HYDERABAD: Telangana has emerged as one of the leading states in access to higher education, recording the second-highest college density among major states, according to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023–24 released by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday. The ministry also released the AISHE 2022–23 report.
The reports highlight Telangana’s higher education ecosystem, with a large network of universities, engineering, pharmacy, management and professional colleges that continue to attract students from across the country. The state has also maintained strong female participation in higher education over successive AISHE surveys.
According to the AISHE 2023–24 report, Telangana has 56 colleges for every one lakh people in the 18–23 age group, second only to Karnataka (69). College density has steadily improved from 53 in 2019–20 to 56 in 2023–24, reflecting the expansion of higher education infrastructure.
During the 2023–24 academic year, Telangana recorded 9,347 Ph.D. scholars, including 5,528 men and 3,819 women. Undergraduate enrolment stood at 1,84,990, comprising 77,703 men and 1,07,287 women, indicating higher participation by women. The state also recorded 56 M.Phil. students.
The AISHE 2022–23 report showed Telangana recording a Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 42.7%, well above the national average of 29.5%. Nationally, higher education enrolment rose to 4.46 crore in 2022-23 from 4.33 crore in 2021-22, while GER increased from 28.4% to 29.5%. Female enrolment reached 2.17 crore, accounting for nearly 48.7% of all students.
The reports, however, indicate that there is scope to further expand postgraduate and research opportunities in line with the state’s growing undergraduate base.