COEP's Review and Verdict by CollegeDekho

Campus at a Glimpse

Established in 1854, College of Engineering Pune (COEP) Technological University, is India’s third oldest engineering institution. A state university with a rich academic legacy has a vintage campus sprawling across 36 acres in Pune, Maharashtra. COEP was the alma mater of some of India’s most illustrious minds including, Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya and Gaur Gopal Das.

Currently, COEP is offering 36 courses across engineering, management and other disciplines at diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels. Students on Quora have shared positive reviews related to COEP’s academia, faculty and exposure opportunities. The university is home to around 4 K students and 266 faculty members creating a faculty-student ratio of 1:15 which is great!

On the flip side, there are some notable concerns at COEP. The university is less diverse with only 3% of students hailing from outside Maharashtra and 4% from outside India. Apart from that, a case regarding the mismanagement of funds by the director of COEP Technological University was highlighted by the Hindustan Times some time back. 

To uncover the real facts about COEP, here is our unbiased article to help students make informed decisions. Go, give it a read! 

COEP NIRF Ranking: Why is it Slipping? 

COEP is one of the premier engineering universities in India, consistently ranked among the top institutions in the country by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). Let’s decode its NIRF rankings to measure the ups and downs! 

Engineering Ranking:

Overall Ranking:

Our Take:
COEP has successfully maintained its position among the top 100 engineering institutions over the past three years. However, we can't overlook the decline in rankings explained below. 

• The recent dip in the engineering category, from 72nd in 2022 to 73rd in 2023 may seem nominal but the massive drop of 20 positions, from 52nd in 2021 to 72nd in 2022, is a significant cause for concern. 
• The overall ranking of COE Pune has also seen a drop, from 101-150 in 2022 to 151-200 in 2023. 

The recent decline in rankings shows that COEP needs to focus on areas where it is lagging. Otherwise, in no time soon, the university might drops out from top 100 engineering colleges in India by NIRF. 

COEP Academia & Batch Size

The College of Engineering Pune is known for its high-quality academics, strong research output and ample exposure opportunities. As of now, COEP has 11 academic departments and 2 Centers of Excellence. Under these, it offers 9 UG and 26 PG courses in engineering, 1 PG programme in management along with 9 PG Diploma and a PhD programme in various disciplines. 

According to its annual report 2021, COEP has enhanced its academia by introducing new courses, expanding collaborations, filing patents, publishing journals, organising events and competitions and promoting startup and innovation culture. It is one of the leaders in providing quality technical education and exposure opportunities to students as per students’ reviews online. 

COEP Batch Size 2022:

(Source: NIRF Report 2023)

Our Take:

COEP courses are offered across UG, PG and diploma levels in engineering, planning, and management streams and PhD programmes across all the available disciplines. The diversity in programmes helps students choose according to their area of interest and career aspirations. Furthermore, the continuous improvement in academics and positive reviews of students regarding curriculum and exposure opportunities at COEP strengthen its position as a leading technical institution in India.  

COEP Infrastructure

While stepping onto the COEP Pune campus, one can feel like visiting the ‘Hogwarts’ from the Harry Potter movie. The vintage infrastructure and buildings may seem old-fashioned, but they are equipped with the latest technologies and modern facilities. 

The classrooms at COEP are spacious and well-ventilated. Each department has adequate laboratories equipped with the required equipment and facilities. The classrooms and labs are well-connected with the internet. Along with that, Wi-Fi facilities are available across the campus. 

The university has a hostel facility for boys and girls. The students are provided with basic amenities like beds, tables, chairs and cupboards. Apart from that, the hostels have common rooms and recreational areas. Interacting with students, it has been found out that they are happy about infrastructure and facilities offered at COEP. Moreover, the meals provided in canteens and hostel mess are tasty and hygienic.

Our Take:

We found that COEP's academic blocks and hostels are spacious and well-maintained. Students have free wifi access and the food quality is good. Overall, the infrastructure and facilities are satisfactory. The university needs to build on this and update its facilities as per the changing dynamics.  

