Karachi University Open Merit BS Admission 2027: Apply 12 to 21 October, No Test

The University of Karachi opens online forms for its open merit BS 1st year and BS 3rd year morning programmes on 12 October 2026, and closes them on 21 October 2026. The processing fee is Rs 5,000. There is no entry test for these departments. The admission list is due on 30 October 2026, and fees are collected from 9 to 19 November 2026. Apply only at uokadmission.edu.pk.

We read the University of Karachi (KU) admissions schedule dated 17 September 2026, its open merit notice and the Admissions Prospectus 2027 on 10 October 2026. The open merit route matters for students in Karachi who scored well in intermediate but did not sit the test on 11 October. More than 50 departments at each level take students this way, from Mathematics and Psychology to the School of Law.

KU open merit forms run from 12 to 21 October 2026

KU announces the open merit departments on 11 October and takes online forms from 12 to 21 October 2026. The admission list comes out on 30 October, and fees are collected from 9 to 19 November 2026.

The reserved seats include children of advocates, KU employees, armed forces, Gilgit-Baltistan, sports, northern areas, special persons, Sindh outside Karachi, Balochistan and minorities. Those get a separate press release on 20 October, so do not mix them up with the open merit form.

Who can apply: 45 per cent and the last five years

You need at least 45 per cent marks, or second division, in the pre-requisite exam: intermediate for BS 1st year, and a two-year graduation for BS 3rd year. The exam must have been passed in the last five years. Grace marks are not counted.

KU's prospectus sets a few more rules worth knowing:

• A candidate with a third division, or under 45 per cent, is not eligible for any KU programme.
• Students who passed more than five years ago compete for a separate 3 per cent of seats in each department.
• Hafiz-e-Quran candidates get 20 extra marks for BS programmes, with a certificate from a recognised institute.
• Someone who already holds a bachelor's degree cannot join a BS programme, and a master's or BS 3rd year degree holder cannot join BS 3rd year.
• Students with private sector or foreign qualifications need an equivalence certificate, from IBCC for intermediate or A Level, before the list is announced.

Each department also has its own subject rules, listed in the prospectus appendices. If you are applying with A Levels, the IBCC equivalence certificate can take days, so start it before 21 October.

Categories K, S and P decide who gets seats first

KU fills open merit seats in three groups. Category K, for students who studied in Karachi, gets first preference. Category S, for the rest of Sindh, comes next. Category P, for students from outside Sindh, is considered only if seats remain.

You can ask to move from S or P to K in a few cases. Examples are a parent with a Karachi domicile when you studied abroad, a parent in government service transferred to Karachi in the last three years, or marriage to a permanent Karachi resident. Attach a plain-paper application and the proof to your form. Test-based departments do not use categories at all.

Departments that admit on open merit

KU's notice lists more than 50 BS 1st year departments and more than 50 BS 3rd year departments on open merit. Computer Science (BSCS) appears only at BS 3rd year level here. BS 1st year computing is test based.

Some of the BS 1st year options are Actuarial Science and Risk Management, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Criminology, Digital Media Marketing, Economics and Finance, English, Genetics, Geology, Mathematics, Microbiology, Petroleum Technology, Physics, Psychology, Public Health, the School of Law, Statistics and Zoology. BS 3rd year adds Commerce, Karachi University Business School, Mass Communication, International Relations, Public Administration and Teacher Education, among others.

KU prints last year's closing percentages in the prospectus appendices as a guide. They move each year, so treat them as a rough line, not a promise.

How to apply on uokadmission.edu.pk

Create a portal account, fill the open merit form with up to five departments in order of preference, upload scans, pay the Rs 5,000 fee and submit by 21 October. You cannot change departments once the form is submitted.

1. Go to uokadmission.edu.pk and create an account using KU's portal creation guideline.
2. Choose the open merit form, not the entry test form, for the year you need: BS 1st year or BS 3rd year.
3. Pick up to five departments in order of preference. Check each one's eligibility in the prospectus first.
4. Upload scanned copies of your documents, and your change-of-category request if you have one.
5. Pay the Rs 5,000 processing fee through the method shown on the portal, then submit the form by 21 October 2026.
6. Check the admission list on the KU website on 30 October 2026, and pay the admission fee between 9 and 19 November.

Your matric marks are part of the scans. If you need a fresh copy, use only the real Karachi board website, because lookalike sites copy its name and look.

Submit only one open merit form. KU cancels every form of a candidate who sends more than one in the same category. You may send one open merit form and one entry test form, since those are separate categories. If a form is put under objection for a missing document, you must fix it at least three days before the list. After the list, no claims are heard.

If fees are a worry, ask the department about the HEC need-based scholarship once you are admitted, since it runs through the university.

Related: Karachi University BS entry test on 11 October: groups and pass marks.

Common questions

When does Karachi University open merit admission 2027 open?

KU announces the open merit departments on 11 October 2026. Online forms run from 12 to 21 October 2026.

What is the KU open merit admission fee?

The processing fee is Rs 5,000 for the open merit morning programmes, according to KU's admissions schedule dated 17 September 2026.

Is there an entry test for open merit departments?

No. Open merit seats are given on your pre-requisite exam marks. The entry test on 11 October 2026 is only for the test-based departments.

What percentage do I need for Karachi University?

At least 45 per cent in the pre-requisite exam. A third division or less than 45 per cent is not eligible, and each department can set a higher bar.

When will the KU open merit list come out?

The admission list is due on 30 October 2026, and admission fees are collected from 9 to 19 November 2026.

Can students from Punjab or KP apply?

Yes, under Category P, but they are considered only after Karachi (K) and rest-of-Sindh (S) candidates, if seats remain.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 10 October 2026. We read the admissions page of the University of Karachi, its Admissions Schedule 2027 dated 17 September 2026, the open merit departments notice, and the Admissions Prospectus 2027. We did not create a portal account or pay. For help, KU's Directorate of Admissions lists admissions@uok.edu.pk and (021) 9926 1300-07, extension 2479.