Enrolment of women in Indian universities grew 26% in 2024: Report

India is experiencing an encouraging increase in women's involvement in higher education, with their enrolment rising 26 per cent year-on-year in 2024, a recent study has revealed.

In comparison, men's enrolment in Indian universities experienced 3.6 per cent growth during the same period.

With this, the total student enrolment increased approximately 12 per cent from 2023 to 2024, according to a report by learning and employability solutions firm TeamLease Edtech.

Women's participation in work-linked, work-integrated, and direct admission (DA) programmes more than doubled, showcasing a remarkable growth of over 124 per cent.

Men's enrolment in these programmes also saw a substantial increase of roughly 66 per cent.

TeamLease Edtech Founder and CEO Shantanu Rooj said this trend is laying a solid foundation for an equitable workforce in the future.

"The rise in female applicants in both university and work-integrated programs is a testament to the evolving aspirations of women of today. We need to look into this trend beyond the higher education lens.

"We need to continue our investment in accessible, industry-aligned education pathways to ensure more and more women thrive in workplaces of tomorrow," he said.