Over 1.7 Lakh Degrees, Record PhDs, and a New Era of Dual Degrees in Mumbai University

As a monumental event for Indian universities, Mumbai University at its 2025 convocation, granted a staggering 172, 522 degrees, which is the highest academic output of the university in almost a decade. Of the total awards, 149, 982 were undergraduate degrees, and 22, 540 were postgraduate degrees, illustrating the university's expanding academic horizons.

The biggest surprise, however, was the huge increase in the number of PhD graduates. The university conferred 602 PhDs, a 50 per cent increase over the 401 awarded last year, and a record high in the past nine years. This increase strongly demonstrates the university's focus on research, innovation, and providing quality education at the global standard.

The dominating field among doctoral graduates has been the science and technology sector with 269 PhDs, whereas commerce and management (145), humanities (109), and interdisciplinary studies (79) followed. The officials are convinced that the excellent performance is the result of the continuous investments in research infrastructure, the forging of more international academic alliances, and the adoption of policies consistent with the global educational standards.

In terms of gender representation, 88,202 women outnumbered 84,318 men, while two students identified as ‘other’, reflecting improving inclusivity. Additionally, 21 outstanding students collectively won 23 gold medals for academic excellence.

Dual Degrees and Digital Records Redefine Education

The University of Mumbai has also initiated a firm step towards futuristic education by its Centre for Distance and Online Education (CDOE). The university has collaborated with the College of Engineering Pune (COEP) and Homi Bhabha State University to provide dual, degree programmes under the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) and APAAR ID system, both of which are part of the government's One Nation, One Student ID scheme.

Digitally, the university has transferred 29, 78, 099 academic records to NAD, DigiLocker, which includes over 25 lakh degree certificates from 19722024 and more than 4 lakh marksheets from 2023-2025. The credits of 2, 33, 737 students have been linked to their ABC accounts already.

By having a record, breaking student count, focusing on research, and introducing tech, driven reforms, Mumbai University is setting a new standard for a modern Indian university.