Women account for over half of higher education graduates
India’s higher education sector is witnessing a major transformation wherein women have not only narrowed the gender gap when it comes to participation but, in many instances, have surpassed men, although there are still fewer women choosing disciplines such as engineering, IT and management.
According to the Women and Men in India 2025 report based on data from the National Statistics Office and released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) last month, the gross enrolment ratio (GER) for women has risen from 28.5 to 30.2 between 2021 to 2022 and 2022 to 2023, a figure that now exceeds the ratio for men (28.9).
This shift signifies a major transformation within the country’s education system and points to the profound social and policy changes that are proving instrumental in fostering women's progress.
Women now account for more than half (51.48%) of the total graduates in higher education, and in recent years, female enrolment has consistently outpaced that of men.
According to provisional data from the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2022-23, female student enrolment has increased to 2.17 crore (21.7 million), up from nearly 15.7 million in 2014 to 2015.
Across the country, 30 out of the 36 states and Union Territories have achieved a gender parity index (GPI) of 1.00 or higher, signalling widespread progress.
GPI measures the relative access of females to males in tertiary education and is calculated as the ratio of female to male GER. A GPI of more than 1 means more females than males are enrolled.
The Women and Men in India 2025 report says the surge is evident across various levels of higher education. Women have established a particularly strong presence in postgraduate and doctoral studies, with their participation in MPhil programmes being exceptionally high.
In terms of disciplines, women are at the forefront in areas such as the arts, social sciences, medical sciences, and – increasingly – within the broader field of science. However, in sectors such as engineering, technology, IT, management, and law, the number of men still exceeds that of women, highlighting persistent imbalances in certain professional domains.
Improved access
“India has witnessed a significant rise in female participation in higher education over the past decade, reflecting important social and policy-driven changes,” Dr Pankaj Mittal, secretary-general of the Association of Indian Universities, told University World News.
According to Mittal, the trend has been driven by expanded access to higher education institutions, government initiatives supporting girls’ education, growing social awareness, and rising aspirations among women.
The expansion of colleges and universities, coupled with better infrastructure and the availability of hostels, has enabled more women to step beyond their immediate surroundings to pursue higher education.
Several government initiatives and scholarships have significantly alleviated financial barriers. Schemes such as the Pragati Scholarship for technical education and the Indira Gandhi Scholarship for single daughters have encouraged higher levels of participation.
Furthermore, policy measures – such as the creation of additional seats in premier institutions like the IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) and NITs (National Institutes of Technology) – have boosted women’s participation in fields traditionally dominated by men.
The University Grants Commission, the higher education regulator, is implementing the Development of Women’s Studies in Indian Universities and Colleges scheme, which provides funds for setting up Women Studies Centres (WSCs) in universities and colleges, focusing on teaching, research, curriculum development, training and outreach activities.
The Department of Science and Technology offers fellowships to promote research in basic and applied sciences among women. The objective is to identify and honour outstanding women researchers and innovators working across various science and technology programmes within academic institutions and R&D laboratories.
The Department of Biotechnology administers a specialised initiative, The Biotechnology Career Advancement and Reorientation Programme (BioCARe), which aims to promote and support women within the field of science.
“Indian universities today are far more accessible for and supportive of women than they were a decade ago,” said Mittal.
She said universities have strengthened campus safety measures, grievance redressal systems, hostel facilities, counselling support, and digital access for women students.
Leadership gaps
Despite these encouraging trends, certain challenges persist. As well as relatively low participation in specific STEM disciplines, disparities continue to exist for women hailing from rural or marginalised communities.
Factors such as safety concerns, societal pressures, and early marriage still compel many women to discontinue their studies – particularly at the level of higher education.
Mittal said significant gaps also remain in leadership and decision-making positions despite women now outnumbering men in many universities.
“Women vice-chancellors in India still account for only around 11%, even though women often outperform men academically,” she said, adding that stronger policy reforms are needed to break the “glass ceiling” and improve women’s representation in leadership roles.
Gaps also still exist between educational attainment and workforce participation for females in India.
While female labour force participation (FLFP) has shown improvement – rising to around 35% by early 2026, according to data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025 to 2026 conducted by the National Statistics Office of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation – it remains significantly lower than male participation and behind the global average.