Enrolment in higher education increases to 4.33 cr in 2021-22, a leap of 26.5 pc since 2014

According to a survey conducted by the Education Ministry, student enrolment in higher education has reached nearly 4.33 crore in the academic year 2021-22, reflecting a significant increase of 26.5% since 2014-2015. The All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), released on Thursday, revealed that 341 universities and university-level institutions have been established since 2014-15.

The survey also highlighted a rise in the gross enrolment ratio (GER), reaching 28.4 in 2021-22 from 23.7 in 2014-15. The female GER also increased to 28.5 in 2021-22 from 22.9 in 2014-15. The Ministry of Education has been conducting AISHE since 2011, covering all Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in the country.

The total enrolment in higher education has seen an increase to nearly 4.33 crore in 2021-22 from 4.14 crore in the previous academic year. The ministry stated, “There has been an increase of around 91 lakh in the enrolment from 3.42 crore (26.5%) in 2014-15.”

Female enrolment in higher education surged to 2.07 crore in 2021-22 from 1.57 crore in 2014-15. Furthermore, the enrolment of Scheduled Caste (SC) students increased to 66.23 lakh in 2021-22, showing a 44% increase from 46.07 lakh in 2014-15. The enrolment of SC female students also witnessed an increase.

Enrolments of Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Class (OBC) students reached 27.1 lakh and 1.63 crore in 2021-22, respectively. The survey indicated that the total number of Universities/University-level institutions registered is 1,168, while colleges and standalone institutions are 45,473 and 12,002, respectively.

At the undergraduate level, the highest enrolment was observed in Arts (34.2%), followed by Science (14.8%), Commerce (13.3%), and Engineering & Technology (11.8%). In postgraduate studies, the majority of students are enrolled in Social Science (21.1%) followed by Science (14.7%).

Ph.D. enrolment experienced an 81.2% increase, reaching 2.12 lakh in 2021-22 compared to 1.17 lakh in 2014-15. The total number of faculty and teachers in 2021-22 is 15.98 lakh, with 56.6% being male and 43.4% female. The number of female teachers increased by 22% since 2014-15. There has also been a marginal improvement in the ratio of females per 100 male faculty, from 75 in 2020-21 to 77 in 2021-22.