The Ministry of Education has released the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-2022, revealing advancements in enrollment across various demographic categories. According to the survey, female enrollment in higher education has surged to 2.07 crore in 2021-22 from 1.57 crore in 2014-15, reflecting a remarkable 32% increase, which is an additional 50 lakh students.
The Scheduled Caste (SC) student enrollment has also witnessed a commendable rise, reaching 66.23 lakh in 2021-22 compared to 46.07 lakh in 2014-15, marking a 44% increase.
The overall enrollment in higher education has ascended to nearly 4.33 crore in 2021-22 from 4.14 crore in the previous academic year, showcasing a growth of 4.6%. There has been an increase of around 91 lakh in enrollment from 3.42 crore (26.5 per cent) in 2014-15.
“The enrollment of SC Female students has increased to 31.71 lakh in 2021-22 from 29.01 lakh in 2020-21 and 21.02 lakh in 2014-15. There has been an increase of 51 per cent since 2014-15. The enrollment of Scheduled Tribe (ST) students has increased to 27.1 lakh in 2021-22 from 16.41 lakh in 2014-15 (an increase of 65.2 per cent). The enrollment of Other Backward Classes (OBC) students has also increased to 1.63 crore in 2021-22 from 1.13 crore in 2014-15. There is a notable increase in OBC student enrollment since 2014-15 of around 50.8 lakh,” the Ministry said, quoting the survey.
The survey also highlights positive trends in minority student enrollment, which increased to 30.1 lakh in 2021-22 from 21.8 lakh in 2014-15, showing a significant 38% rise. Female minority student enrollment has similarly increased to 15.2 lakh in 2021-22 from 10.7 lakh in 2014-15.
The survey emphasizes that 78.9% of students are enrolled in undergraduate courses, and 12.1% are pursuing postgraduate studies. At the undergraduate level, Arts has the highest enrollment at 34.2%, followed by Science (14.8%), Commerce (13.3%), and Engineering and Technology (11.8%). In postgraduate studies, Social Science dominates with 21.1%, followed by Science at 14.7%.
Notably, the total student enrollment in North East States is 12.02 lakh in 2021-22 as compared to 9.36 lakh in 2014-15. Female enrollment in North East States is 6.07 lakh in 2021-22, higher than the male enrollment of 5.95 lakh.
Government universities, constituting 58.6% of total universities, contribute significantly to total enrollment at 73.7%, while private universities account for 26.3%.
The survey further reports a total of 1,168 universities/university-level institutions, 45,473 colleges, and 12,002 standalone institutions. Since 2014-15, 341 universities/university-level institutions have been established, with 17 being exclusively for women.
Regarding faculty, the total number in 2021-22 is 15.98 lakh, with 56.6% being male and 43.4% female. Female faculty has shown a positive trend, increasing to 6.94 lakh in 2021-22 from 5.69 lakh in 2014-15, a 22% growth. The female-to-male ratio has slightly improved from 75 in 2020-21 to 77 in 2021-22.
The AISHE, initiated in 2011, comprehensively covers all Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in the country, providing detailed insights into student enrollment, faculty, infrastructure, and other relevant parameters.