India’s Higher Education Enrolment Rises to 4.5 Crore as AISHE Report Highlights Growth

India’s higher education system has recorded significant growth over the past decade, with enrolment increasing by more than 1.08 crore students since 2014-15 , according to the latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2022-23 and 2023-24 reports released by the Ministry of Education. The rise reflects expanding access, stronger participation of women and increased representation of students from diverse social backgrounds.

The AISHE report, which provides official statistics on higher education institutions across the country, showed that total enrolment increased from 3.42 crore in 2014-15 to 4.46 crore in 2022-23 and further to 4.50 crore in 2023-24 , registering a 31.5 per cent increase over the period.

A major highlight of the report was the rise in female enrolment , which grew by 42.2 per cent during the decade. Female student numbers increased from 1.57 crore in 2014-15 to 2.24 crore in 2023-24 , indicating greater participation of women in higher education.

The survey also pointed to wider inclusion among disadvantaged communities. Enrolment of SC students rose to 69.72 lakh in 2023-24 from 46.07 lakh in 2014-15, marking a 51.4 per cent growth . ST student enrolment increased from 16.41 lakh to 28.83 lakh, registering a 75.7 per cent rise , while OBC enrolment grew from 1.13 crore to 1.80 crore, an increase of 60.2 per cent .

The growth comes amid policy efforts focused on expanding access and improving the quality of higher education. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to make education more inclusive, multidisciplinary and skill-oriented while targeting a 50 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education by 2035 .

The report also highlighted the growing importance of science and technology education, with STEM enrolment rising from 91.5 lakh in 2014-15 to 1.02 crore in 2023-24 . Faculty strength increased to 17.32 lakh , with women accounting for 44.9 per cent of teaching staff.

The AISHE data is collected from higher education institutions through a web-based system covering student enrolment, faculty, infrastructure and other indicators. While the expansion marks progress, policymakers face the challenge of ensuring that increased access is supported by improvements in quality, research, employability and industry readiness .