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MCA Course Overview

MCA full form is Masters of Computer Application, is a postgraduate degree that can be pursued after BCA. The MCA course duration is 2 years after completing BCA and for 3 years if completed graduation from other streams. To pursue this course, candidates must have to complete their graduation in BCA or equivalent with an aggregate of 50% marks from a recognized institution. MCA admissions are done via an entrance exam or on a merit basis. Some entrance exams include NIMCET, Mah MCA CET, TANCET, IPU CET, etc. MCA courses can be pursued online, and offline as well as through distance education.

Students will get attractive salary packages and career options like Software developers, programmers, system analysts, etc. MCA graduates are in high demand not just in the commercial sector, but also in the public sector. The MCA syllabus includes computer programming, operating systems, application software, computer architecture, and other topics. Some of the top MCA colleges in India are VIT, NIT Trichy, JMI, Calcutta University, Christ University Bangalore, Bangalore, etc. The average MCA course fee ranges from INR 30,000 to INR 2,00,000 per annum.

Read the full post to know the MCA course salary, admission process, colleges, syllabus, subjects, scope, etc.

MCA Course Highlights

The Master of Computer Applications (MCA) is a postgraduate degree that teaches you all of the advanced features of computer applications. Students planning to pursue an MCA course can get essential details about it by going through the highlighted table given below.

Particulars Details
Course Name Masters of Computer Application or MCA
MCA course duration
  • Candidates from different streams- 3 years
  • Candidates from BCA-2 years
Mode
  • Online mode
  • Offline mode
  • Distant education
Top Institutes NIT Trichy, university of Calcutta, VIT Vellore, University of Hyderabad, etc
Eligibility Criteria Candidates will have to graduate from BCA or equivalent with at least 50% aggregate marks or equivalent
MCA Admission Process  Merit-based entrance examination
Entrance exams
  • NIMCET
  • TANCET
  • MHT CET
  • IPU CET
MCA Course Fees Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 2,00,000 on average
Job Profiles Software Developers, Programmers, System Engineers, and System Analysts
What is the Scope of MCA?

MCA jobs and high MCA salaries tempt many people to participate in this three-year postgraduate study. With IT being one of the fastest expanding industries, MCA has emerged as one of the top courses for pursuing professional chances. There are a variety of alternatives after completing an MCA course degree like

  • As the MCA course is a terminal degree, most students pursue employment after completing it. In India, the top MCA recruiters are TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Tech Mahindra, etc, and earn a lucrative salary
  • Career options for an MCA degree are projected to expand in the approaching years due to the tremendous expansion in the IT and software sectors. Master of Computer Applications positions is accessible at top-tier IT and consulting businesses
  • After completing MCA you can also pursue courses such as MBA to work in management or Ph.D. to work as a researcher and professor
  • You can qualify for the UGC NET or GATE and work as a lecturer in a variety of government and private colleges
  • Another viable alternative is to pursue a Master of Computer Management (MCM) or a Master of Information Management (MIM) degree (MIM)
  • MCA graduates can get employment in startups. The startup culture that has been taken up in India is a godsend for MCA freshers. Apart from top-tier IT organizations, smaller firms or startups also pay well for computer professionals
  • Nowadays, there is a surge in IT businesses, therefore there are many employment options accessible after completing an MCA education, and industry analysts believe that there are very few chances of regression in the following years
Why Choose MCA?

Since the evolution and modernization, new technologies have been evolving making it computerized in the whole job platform. The advantages of studying Master of Computer Applications (MCA) are stated as follows:

  • Candidates after completing the MCA course can get an annual package of INR 8 LPA or even more depending upon the recruiter
  • The top recruiting companies that choose Master of Computer Applications candidates include Google, Amazon, Microsoft, etc where the minimum salary expected can be INR 13 LPA on average or even more
  • The MCA jobs are increasing at a rate of 8% every year with an estimation of  2,05,000 job opportunities every year. The job opportunities, as well as the job roles, are diverse in the MCA field
  • Some of the demanded job roles are Web Developers, Mobile App Developers, Hardware engineers, Network Administrators, Systems analysts, Software Developers, System Administrators, etc
When to Pursue MCA?

