunities. Other reasons to join the course are the fast growth and broad career scope in the IT sector.

To enrol in a BCA program in India, you can contact us by filling out an inquiry form on our website. Soon after, our counselling team will contact you for a counselling session. At Path Provider, we provide free career counselling per your qualifications and plans. We have partnered with hundreds of institutions, colleges, and universities across India. We can help you in: -

• Career counselling

• Selecting college as per your requirement and preference

• Registration and applying to selected course

• Admission to the course

• Building a stable career 

• Career-related confusion

• Any other career and college-related issues.

FAQ about BCA

Ques – What is BCA's full form?

Answer – The BCA full form is Bachelor in Computer Applications.

Ques – What is the duration of the BCA program?

Answer – The time duration of the BCA program is three years.

Ques – What are the various entrance examinations for Admission to BCA degree?

Answer – The entrance examinations for Admission to the BCA program are CUET, SET, IPU CET, MET, and CUCET.

Ques: What is the average annual fee of a BCA program in Government Colleges?

Answer – The average annual fees of the BCA program in Government Colleges range from INR 10,000 to INR 50,000.

Ques: What is the average annual fee of a BCA program in Private Colleges?

Answer – The average annual fees of the BCA program in Private Colleges range from INR INR 50,000 – to INR 2,00,000.

Ques – What is a BCA degree for?

Answer – The Bachelor in Computer Applications degree is where a student learns and gains knowledge about computer and information technology. 

Ques – What is the scope of BCA in the future?

Answer – With the increase of technology around the globe, the scope of BCA is widening daily.

Ques – What is the salary package after completing BCA?

Answer – The average salary package of BCA graduates in India is between INR 2.5 to 8 lakh per annum. One can also get a higher offer than this, which is based on their knowledge and skills.

Ques – Which is better, BCA or BTech?

Answer – Both are two different courses. There are many common topics covered in both courses. BCA is a totally computer application-based course, whereas Btech has many trades to choose from. BCA is a 3-year degree whereas Btech is 4-year course.

Ques – Is BCA called graduation?

Answer – Yes, BCA is a three-year graduation degree.

Ques – What are the different job profiles for BCA graduates?

Answer – The various job profiles for BCA graduates are Software developer, Web developer, Database administrator, Network engineer, System analyst, IT Consultant, Data scientist, Artificial intelligence engineer, etc.