Higher Education Statistics in India

Would you be surprised if we were to tell you that India is home to 1,113 universities and 43,796 colleges? Yes, you read that right!

Looking for more such interesting statistics surrounding higher education in India? Well, you are at the right place! Read on this complete higher education and university guide to find out.

Interesting Statistics Around Higher Education in India

• India is home to 1,113 universities, 43,796 colleges and 11,296 Stand Alone Institutions, as registered in AISHE 2020-21.
• The number of universities in India has increased from 1,043 in 2019-20 to 1,113 in 2020-21.
• Out of these, 17 Universities are exclusively for Women (14 State Public Universities, 2 Private Universities and One Deemed Private Aided).
• As of 2020-21, there are 16 Open universities (1 Central University, 14 State Universities and 1 State Private University) and 112 Dual Mode Universities in India.
• The number of colleges in India has increased by 1453 during 2020-21. The number of colleges in India was 42,343 in 2019-20 and rose to 43,796 in 2020-21.
• Of these, 21.4% of colleges in India are government colleges, 13.6% are private (aided) and 65% are private-unaided.
• 10.5% of the colleges (4,375) in India are exclusively for females, while only 0.2% (72 colleges) are exclusively for males.
• The maximum number of colleges (1058) are situated in Bangalore. Jaipur follows with 671 colleges.
• Rural India is home to around 43% of the universities and 61.4% of colleges.

Also Read | Latest School Statistics in India

Growth in the Number of Higher Educational Institutions in India

As the AISHE Report of 2020-21 clearly mentions, the number of higher educational institutes registered for the survey has increased from 864 in 2016-17 to 1113 in 2020-21, i.e. growth of almost 28.8%. 

In addition to this, the number of colleges in India has increased to 43,796 in 2020-21, wherein it was just 40,026 in 2016-17. This growth in the number of educational institutes in India is better projected by the graphs attached below.

Wondering how many universities in India have increased or decreased in numbers throughout the years? This table might help you get your answers!

Source: Latest AISHE Report

Here is a graph that depicts the growth in the number of different universities in India from 2016-17 to 2020-21 more ideally.

Number of Universities in India

As stated above, the total number of universities in India is 1,113 as stated in the All-India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE)  Report of 2020-21. However, it is worth noting that in the AISHE Report, only 1,099 out of the total universities in India have responded. These 1,099 universities can be categorised as below:

Source: AISHE Report 2020-21

These numbers are better illustrated in the chart below.

Here is a table depicting in India how these different universities are sprawled across different states of India.

Source: Latest AISHE Report

Total Central Universities in India

As the dedicated Wikipedia page lists, India has 54 central universities. An Act of Parliament establishes these universities and is under the purview of the Department of Higher Education in the Ministry of Education. Each state in India, except Goa, has at least one central university. Additionally, there are central universities in the union territories of Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Puducherry.

Here is a table listing all the central universities in India.

Out of the 1,099 universities that responded for the AISHE Report of 2020-21, the following conclusion can be drawn when it comes to the percentage distribution of universities in India based on the specialisation that they offer.

The Number of Colleges in India

The number of colleges in India is 43,796. These colleges operate under 314 universities. In the data collected by AISHE for their latest survey, 41,600 colleges, out of the 43,796 had responded.

Here is a table showing the number of universities among various colleges.

Source: AISHE Report 2020-21

For a better idea of the distribution of colleges in India, here is a table highlighting the top 10 districts and the number of colleges in those districts.

Since we have discussed the districts that have the highest number of colleges, it only makes sense that we discuss the numbers in terms of the states as well. Here is a graph showing the top 10 states when it comes to the number of colleges in India.

Management-wise Number of Colleges in India

Here is a table depicting the number of colleges in India, management-wise.

Source: Latest AISHE+ Report

Here is a graphic depiction of the above data.

These colleges are distributed state-wise as follows:

Here we have answered some popular FAQs.

What percentage of colleges in India are government colleges?

21.4% of the colleges in India are government colleges. That is, 8903, out of the responding 41,600 colleges in India are government colleges.

What percentage of colleges in India are private colleges?

78.3% of the colleges in India are private colleges. 13.3% of these are private aided colleges while 65% are private unaided colleges.

Which Indian state has the highest number of government colleges?

Uttar Pradesh has the most number of government colleges in India. The number of government colleges in Uttar Pradesh is 812.

Which Indian state has the lowest number of government colleges?

Chandigarh and Sikkim are tied when it comes to having the least number of government colleges in India. Both of these states have just 15 government colleges.

Which Indian state has the most number of private colleges?

The Indian state with the most number of private colleges is Uttar Pradesh. The number of private colleges in Uttar Pradesh is 6315

Which Indian state has the lowest number of private colleges?

Sikkim has the least number of private colleges in India. There are just 4 private colleges in Sikkim.

