An SBI Research report titled "The State of Higher Education in India since 2014," published on 30 September 2026 (Issue 21, FY27) under Group Chief Economic Adviser Dr. Soumya Kanti Ghosh, finds that India's higher education infrastructure has grown at its fastest pace in a generation. The overall number of institutions rose 47 per cent between FY14 and FY24.
The total count of universities, colleges and standalone institutions reached 64,756 in FY24. Universities alone climbed from 723 to 1,289 over the decade, while colleges increased from 36,634 to 48,246.
Student enrolment crossed 4.5 crore in FY24, a 36 per cent rise over the period. Female enrolment grew considerably faster, increasing 42 per cent from 1.57 crore in FY14 to 2.24 crore in FY24. Women now outnumber men in science at the undergraduate level, and their share among PhD students is nearly equal to that of men. The Gender Parity Index reached 1.08, marking the seventh consecutive year in which female gross enrolment has exceeded male gross enrolment.
Students from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes together accounted for about 62 per cent of total enrolment, pointing to broader access across disadvantaged communities.
At the elite end, IIT placements rose from around 9,500 in FY16 to about 17,500 in FY24, while IIM placements rose from about 7,500 to 13,700. Median salaries across IIMs, IITs and NITs more than doubled in the same period. The IIM median salary crossed Rs 43 lakh in FY24; IIT median salary reached Rs 36 lakh, up 105 per cent from Rs 17.6 lakh in FY16.
However, the report flagged a persistent gap in teaching capacity. About one in three sanctioned teaching positions in centrally funded universities and institutes remain vacant, with vacancies particularly acute at the professor level. The number of teachers grew only 27 per cent over the decade — well below the 36 per cent rise in student enrolment. SBI Research also called for higher public spending on education, stronger industry-academia links and expansion of vocational training.
The report additionally proposed amending Article 21 of the Constitution to support a right to free and fair educational opportunity, and recommended making the National Testing Agency a statutory body.
Sources SBI Research, BW Businessworld
