Telangana’s higher education growth: A deep dive into GER, enrolments at various levels, and faculty trends

Telangana has emerged as a significant player in India’s education sector, showcasing notable progress in higher education over the past five years. According to the ASHE 2024 report by the CII Higher Education Committee and Deloitte, drawing from AISHE and Census 2011 data, the state’s literacy rate stands at 66.46%, though gender disparities persist, with male literacy at 74.95% compared to female literacy at 57.92%. Positive trends are evident in the rising Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), an increase in PhD enrolments, and a favorable Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR), which reflects the state’s commitment to quality education. While gender representation in faculty is male-dominated, non-teaching roles see a slight female majority. Telangana’s institutional framework is also expanding, with steady growth in enrolments, particularly in specialized and interdisciplinary programs, signaling a shift towards more diverse and advanced educational opportunities.

Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of last five years (2017 to 2022) in Telangana

The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Telangana has shown consistent improvement over five years (2017-2022), rising from 35.7% in 2017-18 to 40.0% in 2021-22. Female GER consistently surpassed male GER, highlighting growing female participation in education. A notable jump occurred in 2020-21, with GER increasing from 35.6% to 39.1%, possibly due to initiatives promoting higher education access. By 2021-22, female GER reached 41.6%, reflecting a positive trend in gender inclusivity and overall enrolment growth.

Pupil Teacher Ration (PTR) of last five years (2017-2022) in Telangana

The Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) in Telangana has remained consistently low and favorable over the past five years (2017-2022), ranging between 16 and 18. This indicates a strong focus on maintaining quality education by ensuring adequate teacher availability. Notably, the PTR improved to 16 in 2019-20 and 2021-22, emphasizing efforts toward providing better teacher-student interaction and personalized attention.

Enrolment at various levels in Telangana (2017-2022)

The enrolment data in Telangana from 2017 to 2022 reveals significant trends across various educational levels. Undergraduate (UG) enrolments have steadily increased, from 1,068,001 in 2017-18 to 1,186,775 in 2021-22, reflecting a robust demand for foundational higher education. Postgraduate (PG) enrolments remained stable, with a slight dip in 2019-20 but recovering to 162,908 by 2021-22.
PhD enrolments show a notable rise, doubling from 3,430 in 2018-19 to 6,921 in 2021-22, indicating growing interest in research-oriented education. Conversely, MPhil enrolments sharply declined, from 794 in 2017-18 to just 71 in 2021-22, likely due to its phased-out status in favor of direct PhD programs.
Diploma enrolments have seen a consistent drop, falling from 126,719 to 89,505, while PG diploma and integrated course enrolments have steadily increased, signaling a shift toward specialized and interdisciplinary programs. Certificate courses experienced minor fluctuations during this period.

Institutional Landscape and Student-Faculty Ratios in Telangana

Telangana’s institutional landscape (2021-22) includes 31 universities, 2,083 colleges, and 459 standalone institutions, with a total enrolment of 2.49 lakh students in universities, 11.86 lakh in colleges, and 0.83 lakh in standalone institutions. The average enrolment per institution varies significantly, from 8,048 in universities to 181 in standalone institutions. The Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) in Telangana is 16, better than India’s average of 23. Additionally, Telangana has 35.6 teachers per college and 21.8 non-teaching staff, surpassing national averages.
Institutional landscape (2021-2022)

Faculty and staff (2021-2022)

Gender Representation in Faculty and Staff (2021-2022) in Telangana

In Telangana, teaching staff comprises 57.8% males and 42.2% females, indicating a higher male representation. Conversely, non-teaching roles are predominantly female, with 52.0% women and 48.0% men. This highlights gender variation across roles, with teaching positions being male-dominated and non-teaching roles showing a slight female majority.