India's private universities grew 149% in a decade; government only 45%

In the past decade, India added more than 550 universities, with privately managed institutions driving the expansion. Data from the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), analysed by Indianexpress.com, shows that the number of private universities rose from 219 in 2013-14 to 546 in 2023-24—a jump of nearly 149 per cent. Over the same period, government universities grew from 504 to 733, an increase of just over 45 per cent.

Private universities expanded at more than three times the rate of their government counterparts. The state-wise breakdown reveals significant shifts. Gujarat added the most private universities, going from 16 to 67—an addition of 51 institutions. Madhya Pradesh added 41, Rajasthan 18, Uttar Pradesh 18, and Maharashtra 42 (from zero in 2013-14).

Government universities followed a more stable pattern. Uttar Pradesh remained at the top, increasing from 35 to 58. Karnataka held second place, growing from 32 to 51. West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh entered the top five in 2023-24, replacing Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

Despite the rapid growth in private institutions, government universities still enrol the majority of students. In 2013-14, government universities accounted for 51.9 lakh students (81.3 per cent of total university enrolment), while private universities enrolled 11.9 lakh (18.6 per cent). By 2023-24, government enrolment rose to 73.9 lakh (68.1 per cent), a growth of 42.5 per cent. Private university enrolment nearly tripled to 34.6 lakh (31.9 per cent), a growth of 191.8 per cent.

Although government institutions remain dominant, their share of enrolment has declined from nearly four-fifths to just over two-thirds. Private universities increased their share from about one in five students to nearly one in three. The gap is narrowing.

The data also highlights rising participation in higher education. India's Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for the 18-23 age group increased from 23.0 in 2013-14 to 30.0 in 2023-24. Female GER stood at 31.2, higher than male GER of 28.9 for the seventh consecutive year.