VISHAKHAPATNAM: An All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) has ranked Andhra Pradesh as third in the country in terms of college density.
The AISHE survey of leading states and union territories has put Karnataka in the lead with 66 colleges per lakh population, followed by Telangana with 52, and Andhra Pradesh with 49 per lakh population.
Overall, Andhra Pradesh has 2,602 colleges offering a diverse range of courses in various academic disciplines. A substantial proportion of these institutions, totalling 2,266, are privately managed, while 316 are government-run institutions.
Enrolment figures reflect the popularity of private institutions with 17,34,069 students against 1,95,090 in government colleges. Gender-wise, 10,28,739 students are males and 9,00,420 females.
AP has 21 general universities, two agriculture universities, and various specialised institutions of arts, language, including Sanskrit; law, management, medical, science, technical, and veterinary sciences. 2,582 of the colleges cover disciplines, such as general studies, agriculture, architecture, arts, commerce, computer applications, engineering, and technology, among others.
The overwhelming number of students are in undergraduate courses, with 15,69,050 enrolments, followed by postgraduate (1,84,942 students), diploma (1,56,963 students), and doctoral studies (5,583 students). Additionally, there are programmes like PG Diploma, Integrated, Certificate, and M. Phil.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, AP Higher Education Board chairman Hemachandra Reddy stressed the need for a public discourse on the college density, expressing contentment with the higher education system in Andhra Pradesh. He highlighted the government's commitment to delivering high-quality education, with focus on both quantity and equality. Despite a slight drop in the gross enrolment ratio, Reddy noted an improvement in Gender Parity Index from 0.83 in 2018–2019 to 0.93 in 2020–2021.
Recognising the gender gap, Hemachandra Reddy outlined measures, such as fee reimbursement and scholarships for increasing enrolment of females. He underlined government’s efforts towards establishing degree colleges in underserved areas and incentives for underprivileged students in Andhra Pradesh.
The higher education board chairman said Andhra Pradesh's recognition as an educational hub is solidified by its appeal to international students. There are 3,115 foreign students contributing to the state's cultural diversity and global academic appeal
