Update on 2024-04-15

Difference Between Diploma and Graduation

A lot has changed since the times when obtaining a four-year degree was considered the only way to start a career. Now, with increasing numbers of people changing jobs and careers soon, will a four-year degree still be worth it? While getting a four-year degree is always a choice, there are also other opportunities to consider like Diploma.

After schooling for so many years and so much effort, everyone wants to become successful in their life. But some students have a different choice after the 12th class they want to do a diploma in a particular field or graduate.

Education is an experience that makes you confident to live in the real world. Education means mental improvement for something that can lead one to a better lifestyle. There are several phases in education, like preschool, elementary school, secondary school, vocational/trade school, and higher education where you have to decide on your career whether to choose a graduation course or a diploma course.

Both diploma and graduation courses are a recognition of completing an education course that is given to a student. However, there is a big difference between a diploma and graduation. Before deciding to go for either a graduation degree or a diploma, it's important to understand the differences between these two.

Although both provide a certificate, the diploma is more specific to its field while the graduation degree course provides education in different areas of the subjects. A `Diploma` is normally awarded by an educational institute and a Graduation degree is awarded by a recognized college/university. Due to the structure of the education system, a student who has a graduation degree is given more importance.

Diploma courses are shorter than a graduation degree. While a graduation degree needs a longer time, effort, and finance than a degree course. Most students in Class XII need to choose between joining a college to study for an undergraduate degree or doing a diploma course that will give them hands-on experience.

College graduates have always had a leg up in getting jobs, and that's still true today. However, what those jobs are like and how you can get them aren't what they used to be. The skills you need to acquire or hone for success in the working world are changing at an unprecedented rate due to several converging trends. So students should make the right choice for their careers.

Key Difference: Diploma Vs Graduation

Basis	Diploma	Graduation
Duration	1-2 years	3-4 years
Minimum qualification	High school&	High secondary school
Administered by	Universities and education institutes	Colleges and universities
Flexible	Unlikely	Likely
Relative cost	Generally lower	Generally higher

What is Diploma?

A diploma course is designed to provide an in-depth education in a particular field of study, which can be explored by the students during the graduation degree. Diploma courses are of short duration usually 1-2 years.

Under diploma, students get a certificate from a recognized educational institution or university after completing the course. You will be able to practice your skills and obtain hands-on experience and apply them daily in your life. The basic eligibility criteria for pursuing a diploma course students have completed their class 10th.

There are two types of Diploma courses:

Graduate Diploma
Postgraduate diploma

The main benefit of pursuing a diploma course is that it takes less time and money to complete. A diploma course does not only teach students particular skills but also helps them in their professional growth. In this way, a Diploma in itself develops the skills in students automatically. Some examples of Diploma courses are DCA, PGDCA, PDGM, etc.

Diplomas provide a more practical approach to education in that they cover a specific topic and are of shorter duration. Diplomas are the best option for you to get things done in a more specific way more quickly. Diploma courses that do not provide one with eligibility or an accreditation, are only a placeholder in job markets until jobs are offered to graduates. Diplomas are representative of bare minimum requirements to do the specific work.

Diploma courses are the most flexible form of higher education. They prepare students for a career by providing a focused combination of in-depth training in a particular field, practical experience, and internship opportunities. Job placement/hands-on training is an opportunity to gain expertise in today's exploding technical world.

Benefits of Pursuing a Diploma Course

It takes less time to complete a diploma course
Less expensive than a graduation degree
Practical knowledge
Focusing on essential skills which are required in the field
Flexible class schedules
Wide job opportunities

What is Graduation?

Under graduation degree, students get the certificate from any recognized college or university after completing a graduation course in a specific stream at a particular level. Students can pursue graduate degrees after completing their higher secondary examination from a recognized education board. Graduation degree duration is 3-4 years and requires time, effort, and finance.

Students will receive the degree at the time of convocation which is conducted by the university or college. A graduation degree is a high-level education qualification, where students choose a subject area as their major.

There are four types of graduation degree:

Associate degree
Bachelor degree
Master degree
Doctorate

Students who pursue graduation get in-depth knowledge and learn skills in a specific stream that are selected by the students. Besides theoretical knowledge, students get a chance of doing internships for 3-4 months in their field.

