The Ministry of Education has released the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report for the years 2022-23 and 2023-24. The HEIs exhibited strong participation in the AISHE during both years. The participation of HEIs in 2022-23 was 56,180 out of 60,380 HEIs registered, and 59,533 out of 64,756 registered HEIs in 2023-24. For both the surveys, the participation rate is more than 90%.

AISHE Report: STEM enrolment crosses 1 crore, UP tops higher education enrollment (AFP)

As per the AISHE report, the country is witnessing a steady shift towards science, technology and research-oriented programmes, with enrolment in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) courses crossing the one-crore mark for the first time.

Higher education enrolment hits 45 million, women gain ground in STEM: AISHE report

The report shows that STEM enrolment has reached 1.02 crore in 2023-24, up from 91.5 lakh in 2014-15, reflecting an increase of over 11 lakh students, or around 11.5% over the past decade.

A notable trend highlighted in the report is the growing participation of women in STEM education. Women's share in STEM enrolment has increased from 38.4% in 2014-15 to 44% in 2023-24, indicating a gradual narrowing of the gender gap in traditionally male-dominated disciplines.

Apart from this, research programs have also experienced significant growth in recent years. Enrolment in PhD programmes has increased by 47% over the last decade, signalling a growing interest in research and innovation.

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The top 6 States with the highest student enrolment are Uttar Pradesh (72.7 lakh students), Maharashtra (46.5 lakh students), Tamil Nadu (35.8 lakh students), Madhya Pradesh (27.7 lakh students), Karnataka (27.6 lakh students), and Bihar (27.6 lakh students). These States account for 52.9% of total student enrolment.

While professional and technical education continues to expand, undergraduate programmes remain the backbone of India's higher education system, accounting for 76.8% of total student enrolment, with PG enrolment at 12.9%.

In UG courses, Arts dominates with 32.1% followed by Science with 13.5%, Engineering & Technology with 12.9% and Commerce with 12.0%. Based on actual response, at PG level, maximum students are enrolled in Social Science stream is 18.6% followed by Management 18.2%.

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Overall, total enrolment in higher education reached a record 4.50 crore students in 2023-24, a 31.5% increase from 3.42 crore in 2014-15. Female enrolment touched 2.24 crore, registering a 42.2% increase over the same period.

For the AISHE 2023–24 survey, a total of 64,756 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), including universities, colleges, and standalone institutions, became part of the frame. Of these, 59,553 institutions participated in the survey, resulting in a response rate of approximately 92%.