Enrolment in higher education increased by 7.5% in 2020-21 from 2019-20: AISHE report

New Delhi: Enrolment in higher education increased by 7.5% in 2020-21 from 2019-20, with female admissions increasing from 18.8 million to 20.1 million in this period, according to an All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report released on Sunday.

The survey conducted by the Union education ministry covers higher educational institutions across the country, collecting detailed information on various parameters such as student enrollment, teachers’ data, infrastructural and financial information, among others. The first AISHE survey was conducted in 2011.

According to the report, total enrolment in higher education increased to nearly 41.4 million in 2020-21 from 38.5 million in 2019-20. Since 2014-15, there has been an increase of around 7,200,000 in the enrolment (21%).

At the same time, female enrolment increased from 18.8 million in 2019-20 to 20.1 million in 2020-2021.

“There has been an increase of around 4,400,000 (28%) since 2014-15. It means, the percentage of female enrolment to total enrolment has increased from 45% in 2014-15 to around 49% in 2020-21,” the ministry said.

The survey also highlighted an increase in enrolment of Schedule Caste (SC) students to 5,895,000 in comparison to 5,657,000 in 2019-20 and 4,606,000 in 2014-15. The enrolment of students belonging to the Schedule Tribe (ST) increased to 2,410,000 in 2020-21 from 2,160,000 in 2019-20 and 1,641,000 in 2014-15.

“The average annual enrolment of ST students increased to around 100,000 during the period 2014-15 to 2020-21, from around 75,000 during the period 2007-08 to 2014-15,” the ministry said.

The enrolment of students from Other Backwards Communities (OBC) also increased to 14.8 million in 2020-21 from 14.2 million in 2019-20. “There is a notable increase in OBC student enrolment since 2014-15 of around 3,600,000 (32%),” the ministry said.

According to the survey report, at the undergraduate level, enrolment was highest in humanities (33.5%), followed by science (15.5%), commerce (13.9%) and engineering & technology (11.9%). At the postgraduate level, maximum students opted for social science (20.56%) followed by science (14.83%).

More women enrolled themselves for science courses than men, the report said.