ET Education · 11 Aug 2026
India added nearly 1,000 universities in 25 years, but higher education’s quality challenge remains: ET Education Report
India's higher education system has expanded significantly over the past 25 years, with the number of universities increasing from 256 in 2000 to more than 1,200 by 2024. The expansion has also coincided with a rise in the Gross Enrolment Ratio from around 10% to 28.4%. The ET Education report, however, highlights that the sector's next challenge is improving teaching and learning outcomes, industry relevance, future ready skills and institutional performance.
Why it matters
The scale of India's higher-education expansion has substantially improved access, but institutional growth alone does not guarantee stronger outcomes. The report highlights the need for institutions to translate increased capacity into better learning, employability and preparedness for a changing economy.
Employability is a particularly important concern. A survey of more than 300 education leaders found that 69.1% identified curricula that are not aligned with industry needs as the biggest barrier to employability. Only 8.9% said higher education institutions prepare students “very effectively” for workforce requirements.
These findings point to a shift in priorities for Indian higher education: from simply expanding the number of institutions and increasing enrolment to improving quality, relevance and measurable outcomes. Curriculum alignment, stronger teaching practices, future ready skills and closer connections with industry will become increasingly important as the sector works towards 2035.
Source: ET Education (opens in a new tab)
Filed under
Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement8