India’s higher education system has seen a steady rise in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) enrolment over the past decade, with the figure climbing from 91.5 lakh in 2014-15 to around 1.02 crore in 2023-24, according to the Union Ministry of Education’s latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report.
The report also showed a gradual improvement in women’s participation in STEM. The share of female students in STEM enrolment rose from 38.4 per cent in 2014-15 to 44 per cent in 2023-24, indicating a wider gender balance in these courses, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) reported.
The AISHE report, released on July 8, 2026, said that a total of 1,289 universities, 48,246 colleges and 15,221 standalone institutions were registered in AISHE 2023-24. Out of them, 1,278 universities, 46,468 colleges and 11,787 standalone Institutions have responded in the survey.
According to the report, out of the total enrolment in 2023-24, the number of student enrolment in STEM is 1.01 crores (22.5%) based on actual response. In the Science stream, females have out-numbered males, as per the data.
STEM includes Science stream (including Mathematics) and Engineering & Technology stream, the report highlighted. The enrolment in STEM (at UG, PG, MPhil, Integrated and PhD levels) is 1,01,88,988 out of which 57,06,160 are males and 44,82,828 are females, as per the official data.
According to the report, for Engineering and Technology, the overall enrolment in all UG, PG, Integrated, MPhil and PhD levels, is 46,33,868. Of these, the highest enrolment is in Computer Engineering followed by Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical engineering, and Information Technology.
A total of 55,55,120 students are enrolled in Science at UG, PG, Integrated, MPhil, PhD levels with 54.6 per cent female, the report stated. At UG level, the enrolment is 45,68,399 with 53.4 per cent female. There are 8,62,931 students enrolled at PG level, of which 61.4 per cent are females. At PhD level, enrolment in Science is 80,284 students with 53.4% females.
The AISHE collects detailed information from Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the country through a web-based Data Capture Format (DCF), the PIB reported. Institutions upload data on student enrolment, faculty and staff, infrastructure, examination results etc. on the AISHE portal, it added.
