Overview
The All India Survey on Higher Education, known as AISHE, is an annual survey conducted by the Ministry of Education to assess the condition of higher education in India.
It was launched in 2010–11 and covers institutions providing education beyond the school level, including:
- universities;
- colleges;
- standalone institutions such as polytechnics, nursing institutes and teacher-training institutions.
AISHE is the principal source of official statistics on India’s higher education system. Its findings support policy formulation, resource allocation and monitoring of educational development.
Data Collection and Indicators
Higher education institutions submit information through an online Data Capture Format. Data is collected on:
- student enrolment;
- teachers and non-teaching staff;
- courses and programmes;
- examination results;
- scholarships and education loans;
- institutional infrastructure;
- finances and expenditure;
- accreditation and student accommodation.
The survey is used to calculate major indicators such as:
Gross Enrolment Ratio: The percentage of the population aged 18–23 years enrolled in higher education.
Gender Parity Index: The ratio of female participation to male participation in higher education.
Pupil–Teacher Ratio: The number of students relative to the number of teachers.
College Density: The number of colleges available per lakh population in the eligible age group.
Major Findings of AISHE 2023–24
Total enrolment in higher education reached approximately 4.50 crore, compared with 3.42 crore in 2014–15.
The Gross Enrolment Ratio for the 18–23 age group increased to 30%. Female GER reached 31.2%, exceeding the overall national GER.
The Gender Parity Index stood at 1.08, indicating that female participation was higher than male participation relative to their respective populations.
Female enrolment reached approximately 2.24 crore, recording substantial growth over the previous decade.
Participation among historically disadvantaged groups also improved:
- Scheduled Caste enrolment reached approximately 69.72 lakh.
- Scheduled Tribe enrolment reached approximately 28.83 lakh.
- Other Backward Classes enrolment reached approximately 1.80 crore.
Enrolment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics reached approximately 1.02 crore. Women constituted around 44% of total STEM enrolment.
The total number of teachers increased to approximately 17.32 lakh, although women accounted for less than half of the teaching workforce.
Importance and Policy Use
AISHE provides evidence for evaluating access, equity and quality in higher education.
Its data helps the government:
- identify regional and social inequalities;
- assess women’s participation;
- estimate infrastructure and faculty requirements;
- plan new universities and colleges;
- monitor participation of disadvantaged communities;
- evaluate progress towards education-policy targets.
The National Education Policy aims to raise the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education to 50% by 2035. AISHE provides the statistical base for measuring progress towards this target.
The survey is also useful for schemes relating to institutional funding, scholarships, digital education, multidisciplinary learning and the expansion of higher education in underserved regions.
Limitations and Way Forward
AISHE data is largely self-reported by participating institutions. Its reliability therefore depends on accurate and timely submission by universities and colleges.
Major limitations include:
- incomplete participation by some institutions;
- delays in publication;
- variations in data quality;
- weak verification of institution-level information;
- limited measurement of learning outcomes and employability;
- dependence on population projections for calculating GER.
The system can be improved through:
- stronger independent verification;
- integration with university, accreditation and scholarship databases;
- institution-level data audits;
- faster publication of reports;
- improved measurement of research quality, employment and learning outcomes.
Conclusion
AISHE is essential for understanding the size, composition and development of India’s higher education system. While recent data shows improvement in enrolment, gender parity and participation of disadvantaged groups, major challenges remain in expanding access, improving educational quality and reducing regional inequalities.
The latest figures are from the AISHE 2023–24 report released by the Ministry of Education in July 2026.
