The figure marked an improvement from 47.2 per cent a year earlier but showed that nearly one in two children still leave the school system before completing higher secondary education.
The report also showed that student attrition increases steadily as children progress through school. The dropout rate rises from 1.8 per cent at the preparatory stage to 3.6 per cent at the middle stage and 7 per cent at the secondary stage. The secondary-stage dropout rate declined from 9.5 per cent in 2024-25 to 7 per cent in 2025-26.
The cumulative retention rate also declines across successive stages of schooling. While 98.5 per cent of students entering the foundational stage remain enrolled through that stage, the rate falls to 91.1 per cent at the preparatory stage, 83.7 per cent at the middle stage, and 51.9 per cent by the secondary stage, reflecting the cumulative loss of students over the course of schooling.
The report credited part of the higher dropout risk to an imbalance in the availability of schools across stages of education. While the expansion of primary schools has accelerated, the growth in secondary and higher secondary schools has not kept pace, potentially increasing the risk of students dropping out in higher classes.
“Though a large number of primary schools have been established after Right to Education, the commensurate establishment of schools at the secondary and higher secondary levels has not been evidenced. This imbalance in the availability of schools at all levels may pose the risk of large-scale dropout of students in the higher classes,” the report said.
It also pointed to wide variations across states. For instance, West Bengal has 78.9 per cent of its schools at the primary level but only 3.4 per cent at the secondary level, while Chandigarh has 50.5 per cent of its schools at the higher secondary level and just 5.3 per cent at the primary level.
The ministry has released two versions of the UDISE+ report this year. Alongside the conventional report based on the earlier reporting framework, it has published a separate version aligned with the National Education Policy’s (NEP’s) 5+3+3+4 pedagogical frameworks of Foundational (5 years), Preparatory (3 years), Middle (3 years), and Secondary (4 years) stages. The NEP-aligned report reorganises key indicators such as the gross enrolment ratio, pupil-teacher ratio (PTR), dropout rate, and retention rate, according to the new framework.
Teacher availability also improved, with the national PTR declining to 22 in 2025-26 from 24 a year earlier. The report estimated the number of teachers at 10.3 million in 2025-26.
The report also highlighted improvements in school infrastructure, with the share of schools with computer facilities increasing to 69.9 per cent from 64.7 per cent a year earlier, while internet connectivity rose to 67.4 per cent from 63.5 per cent. Electricity coverage improved to 95 per cent from 93.7 per cent, while drinking water availability increased to 99.5 per cent from 98.9 per cent.
However, the report also pointed to persistent infrastructure gaps. Nearly one-third of schools still do not have internet access. Only 40.1 per cent have child-friendly toilets for children with special needs, 58.2 per cent have ramps with handrails, 29.9 per cent have functional rainwater harvesting systems, and 11.5 per cent have solar panels.
The report also highlighted disparities in the distribution of schools across states. It said Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya have a higher share of schools than their share of student enrolment, implying underutilisation of available infrastructure. In contrast, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Telangana, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Kerala have a significantly lower share of schools relative to enrolment, indicating a higher concentration of students per school.
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