Stand-alone Institutions in India

The 11,296 stand-alone institutions in India can be discussed under 7 categories:

• Type I: Diploma Level Technical Institutes
• Type II: Diploma Level Teacher Training Institutes
• Type III: Diploma Level Nursing Institutes
• Type IV: PGDM (Post Graduate Diploma in Management) Institutes 
• Type V: Institutes directly under the control of various Central Ministries
• Type VI: Para Medical Institutes
• Type VII: Hotel Management & Catering Institutes

Here is a tabular depiction of the different types of stand-alone institutions in India.

Source: Latest AISHE+ Report

Please note that the polytechnics in Chhattisgarh and Gujarat, which should otherwise be categorised under Type I, have been affiliated with universities and are thus not counted as stand-alone institutions.

It is also worth noting that 23.8% of these stand-alone institutions function as government institutions, while the greater 76.2% are run by the private sector. Here is a pictorial depiction of this division.

Medical Colleges in India

There are 654 medical colleges in India, as a survey by India Today indicates. 543 out of these 654 medical colleges are recognized by the National Medical Commission and offer undergraduate medical courses.

Here is a table showing the number of government and non-government medical colleges in all the states of India:

Here we have answered some FAQS regarding medical colleges in India.

Which states have the most number of medical colleges in India?

Karnataka (32), Maharashtra (43), Tamil Nadu (40), and Uttar Pradesh (41) have the most medical colleges in India. 

Which states in India have the least medical colleges?

Mizoram (1), Tripura (1), Nagaland (1), Goa (1), and Sikkim (1) have the least number of medical colleges in India.

What is the number of total AIIMS Colleges in India?

As per the official reports, there are 19 AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) colleges in India as of now. Here is a detailed table of the 19 AIIMS in India.

How many medical colleges in India provide undergraduate courses?

653 medical colleges in India are known to provide undergraduate courses. These colleges are recognized by the National Medical Commission.

What is the number of standalone postgraduate medical colleges in India?

There are 64 standalone postgraduate institutes in India. The courses offered by these standalone institutions are recognized by the National Medical Commission.

What is the total number of MBBS seats in India?

The total number of MBBS seats in India is 1,04,333. The number of MBBS seats in India has increased significantly in recent years, witnessing almost a 94% rise.

How has the number of medical colleges in India increased?

The government has reported a 69% increase in the number of medical colleges in India. The number has risen from 387 before 2014 to 654 as of 2023. Here is a detailed look at how the number of medical colleges in India has changed over the years:

• Before 2014: The number of medical colleges in India was 387.
• 2014 to 2023: The number of medical colleges increased to 654, indicating a 69% increase.
• MBBS Seats: The number of MBBS seats also saw a significant rise, from 51,348 to 99,763, representing a 94% increase.
• Postgraduate (PG) Seats: The number of PG seats increased from 31,185 before 2014 to 64,559, showing a 107% increase.
• Government Medical Colleges: Since 2014, there has been a 96% increase in the number of government medical colleges.
• Private Sector: The private sector also witnessed growth, with a 42% increase in the number of private medical colleges.
• Central Aid: As per a report, 93 medical colleges were set up with special central aid in the past eight years.
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS): Under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, 22 new AIIMS were established, and 75 government medical colleges were upgraded.

Engineering Colleges in India

There are around 3,500 recognized engineering colleges in India, as of 2023. Here is a table showing the total number of engineering colleges in each state of India:

Did you know that less than 5% of the engineers are produced by the pan-India national level? This is done by autonomous institutes created by the acts of parliament, such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs). Further, a little over 5% of the engineers are produced by state-level autonomous institutes and unitary universities approved by UGC. The remainder of the over 90% of the engineering graduates are produced by private and non-autonomous state-level engineering education institutes.

Attached below is a table showing the number of IITs and NITs in each Indian state: 

Total Agriculture University in India

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research recognises the presence of 64 functional agriculture universities in India. Here is a list of agricultural universities in India by state:

Infrastructure in Higher Educational Institutions in India

• 92% of colleges, 89% of universities and 91% of standalone institutions in India have at least one well-maintained playground.
• 98% of colleges, 94% of universities and 98% of standalone institutions in India provide access to functional libraries.
• 82% of colleges, 85% of universities and 93% of standalone institutions in India have at least one proper laboratory.

Here is a proper tabular depiction of the availability of different infrastructural facilities in higher educational institutions in India.

All the above information is based on detailed research and the latest government reports. We will keep updating this space as new reports keep coming in!

Check Out: Latest School Teachers Statistics in India

References

• https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/statistics-new/AISHE_Report_2020_21.pdf
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_universities_in_India
• www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/number-of-medical-colleges-in-india-has-gone-up-to-654-from-387-since-2014-govt-2331652-2023-02-07
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_medical_colleges_in_India
• http://www.neetugguidance.in/institutes.php?coldesc_id=42
• https://www.getmyuni.com/articles/total-engineering-colleges-in-india
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering_education_in_India
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_agricultural_universities_in_India