After completing the BCA course, candidates can immediately begin the MCA program. It is advised to have relevant experience after completing the BCA course before pursuing post-graduate studies. The MCA course syllabus is extensive, with coursework that incorporates both theoretical and practical studies. As a result, candidates should only enroll in the course if they have enough time to study adequately.

Popular MCA Specialisations

There are diverse specializations in MCA degrees from which candidates can choose. The list of MCA specializations includes Application Software, Hardware Technology, Networking, Troubleshooting, etc. Candidates can check some of the popular MCA specializations given below.

MCA Specialisations
Troubleshooting Hardware Technology
Application Software Systems Engineering
Management Information Systems (MIS) Systems Development
Internet Networking
Systems Management Software Development
Eligibility Criteria for MCA

Before applying for the MCA course, students should check the eligibility criteria and make sure they fulfill all the factors. The MCA eligibility criteria include subjects required, educational qualification, age limit, etc. Candidates can check the eligibility criteria for the MCA course given below.

  • Candidates must have a graduate degree in computer science or computer applications with an aggregate mark of 50% or equivalent from a well-recognized university which has to be AICTE-approved or UGC approved or equivalent.
  • Candidates must have mathematics in class 12 as one of the subjects
Types of MCA Courses

Master of Computer Application can be pursued through regular, online as well as distance education. In the table below, we have discussed the basic differences between MCA regular, MCA distant, and MCA online courses.

Features MCA Course Regular MCA Course Distance Education MCA Course Online
Mode Full-time Distance education Online
Duration 3 years 2-5 years 6 months-4 years
Eligibility Bachelor's degree Bachelor's degree Bachelor's degree
Fees INR 30,000 to 2,00,000 INR 40,000 to 1,50,000 INR 30,000 to 1,50,000
Admission Entrance Exam
  • Entrance exam
  • Merit-based
Merit-based
Top Colleges
  • IIT Roorkee
  • VIT University
  • NIT Trichy
  • Loyola College
  • IGNOU
  • Annamalai University
  • University of Mumbai
  • University of Mysore
  • Amity University
  • Tamil Nadu Open University
Difference Between MCA Course Distance Education & MCA Course Online

When the discussion comes between what is the difference between MCA Course Distance Education & MCA Course Online, candidates often get confused and think they are the same. To remove confusion, we have sketched a difference between both types of MCA courses.

Parameter MCA Course Distance Education MCA Course Online
Mode Distance Education Online through web facility
Duration 2 to 5 Years 6 Months to 4 Years
Eligibility Bachelor's degree Bachelor's Degree
Admission Merit/Entrance-Based Merit-Based
Average Fees INR 40,000 to 1,50,000 INR 30,000 to 1,50,000
Top Colleges
  • IGNOU
    Annamalai University
  • University Of Mumbai
  • Institute Of Distance & Open Learning - [Idol], Mumbai
  • University of Mysore
  • Amity University
  • Tamil Nadu Open University
MCA vs MSc Computer Science vs MTech in Computer Science

Candidates might be confused sometimes between MCA vs MSc Computer Science vs MTech in Computer Science due to the similarity in their course and fee structures. Therefore, in order to get rid of the courses, we have sketched a difference between these courses. The same has been listed in the MCA vs MSc Computer Science vs MTech in Computer Science in the table below.

Course Name MCA  MTech in Computer Science MSc in Computer Science
Eligibility A minimum of 50% in BCA or related field. A minimum of 50-60% in the BTech/BE course

A minimum of 60% in BSc computer course


 

Duration 3 years 2 years 2 years
Concepts Covered Fundamentals of Computer Organization, Operating Systems, Database Management Systems, Network Programming, A.I and Applications, etc Operating Systems and System Programming, Advanced Software Engineering, Cryptography, and Network Security Programming Languages, Theory of Computation, Design, and Analysis of Algorithms, Computer Systems Verification, etc
Focus on Computer languages, programming, and networking advanced engineering and technological expertise in computer software Developing software and networking-based skills.
Average Course Fees INR 30,000 to 2,00,000 INR 50,000 to 2,00,000 INR 50,000 to 2,00,000
Average Salary INR 3,00,000 to 8,00,000 INR 6,00,000 to 7,00,000 INR 7,00,000
MCA Admission Process

The MCA admissions are done through two procedures, either by the entrance exams or merit basis and by the source of management quota. Entrance exams at the state level include IPU CET, MHT CET, etc. Let us discuss the procedures of these two methods of admission.