The benefit of pursuing a graduation degree is students get the job easily and in a short period. The curriculum of the graduation degree has been designed to cater to the specific specializations chosen by the student. Some examples of Graduation Courses are B. Com, B.E., B. Tech, B.A. M.E., M. Tech, B.Sc, MBA, etc. After completing a bachelor’s degree, students can go for a master’s degree and it will take 2 years to complete.

Benefits of Pursuing Graduation Degree

Better job opportunities
Easily get a job
Chances of earning a high salary
It will improve critical thinking and analytical skills
You'll have more opportunities to create a brighter future for yourself

A graduation degree is a formal mark of recognition for completing a course of study. A graduation degree also opens up opportunities for employment and advancement. A graduation degree is a measurement of your ability to learn in a system designed to learn on purpose.

Difference Between Diploma and Graduation

A diploma is awarded to the one who has completed the course successfully whereas a graduation degree is awarded to the candidate on successful completion of undergraduate or graduate degree studies. So, this way both provide you with a certification but in terms of academics, education, and awarding them both are very different. Here we have tried to explain the significant differences between diploma and graduation.

The following are the major differences between diploma and graduation:

A graduation degree is a kind of academic qualification awarded by a college or university. A degree usually takes three or four years of study to complete and usually requires you to submit intensive coursework, write a thesis or dissertation, and pass an exam or series of exams. The diploma is a certificate that students receive from the educational institution after completing a particular course.
Admission for graduation degree is made yearly and admission for the diploma is made half-yearly. Admission is dependent on the policies of the educational institution.
The duration for graduation is 3-4 years and the duration for a diploma is 1-2 years.
Graduation courses are more expensive than diploma courses.
Diploma course takes less time to complete than a graduation course.
Graduation degrees have flexibility where students can change their study stream within a few months of admission. Diploma courses do not have flexibility.
The minimum qualification for a diploma is class 10th and the minimum qualification for graduation is 10+2.
Normally graduation degree holders get a higher salary than a diploma course certificate.
Types of diplomas are graduate and postgraduate. Types of graduate degrees are associate, bachelor, master, and doctorate.
Graduation degree provides in-depth knowledge in your selected major and a diploma course provides in-depth education in the particular field.

Career Prospects: Diploma Vs Graduation

These days, students have a much wider variety of educational options to choose from. Choosing between a diploma or graduation. However, both have different career opportunities after completing. The career prospects of a student depend on the quality of the institute, the kind of course curriculum it offers, and the student work ethic.

Career prospects after pursuing diploma:

Risk Management Consultant
Program Manager
Administrative Officer
Mechanical Design Engineer
Piping Designer
Electrical Design Engineer
Assistant Engineer
IT Jobs
Actuarial Analyst
Business Adviser
Business Analyst
Business Development Manager
Forensic Accountant
Insurance Underwriter

Career prospects after pursuing graduation:

Human resource
Accountancy
Marketing and advertising
Teaching
Public relations
Sales
Hospitality and travel management
Further studies
Government sector job or private sector job
Civil exams

Which is a better Diploma or Graduation?

There is a lot of demand for diploma courses as they help you get direct admission in job-oriented courses. A diploma course has been designed more to teach specific skills. Hence, it is shorter as you don't spend much time on learning skills that are not on the core syllabus. On the other hand, a graduation course is a full-fledged degree course that is broadly applicable to all jobs in most fields.

The answer depends primarily on how you evaluate the knowledge you gain in the course. In the case of diploma courses, the knowledge gained is mostly academic, while in graduation courses it's being applied to life situations.

For the diploma holder, he/she will get some essential knowledge about a core field that can be a building block in some interesting domains. He/she will be able to integrate it with other academic disciplines.

For someone who wants a broad coverage skill and knowledge about their specific field of interest, then degree courses are the right path. Graduation gives you access to more opportunities and a broader range of options.

However, there's a wider difference between diploma and graduation which can vary depending on the branches. We want to suggest that you evaluate our detailed information and then choose the course that you are most interested in. The key to a successful career is to choose a course that is well-matched with your skills and personality.