Punjab Agricultural University

What courses does Punjab Agricultural University offer?

Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana offers roughly 11 undergraduate (UG) programmes, 43 postgraduate (PG) Master's programmes and 29 PhD programmes, taught across 32 departments and six constituent colleges. Established in 1962 and formally inaugurated by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 8 July 1962, PAU is India's third-oldest agricultural university and ranked 3rd in the NIRF 2025 Agriculture and Allied Sectors category (75.83 points), the same rank it held in NIRF 2024 and 2023.

The course portfolio spans four levels. At UG level you can study B.Sc (Hons) Agriculture, B.Sc (Hons) Horticulture, B.Tech (Agricultural Engineering, Biotechnology, Food Technology), B.Sc (Hons) Nutrition and Dietetics and B.Sc (Hons) Agribusiness Management. At PG level PAU runs M.Sc and M.Sc Agriculture across disciplines like Agronomy, Soil Science, Entomology and Genetics, plus M.Tech, MBA (Agri-Business), MCA and MJMC (journalism). Doctoral research is offered through 29 PhD programmes, and short diplomas cover Agriculture and Hybrid Seed Production Technology. The six constituent colleges are the College of Agriculture, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities, College of Community Science, College of Horticulture and Forestry, and the PAU-College of Agriculture, Ballowal Saunkri.

Course-Wise Fees, Duration & Eligibility (2026)

The table below is the single most useful reference for an aspirant comparing programmes at Punjab Agricultural University. It lists every major course by level, its full-programme fee in rupees, duration in years, the eligibility you must meet, and the entrance exam PAU accepts for 2026 admission. Read each row left to right: confirm you meet the eligibility column first, then check which exam (PAU CET, PAU MET, JEE Main, GATE, CAT or MAT) gates that programme. Fees shown are total programme fees, not per-year, and seat intake at PAU is finalised in the official prospectus each cycle (for example M.Sc Agronomy carries around 26 seats).

Two takeaways stand out for 2026 applicants. First, PAU's degrees are notably affordable for a top-3 agricultural university: a full four-year B.Sc Agriculture (Hons) costs ₹2,34,000 and a two-year M.Sc just ₹1,40,000, far below private-university equivalents. Second, the entrance route depends entirely on the programme - most UG seats hinge on PAU CET, most PG seats on PAU MET, while B.Tech Agricultural Engineering also recognises JEE Main, M.Tech recognises GATE, and the MBA accepts CAT/MAT. Note that 85% of seats are reserved for Punjab-state residents, which materially shapes the cut-offs out-of-state aspirants face.

Flagship & Most Popular Programmes at Punjab Agricultural University

The flagship programmes at Punjab Agricultural University are B.Sc (Hons) Agriculture and the B.Tech offerings, with the MBA (Agri-Business) the most sought-after PG route. These are the courses that built PAU's reputation as the cradle of India's Green Revolution, and they continue to draw the most CET applications each year. Because PAU is ranked 3rd nationally in the NIRF 2025 Agriculture and Allied Sectors list, its agriculture degrees carry strong recruiter and government-recruitment recognition.

B.Sc (Hons) Agriculture is the institution's signature programme, feeding directly into PAU's strengths in crop sciences, agronomy and plant breeding - the disciplines behind the high-yielding wheat and rice varieties PAU is historically famous for. The B.Tech in Agricultural Engineering and Food Technology, taught at the College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, is the most competitive engineering pathway here and the only one that accepts a JEE Main score. On the management side, the MBA in Agri-Business is popular because it pairs PAU's domain depth with placements at agri-corporates. In the 2024-2025 placement cycle, 130 students were placed with an average package of ₹3.71 LPA and a highest package of ₹9 LPA; PAU's NIRF 2025 data report (covering 2023-2024) records a median salary of ₹4.8 LPA for UG and PG graduates. Recruiters who hire from these flagship streams include Amul, Nestle, ITC, Cipla, TAFE, New Holland, Jain Irrigation, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and IFFCO Tokio.

How to Choose the Right Course at Punjab Agricultural University

Choosing the right course at Punjab Agricultural University comes down to matching your career goal to PAU's proven strengths in agriculture, agricultural engineering and agri-business. If your aim is a research or government career in farming, extension or the ICAR/state-agriculture system, the B.Sc (Hons) Agriculture (₹2,34,000, 4 years, via PAU CET) followed by an M.Sc Agriculture (₹1,55,000, 2 years, via PAU MET) is the classic ladder, and PAU's NIRF rank-3 standing in agriculture makes this the highest-value track here.

