India’s Higher Education Sector Expands Significantly, Number of Universities Rises by 69.6% in a Decade
New Delhi: India’s higher education sector has witnessed significant expansion over the past decade. According to data from the Ministry of Education’s All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), the country has recorded steady growth in the number of universities, colleges, student enrolments, teachers and graduates. The developments reflect the progress being made towards building an inclusive, multidisciplinary and quality-oriented education system under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Higher Education Institutions Increase
According to AISHE data, the number of universities in the country increased from 760 in 2014-15 to 1,289 in 2023-24, registering a growth of 69.6 percent in a decade. During the same period, the number of colleges increased from 38,498 to 48,246, while the number of standalone institutions rose from 12,276 to 15,221.
Student Enrolment Reaches 4.50 Crore
Total enrolment in higher education increased from 3.42 crore students in 2014-15 to 4.50 crore in 2023-24, registering a growth of 31.5 percent.
The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education also increased from 23.7 percent in 2014-15 to 29.5 percent in 2022-23 and further to 30 percent in 2023-24. The continued rise supports the NEP 2020 target of increasing the higher education GER to 50 percent by 2035.
Sharp Growth in PhD and Integrated Courses
Between 2014-15 and 2023-24, PhD enrolment increased from 1.17 lakh to 3.43 lakh, registering a growth of 192.89 percent. Enrolment in integrated programmes increased from 1.41 lakh to 5.69 lakh, recording the highest growth of 301.36 percent.
Postgraduate enrolment increased from 38.53 lakh to 57.85 lakh, while undergraduate enrolment rose from 2.71 crore to 3.45 crore. Diploma enrolment increased from 25.08 lakh to 33.15 lakh.
Women’s Participation in Higher Education Rises
Female enrolment in higher education has also witnessed significant growth. The number of female students increased from 1.57 crore in 2014-15 to 2.24 crore in 2023-24, representing a growth of 42.2 percent.
The female GER increased from 22.9 percent in 2014-15 to 31.2 percent in 2023-24. For the seventh consecutive year, the female GER remained higher than the male GER, which stood at 28.9 percent in 2023-24.
Improvement in Gender Parity Index
The Gender Parity Index (GPI) in higher education improved from 0.92 in 2014-15 to 1.08 in 2023-24. For Scheduled Caste students, the GPI increased from 0.91 to 1.11, while for Scheduled Tribe students it rose from 0.81 to 1.08.
A GPI of 1 indicates equal participation of women and men, while a GPI above 1 indicates higher participation of women.
Increased Participation of SC, ST and OBC Students
The share of SC students in total higher education enrolment increased from 13.44 percent in 2014-15 to 15.5 percent in 2023-24. The share of ST students increased from 4.8 percent to 6.4 percent, while the share of OBC students rose from 32.8 percent to 40.1 percent.
The GER for SC students increased from 18.9 percent to 27.8 percent, while the GER for ST students rose from 13.5 percent to 22.8 percent during the same period.
Increase in Enrolment of Students with Disabilities
Enrolment of Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) increased from 64,298 in 2014-15 to 88,816 in 2022-23, registering a growth of 38.1 percent.
In 2023-24, a total of 54,080 PwBD students were enrolled, including 34,080 male and 20,000 female students.
Growth in STEM Enrolment
Enrolment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programmes increased from 91.5 lakh in 2014-15 to 1.02 crore in 2023-24, registering an overall growth of around 11.5 percent.
The increase reflects the growing interest of students in STEM subjects, supported by government initiatives, digital technology, innovation, research and employment opportunities.
Foreign Student Enrolment Increases
The number of foreign students enrolled in Indian higher education institutions increased from 42,293 in 2014-15 to 58,134 in 2023-24, registering a growth of around 37.5 percent.
The rise indicates increasing internationalisation of higher education in India, greater academic collaboration and growing global recognition of Indian institutions.
Teaching Workforce Expands
The number of teachers in higher education institutions increased from 14.73 lakh in 2014-15 to 17.32 lakh in 2023-24. This represents an increase of 2.59 lakh teachers, or around 17.6 percent.
The number of female teachers increased by 36.7 percent between 2014-15 and 2023-24. Women accounted for 44.9 percent of the total teaching workforce in 2023-24, compared with 44.3 percent in 2022-23.
Improvement in Infrastructure
Higher education institutions have also witnessed significant improvements in physical and digital infrastructure.
In 2023-24, sports facilities were available in 94 percent of universities, 95 percent of colleges and 91 percent of standalone institutions.
Library facilities were available in 98 percent of universities, 98 percent of colleges and 98 percent of standalone institutions. Laboratory facilities were available in 89 percent of universities, 85 percent of colleges and 94 percent of standalone institutions.
Many higher education institutions also have health centres, skill development and computer centres, auditoriums and conference halls.
India Moving Towards a Future-Ready Higher Education System
The data from the past decade highlights the significant expansion of India’s higher education sector in terms of institutions, student enrolment, teaching workforce and graduates.
Improvements in the Gross Enrolment Ratio, women’s participation, gender parity and the inclusion of SC, ST, OBC and other disadvantaged groups reflect greater access and equity in higher education.
The growth in STEM and international student enrolment further indicates the strengthening of India’s knowledge ecosystem. These developments highlight the progress towards the goals of NEP 2020, with greater emphasis on quality, inclusion and excellence in higher education.
