Prayagraj: Biology continues to dominate the choice of UP Board intermediate students, with nearly three times as many candidates opting for the subject as for mathematics for the 2027 examinations.Registration data show that 11,63,401 students have selected biology, compared with 3,99,965 who have chosen mathematics.The figures are part of the registration data for 24,38,883 students appearing for the intermediate examinations in 2027. Of these, 15,63,366 students are from the science stream, making biology the largest single subject choice among them.Education experts said the preference for biology is linked to the broader range of career options available to students after intermediate.“Besides MBBS, students can pursue courses in Ayurveda, homeopathy, dentistry and veterinary sciences. Paramedical programmes, healthcare, agriculture, animal husbandry and basic sciences also offer career pathways,” said Anglo Bengali Inter College principal Swastik Bose.UP Board secretary Bhagwati Singh said the wider career opportunities in biology and apprehension about mathematics among students could be contributing to the difference in enrolment.The figures also indicate that the preference is not a recent development.Biology enrolment has remained above the 10-lakh mark during the past five years. It stood at 10,84,932 in 2023 before rising to 11,34,114 in 2024 and 12,49,460 in 2025. The figure was 12,16,270 in 2026 and stood at 11,63,401 for 2027.Mathematics, meanwhile, has witnessed a steady decline over the same period. The number of students opting for the subject fell from 4,99,484 in 2023 to 4,50,097 in 2024, 4,25,257 in 2025 and 3,98,567 in 2026, before marginally rising to 3,99,965 in 2027.Among humanities subjects, sociology is the most popular, with 4,22,590 registrations, followed by political science at 3,60,344 and geography at 3,17,036. Home science has 2,17,983 students and economics 2,17,226, while 71,225 have opted for Sanskrit. The commerce stream has 55,243 registered students.