If you are technically inclined and want to work in farm machinery, food processing or agri-tech, the B.Tech route - especially Agricultural Engineering, which accepts JEE Main alongside PAU CET, or Food Technology - is the strongest engineering choice at ₹3,66,000 for four years. Aspirants who want to combine domain knowledge with corporate roles should weigh the MBA (₹3,50,000, accepts CAT/MAT) for agri-business management or the MCA (₹3,70,000) for IT roles in the sector. For those targeting academia or scientist-grade positions, the PhD track (3 years, PAU Entrance Test, with ICAR-qualified candidates going straight to interview) is the natural endpoint. Across every option, factor in the 85% Punjab-resident seat reservation and the modest fee structure, which together make PAU one of the best-value agricultural education investments in India.

Frequently Asked Questions: Punjab Agricultural University Courses 2026

What courses does Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana offer in 2026?

Punjab Agricultural University offers around 11 UG, 43 PG and 29 PhD programmes across six constituent colleges. UG options include B.Sc (Hons) Agriculture, B.Sc (Hons) Horticulture, B.Tech (Agricultural Engineering, Biotechnology, Food Technology) and B.Sc (Hons) Nutrition and Dietetics. PG options span M.Sc, M.Sc Agriculture, M.Tech, MBA, MCA and MJMC, plus diplomas in Agriculture and Hybrid Seed Production Technology. PAU is ranked 3rd in the NIRF 2025 Agriculture category.

What is the fee for B.Sc Agriculture at Punjab Agricultural University?

The B.Sc Agriculture (Hons) programme at Punjab Agricultural University costs ₹2,34,000 in total for the four-year course in 2026. Eligibility requires 10+2 with Agriculture, PCB or PCM and a valid PAU CET score. This makes it one of the most affordable agriculture degrees among India's top-ranked agricultural universities, particularly given PAU's NIRF rank-3 standing in the Agriculture and Allied Sectors category.

How much is the B.Tech fee at PAU Ludhiana?

The B.Tech programme at Punjab Agricultural University costs ₹3,66,000 in total for four years in 2026. It requires 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, and the Agricultural Engineering branch additionally needs a valid JEE Main score, while admission also runs through PAU CET. B.Tech here is taught at the College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology and is the only PAU engineering route that recognises a JEE Main rank.

What is the duration of MBA and M.Sc courses at Punjab Agricultural University?

Both the MBA and M.Sc programmes at Punjab Agricultural University are two years long. The MBA costs ₹3,50,000 and accepts CAT or MAT scores with a Bachelor's degree at 60% aggregate, while the M.Sc costs ₹1,40,000 and is admitted through PAU MET. M.Sc Agriculture, also two years, costs ₹1,55,000. PhD programmes by contrast run for three years through the PAU Entrance Test.

What is the eligibility for M.Sc Agriculture at PAU Ludhiana?

Eligibility for M.Sc Agriculture at Punjab Agricultural University is a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture or a relevant discipline plus a valid PAU MET score. The two-year programme costs ₹1,55,000 for 2026 and feeds into PAU's strongest research areas such as Agronomy, where about 26 seats are offered. ICAR AIEEA-qualified candidates are typically considered under the national quota alongside the PAU MET route.

Which is the best course at Punjab Agricultural University?

B.Sc (Hons) Agriculture is widely considered the best and most flagship course at Punjab Agricultural University, reflecting PAU's NIRF 2025 rank of 3rd in Agriculture and its Green Revolution legacy. For technically inclined students the B.Tech in Agricultural Engineering or Food Technology is the strongest choice, while the MBA in Agri-Business is the most sought-after PG route for corporate careers. In 2024-2025, PAU placed 130 students with a highest package of ₹9 LPA.

How many seats does PAU Ludhiana have for its courses?

Punjab Agricultural University finalises seat intake per programme in its official prospectus each cycle, with M.Sc Agronomy offering around 26 seats as a representative figure. A key rule for 2026 applicants is that 85% of seats are reserved for Punjab-state residents, and 15% in self-supporting programmes are open to candidates from other states. UG admission runs through PAU CET and most PG admission through PAU MET.