New Delhi, Jul 9 (INB) Higher education enrolment in India reached a record 4.50 crore in 2023-24, while the gross enrolment ratio (GER) increased to 30, an official report published on Wednesday said.
According to the latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) reports for 2022-23 and 2023-24 released by the Education Ministry, the GER increased from 29.5 in 2022-23 to 30 in 2023-24, compared to 23.7 in 2014-15.
Female GER rose to 31.2 in 2023-24 from 30.2 a year earlier, while the Gender Parity Index (GPI) stood at 1.08 for the seventh consecutive year above 1, indicating higher female participation in higher education than males.
Total enrolment in higher education increased to 4.50 crore in 2023-24 from 4.46 crore in 2022-23 and 3.42 crore in 2014-15, marking a 31.5 per cent rise over the past decade. Female enrolment grew by 42.2 per cent during the same period, reaching 2.24 crore.
The survey also recorded significant gains in enrolment among Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC). SC enrolment increased to 69.72 lakh, ST enrolment to 28.83 lakh, and OBC enrolment to 1.80 crore in 2023-24.
Access to higher education also improved among disadvantaged communities, with SC GER rising to 27.8 and ST GER to 22.8 in 2023-24, compared with 18.9 and 13.5, respectively, in 2014-15.
Enrolment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses crossed 1.02 crore in 2023-24, up from 91.5 lakh in 2014-15. Women accounted for 44 per cent of STEM enrolment, compared to 38.4 per cent a decade ago.
The number of faculty members in higher education institutions rose to 17.32 lakh in 2023-24, including 7.78 lakh women, reflecting a steady increase in female representation in teaching positions.
The ministry said more than 90 per cent of registered higher education institutions participated in both the 2022-23 <www.dohe-education.gov.in/static/uploads/2026/07/ad6112a56601bb49a8816037f139aa5b.pdf> and 2023-24 <www.dohe-education.gov.in/static/uploads/2026/07/8616f33dfee644ab6b87a2bd0658b18d.pdf>surveys. AISHE remains the government’s primary source of official statistics on higher education and supports policy formulation, planning and monitoring of the sector.
