Tamil Nadu Leads India With 52.3 Percent Higher Education Enrolment Ratio

CHENNAI — Tamil Nadu has retained its top position across the country in the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for higher education, reaching a record 52.3 percent during the 2023-24 academic year. According to the Union government’s latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report, this marks the first time the state has breached the 50 percent enrolment threshold, representing a 3.2 percent increase from the previous year.

The report highlighted that out of 68.4 lakh youth aged between 18 and 23 in the state, 35.8 lakh students enrolled in various degree, diploma, and certificate programmes. Gender-wise data from the survey showed that 53.1 percent of eligible girls enrolled in colleges, while the enrolment rate for boys stood slightly lower at 51.6 percent.

This rise in enrolment coincided with an expansion of educational infrastructure across the state. Tamil Nadu recorded a total of 2,983 colleges during the 2023-24 academic year, which is an increase of 70 institutions compared to the previous year. This expansion helped drive a one-lakh student increase in undergraduate enrolments, bringing the total number of undergraduate students to 25.4 lakh.

Educational experts stated that crossing the 50 percent GER milestone indicates that Tamil Nadu has successfully achieved the universalisation of higher education.

Despite these high enrolment figures, experts warned that quantitative success has not translated to job readiness. They pointed out that a majority of graduates in the state currently lack key employability skills.

To resolve this issue, experts have urged the state government to focus on upgrading the quality of its degree programmes. Specifically, they called on authorities to fill existing vacancies, develop better college infrastructure, and revise the current curriculum to better prepare students for the workforce.