India’s Higher Education Sees 38.4% Female Enrollment Rise Over Last Decade
India’s higher education system has gone through major changes over the past decade. Student enrollment has grown by 30.5%, rising from 3.42 crore in 2014-15 to 4.46 crore in 2022-23. A big part of this progress is the increase in female enrollment, which jumped by 38.4% from 1.57 to 2.18 crore. This shows how much effort the country has put into closing the gender gap in education. Women’s participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields also saw a significant boost, climbing by 23% from 35.14 lakh to 43.03 lakh. This reflects India’s push to encourage more women to enter traditionally male-dominated fields.
Higher education institutions (HEIs) have expanded to meet this growing demand. The total number of HEIs increased by 13.8%, going from 51,534 in 2014-15 to 58,643 in 2022-23. The largest growth was seen by universities, which increased from 760 to 1,213, a 59.6% increase. Also, within the past ten years, the government has founded forty-two new top universities including Central Universities such as IITs, IIMs, IIITs, and IISERs. These steps are part of a broader effort to create world-class educational opportunities.
India’s presence on the global education map has also strengthened. The QS World University Rankings 2025 now include 46 Indian institutions, a 318% rise since 2015. This reflects not just quantity but quality improvements in the country’s education system.
Overall, India is making big strides in making education more accessible and inclusive. The growth in female enrollment and the increase in Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) highlight the country’s progress toward creating a more equal and globally respected higher education system.
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