MCA Admission Through Entrance Exam

Following are the steps included for admission to MCA course through the entrance exam.

  • Candidates needed to visit the official website of the chosen college, university, or the entrance exam board and register themselves  for the next process
  • The candidates are then required to insert their application details and upload the prescribed documents as per the size and format requirements
  • After uploading the candidates are required to pay the application fees and take out a receipt of the application form.
  • After that, the candidates are required to download the admit card and appear for the desired entrance examination.
  • After successfully appearing for the entrance exam, qualified candidates are summoned for a counseling session for MCA. 
  • Counseling is conducted for seat allotment in various colleges affiliated with that university. Candidates are admitted after an allotment of seats in each round of counseling.
  • Institutions that offer admissions through entrance exams are Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Greater Noida Institute of Technology, MDU, etc
MCA Admission 2024 - Direct Admission
  • Direct admissions for MCA are done on the basis of merit in qualifying exams. Some institutes also provide admission on management quota, which is also one way of direct admission. 
  • Management quota seats in every college are reserved. The fee is generally higher for these seats than for general seats as candidates have to pay extra fees
  • Direct Admission is offered by private colleges such as Amity University, Lovely Professional University (LPU), Chandigarh University, etc
  • Candidates are required to give a test on the basis of their knowledge on the day of their interview.
MCA Colleges in India

Candidates willing to pursue MCA courses in India are open to choosing government or private colleges based on their preferences. We will discuss the MCA Private Colleges as well as the MCA Government Colleges in India in the following headers.

MCA Private Colleges

The table below highlights the MCA Private Colleges along with their course fees.

Name of the MCA Private College MCA Course Fee
Manipal Academy Of Higher Education, Manipal INR 1,89,000
Jagan Institute of Management Studies (JIMS), Rohini Sector 5, Delhi INR 2,00,000
Loyola College, Chennai INR 2,50,000 
Christ University Faculty of Engineering INR 3,00,000
Institute of Management Studies Noida INR 3,00,000
Jain University, Bangalore INR 3,00,000
Kristu Jayanti College (KJC bangalore) INR 3,00,000
Galgotias University, Greater Noida INR 4,00,000
Amity University, Noida INR 4,00,000
Chandigarh University INR 4,00,000
Presidency University, Bangalore INR 4,00,000
MCA Government Colleges

The table below highlights the MCA Government Colleges along with their course fees.

Name of the MCA Government Colleges MCA Course Fee
Jawaharlal Nehru University INR 1,357
Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi INR 8,500
Calcutta University, Kolkata INR 19,100
Bharathiar University, Coimbatore INR 25,600
Delhi University INR 50,000
Guru Nanak Institute of Technology, Kolkata INR 80,000
Madras Christian College (MCC) Chennai INR 80,000
MNNIT Allahabad INR 2,00,000
National Institute of Technology (NIT) Trichy, Tiruchirapalli INR 1,00,000
PSG College of Arts and Science INR 60,000
Top MCA Colleges by City

There are a lot of cities providing MCA course all over the country in various cities. The top cities that provide the best of the course include Kolkata, Bangalore, Pune, and Hyderabad. The tables below show the top MCA colleges in Kolkata, Bangalore, Pune, and Hyderabad.

Top MCA Colleges in Kolkata
MCA  College Names Average MCA Fees
Narula Institute Of Technology INR 2,06,000
Techno India University  INR 1,77,000
BP Poddar Institute Of Management & Technology  INR 3,10,000
Future Institute Of Engineering and Management  INR 1,41,950
Annex College  INR 1,20,000
Top MCA College in Bangalore
MCA College Names Average MCA Fee
Jain University INR 1,37,000
Presidency University INR 1,00,000
Kristu Jayanti College  INR 1,17,000
AIMS Institutes  INR 4,02,000
Christ University  INR 1,40,000
Top Master of Computer Applications Colleges in Pune
MCA College Names Average MCA Fee
Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapith  INR 45,000
Dr. DY Patil Institute Of Management & Research  INR 98,000
Progressive Education Society’s Modern College Of Engineering INR 84,500
Jayawant Institute Of Management Studies  INR 1,13,000
ASM Group Of Institutes  INR 81,000
Allana Institute Of Management and Sciences  INR 67,000
Dr. DY Patil Arts, Science, and Commerce Pimpri  INR 55,000
Singhabad Business School  INR 84,537
Top Colleges in Hyderabad for Master of Computer Applications
MCA College Names Average MCA Fee
Chaitanya Bharathi Institute Of Technology  INR 82,000
A.V. College Of Arts Science and Commerce  INR 40,000
Aurora’s Technological and Research Institute  INR 36,200
St. Ann’s College for Women  INR 27,000
Study MCA Course Abroad; Top Colleges

