HYDERABAD: More than 2.03 lakh undergraduate seats, accounting for 54.6% of the total intake, remain vacant across Telangana even after the completion of the special phase of Degree Online Services Telangana (DOST) counselling for 2026-27. The high vacancy rate has raised concerns over declining demand for conventional degree courses despite the introduction of several industry-oriented and skill-based programmes.
According to the TGCHE, 53,967 students were allotted seats in the special phase, taking the total confirmed admissions to 1,69,400 - just 45.4% of the total intake of 3,73,149 seats across 783 degree colleges. As a result, 2,03,749 seats, or 54.6% of the sanctioned intake, remain vacant.
Private unaided colleges continue to bear the brunt, with 1,65,894 of their 2,49,500 seats unfilled, reflecting a vacancy rate of 66.5%. Government degree colleges reported 22,442 vacant seats (44.2%), while private aided colleges had 4,789 vacancies (43.6%).
Among autonomous institutions, university colleges recorded the highest occupancy, with only 235 seats (6.1%) vacant. Government autonomous colleges reported 6,836 vacancies (15.1%), while private unaided autonomous colleges had 2,784 vacant seats (37.2%). The lone Railway Department college filled all 189 of its seats. BCom attracted the highest number of admissions in the special phase, with 17,335 allotments, followed by BSc Physical Sciences (10,894), BSc Life Sciences (9,592) and BA (9,073).
Sources said that despite the introduction of industry-oriented and skill-based courses such as Airport and Air Traffic Management, Maritime Technology and Medical Microbiology this year, enrolment remained subdued. A similar trend was witnessed in 2025-26, when nearly 2.42 lakh degree seats remained vacant, reflecting declining interest in conventional undergraduate programmes. Sources also attributed the poor enrolment in private unaided colleges to delays in fee reimbursement from the state government.
When asked about the low intake, TGCHE chairman Prof V Balakista Reddy told TNIE that admissions were expected to improve in the coming weeks. “Around 3,000 to 4,000 students are yet to secure admissions, while many are waiting for the completion of engineering counselling before making a decision. Like previous years, engineering, pharmacy and other professional courses have attracted a large number of students, leaving vacancies, particularly in unaided private degree colleges,” he said.
He said a special spot admission round would be conducted after the third phase of engineering counselling. “Last year, around 22,000 students secured admissions through the spot round, and we expect a similar response this year,” he added.
The chairman also said newly introduced programmes such as defence and security studies and forensic science had received an encouraging response, with some courses achieving full admissions.
Of the 53,967 candidates allotted seats in the special phase, 44,179 secured their first preference. Students must complete online self-reporting between July 30 and August 1 and report to their allotted colleges by August 1, failing which their seats will be cancelled, officials said.
