Punjab’s Online College Admissions System (OCAS) has received more than 225,000 applications for intermediate admissions in public colleges across the province. The system was developed by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) in collaboration with the Punjab Higher Education Department (PHED) to simplify the college admission process.
Female students submitted more than 147,000 applications, accounting for 65.25% of the total, while male applicants submitted approximately 78,000 applications, representing 34.75%.
FA and ICS emerged as the most popular disciplines, receiving 86,220 and 72,043 applications, respectively. Together, they accounted for around 70% of all applications. FSc Pre-Medical ranked third with 39,255 applications, with female students making up 80% of applications in the discipline.
Among other programmes, FA-IT received 9,951 applications, of which 63% were submitted by female students. Male applicants showed greater representation in DIT and D.Com, while programmes such as Home Economics, Medical Lab Technology, Dental Hygiene, and Physiotherapy Technology received comparatively fewer applications.
PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf said OCAS had simplified admissions and helped students avoid long queues. He added that the data generated through the system was supporting government decision-making and future education planning.
Students can submit their applications through the official OCAS portal at ocas.punjab.gov.pk. With the integration of PayZen, applicants can also pay admission fees through mobile banking, ATMs, debit and credit cards, TCS, and branchless banking services.