COEP Internships and Placements 

COEP provides ample internship opportunities to its students in leading organisations. Along with CSE and IT departments, the students from core branches get sufficient offers as told by students of COEP. Some of the recruiters at the COEP summer internship are: 

• Goldman Sachs
• VMWare
• Microsoft
• NTT Data (Japan)
• Barclays
• Bajaj
• Eaton
• Larsen and Toubro
• Bosch
• DRDO Delhi and DRDO Pune
• Cummins
• Siemens India
• Sucoso
• Wordsmay

Based on our research, COEP encourages students to apply for international internships as well. Some of those global organisations are MITACS Globalink Research Internship Canada, DAAD WISE Germany, S.N.Bose Scholars Program USA, Charpak Research Internship France and Nanyang Technological University Singapore. 

COEP Placements:

COEP is committed to providing better placement opportunities to its students in private and government organisations. Let’s have a look at the official statistics of COEP placement for the year 2023 for a better understanding. 

UG Placements 2023: B.Tech and B.Plan

Comparison: 2022 Vs 2023

PG Placements 2023: M.Tech and M.Plan

Comparison: 2022 Vs 2023

COEP Top Recruiters 2023:

Our Take:

On comparing campus placement of 2023 to 2022, one can observe a notable drop in the number of students placed, 22% in PG courses and 4% in UG courses. There can be a plethora of reasons for this decline and one of them can be the present market conditions due to recession in the West. 

However, a considerable rise in the average salary in UG courses is visible. The average salary rose by 1.65 LPA for B.Tech and B.Plan and by 86 K for M.Tech and M.Plan. Overall, the placement statistics of COEP are satisfactory and students have shared positive reviews regarding the same. Students can expect a rise in the placement rate in the coming years. 

COEP Diversity & Demographics

Let’s delve into a detailed analysis of the demographics and gender participation across various courses at COE Pune to gain better insight. 

Course-Wise Demographic Representation as per NIRF Report 2023

Course-Wise Gender Representation as per NIRF 2023

Our Take:

The analysis of the overall demographics and gender representation of COEP reveals that the university lacks diversity. The percentage of students hailing from outside Maharashtra is only 3% and the international students account for only 4% of the total population. Above that, the female representation is only 30% which is highly unbalanced. COEP should take some initiatives to increase the diversity on the campus and foster a holistic environment for students. 

COEP Faculty/ Administration and Management: 

Currently, there are 266 faculty members including the majority of PhD holders as per the NIRF Report 2023. The faculty members of COE Pune are highly experienced and motivated to walk the extra mile to teach their students. They deeply understand the pain points of the students and guide them in various ways. 

According to our findings, COEP provides an amazing learning experience to students. The faculty plays a pivotal role in bonding healthy relationships with the students. Only a handful of teachers are less knowledgeable and lack a genuine intent to teach. 

Furthermore, the administrators and management of COEP are highly experienced and have been running the university efficiently while maintaining its reputation. However, some official procedures are time-consuming and unproductive as per students' feedback that requires improvement.  

Our Take:

While the majority of the faculty members at COEP are dedicated, there are a few who lack the necessary knowledge and skills. The administration and management of COEP are also experienced and efficient, but there is room for improvement. The university can speed up the general procedure and communications to cater to the student's needs. 

COEP Location

COEP is located at Ambedkar Wellesly Road, Shivaji Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra. The campus is easily reachable through roads, railways and airways. Moreover, Pune has a moderate and pleasant climate making it an ideal location for students to learn and explore.

COEP: Expectation vs Reality CLD Verdict!

Till now, if you have formed an opinion about COEP, don’t forget to consider the fee structure.

The university charges fees for B.Tech between INR 84 K to 1.5 L per annum for general students. COEP M.Tech fee ranges from INR 1.15 L to 1.9 L and the MBA fee stands at 2.08 L per year. It also provides heavy concessions in fee structure to SC/ST/OBC and other category students. 

In short, the ROI for B.Tech programmes at COEP can be considered positive. However, the university appears a bit costlier for PG courses while comparing the fees and drop in placements in 2023. 

Our Final Checklist!