Studying MCA abroad is often the choice of the aspirants due to the better infrastructure facility, placement drives, as well as research facilities. There are many other courses abroad that render similar degrees in comparison to MCA. candidates have to know the eligibility criteria before applying for MCA course in abroad colleges.

Below are the eligibility criteria for admissions into foreign MCA colleges.

  • Candidates have to pass their graduation from a recognized university or equivalent.
  • Candidates will have to pass English proficiency exams such as IELTS or TOEFL
  • Fundings have to be done through various scholarship programs since the cost of MCA in foreign countries is very expensive

Master of Computer Applications course is popular in countries like Canada, USA, UK, and Australia. There are various MCA colleges abroad that offer quality education to the candidates are the University Of Toronto, University Of Alberta, University Of Waterloo, University Of British Columbia, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, California State University Los Angeles Campus, University Of Queensland, University Of Melbourne and many more.

For admissions to MCA colleges in abroad, a few things have to note:

  • The duration of the MCA courses is 1 to 2 years and sometimes it is 1.5 years for Australia.
  • Candidates should have passed their graduation under computer science or any relevant stream  
  • There are several colleges that ask for different cut offs. The minimum cut off marks of these colleges are 83 to 89% or a GPA of 3.0
  • Candidates will have to submit the scores of the GRE or GMAT exam.
  • The overall marks required for admission is 7 for IELTS or 80 % in TOEFL
  • The average MCA fee ranges from Rs. 25 Lakhs to Rs. 50 Lakhs for the USA, Rs. 10 Lakhs to Rs. 23 Lakhs for UK, Rs. 20 Lakh to Rs. 35 Lakh for Australia, Rs. 15 to Rs. 25 Lakhs in Canada.
MCA Course Fees

The MCA course fees depends upon various factors like programme type, college, facilities the college is providing, etc. In addition, if students avail scholarships the fees are lowered. Candidates can check the MCA fees in the table given below.

College Type Average MCA Course Fees 
Government College INR 1,500 to INR 30,000
Private College INR 30,000 to INR 2,00,000
Skills Required to Pursue MCA

To become a successful and efficient MCA, one must be very efficient in communication skill and behavioral skills. Other skills include a positive attitude toward themselves, confidence, and technical skills. The pointers below show the required skill set to become an MCA.

  • Good communication skills 
  • Behavioral skills
  • Positive attitude
  • Confidence
  • Efficiency in programming languages like Java, C, C++, net, etc.
  • Knowledge of data structures and database
  • Good programming skills with a healthy experience in the field
  • Technical skills
  • Awareness of the latest technology trends
MCA Course Salary in India

After the conclusion of the MCA course, the minimum average MCA salary received by the candidates is above Rs. 8 LPA. The top recruiters who hire officials from MCA courses are Robotics and Scalability Technology, HCL, Accenture, Ericson, IBM, Hi-Tech Solutions, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, etc. There are various factors that determine the MCA salary in India like a candidate's experience, skills, type of recruiter, type of job, etc. Once candidates will gain experience in the field the MCA salary rises.

The table below highlights the top recruiters of MCA candidates along with the average MCA salary offered.

Top Recruiters Average MCA Salary Package Offered (Per Annum)
HCL INR 3,00,000 
Accenture INR 3,80,000
Ericson INR 3,40,000
IBM INR 4,50,000
TCS INR 5,40,000
Infosys INR 3,60,000
Hi-Tech Solutions INR 5,00,000 
Robotics and Scalability Technology INR 6,00,000 
Wipro INR 6,00,000 
Tech Mahindra INR 3,90,000
Cognizant INR 6,70,000