Tertiary education in India - statistics & facts

India’s higher education system ranks third in terms of public funding next to the United States and China. India has a well-established education system that comprises of several distinguished universities, colleges and institutions offering a plethora of inter-disciplinary academic programs. The higher authority for education at the tertiary level in India is the University Grants Commission which sets the standard and quality for the curriculum, research, and academic excellence. The total government expenditure on the education sector in 2023 saw an increase of almost 12 percent compared to the previous year. Besides this, the establishment of new institutions to promote higher education has been India’s priority since the past few years.

Challenges

While the number of institutions saw a rise of 400 percent since 2001, the majority of this growth has been limited to the private sector. In terms of higher education, institutions funded by the government were considered more prestigious and of a higher quality. One of India’s many challenges has been the quality of education in terms of research and infrastructure, despite budgetary increases. Other challenges allude to equity and access to higher education. Only a small share of the population had access to this while minority groups, including women and scheduled casts, had lower enrollment rates. The capacity to accommodate India’s burgeoning college-aged population has rapidly grown in recent years, yet regulatory problems such as inconsistent policies and lack of transparency on the role of various regulatory bodies across states continue to exist.

Digitalization and higher education

Technology uptake, particularly within the education sector in India, has been faster than ever before. India saw a paradigm shift in education models over the past two decades ranging from Education 1.0 to Education 4.0 driven forward by the COVID-19 pandemic. The former being teacher-centric and the latter being largely digital and entirely interactive. The progress made by higher learning institutions in response to the pandemic along with the acceptance of emerging technologies not only accelerated the edtech sector, but more, contributed to India’s digital economy. While the Indian government is determined to strengthen efforts towards building a digital nation, disparities in wealth and infrastructure pose impediments. The disadvantaged and less privileged sections of society often risk being left out of endeavors relative to digitalization without systematic planning and investment.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Sanyukta Kanwal, Mar 8, 2023

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Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Market size of education industry across India in financial year 2020, with an estimate for 2025 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Educational Institutions & Market

Market size of education industry India FY 2020-2025

Estimated number of students enrolled in higher education across India from financial year 2020 to 2035 (in millions)

Educational Institutions & Market

Estimated number of student enrolments in higher education in India FY 2020-2035

Leading educational institutions across India in 2022, by rank

Educational Institutions & Market

Leading educational institutions in India 2022, by rank

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