THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A student in Kerala spends Rs 16,518 on an average per year on school education, which is the lowest annual average expenditure incurred by a pupil in south India, a latest survey by the Union Government has shown. The ‘Comprehensive Modular Survey: Education, 2025’ also found that students in Kerala spend an average of Rs 11,836 per year for private tuition, which is the highest in south India, while the all-India average is Rs 8,973.
According to the survey findings, the all-India annual average expense incurred per student on school education stood at Rs 13,051. Among the other south Indian states, Tamil Nadu had the highest annual average expense per student at Rs 22,338 followed by Telangana (Rs 21,652), Andhra Pradesh (Rs 19,344) and Karnataka (Rs 19,107).
The major head in the student average expenditure in Kerala was for payment of course fee (Rs 9,798), which was also the lowest among the south Indian states. A student in Kerala shells out close to Rs 6,000 on an average on transportation and a little over Rs 2,000 for textbooks and stationery, the survey has found.
In terms of annual spending for private tuition, the survey found that the average amount spent by students in other south Indian states were significantly lower than Kerala. While a student in Karnataka shelled out Rs 7,839 on an average per year on private tuition, it was Rs 7,570 in Telangana, Rs 6,765 in Tamil Nadu and Rs 6,435 in Andhra Pradesh. Kerala was the most expensive in this category at Rs 11,836.
“The high spending on private tuition points to a well-established parallel education system, focused mainly on entrance coaching, that is thriving in our state.
The survey findings are a pointer to the larger question whether students dependent solely on the public education system lose out in competitive exams due to their lack of access to such facilities,” opined Prof Amruth G Kumar, School of Education, Central University of Kerala.
An analysis of the source of funding for students in the state found that over 95% of the students had their expenses met by a member of the household, while erstwhile household members funded education of 2.9% students. Only 0.5% of the students surveyed received some form of scholarship from the government while it was 1.4% at the all-India level. The source of funding for another 1.1% students in the state fell in the ‘others’ category.
The survey that also analysed average expenses of students in various types of schools in the state found that private unaided schools are up to five-times expensive than government schools at the secondary and higher secondary levels (Class IX onwards). The survey conducted during April - June 2025, included students who reported a non-zero school-related expenditure as a specific category.