UP sees more female enrolment in higher education: Govt data

In Uttar Pradesh, more girls than boys are pursuing higher education, according to the latest government data. A report from the UP Higher Education Department, submitted to the state government, shows that 4 lakh more female students than males are enrolled in 7,984 colleges across the state.

As per the report, 24,53,758 boys and 28,75,211 girls registered for the 2024-25 academic session, while in 2023-24, the numbers were 26,68,971 boys and 28,07,470 girls pursuing various courses.

Compared to the last session, the enrolment of girl students in traditional courses (BA, BSc, BCom, etc.) in 2024-25 was more than three times that of boys, the data shows.

These figures emerged from the Income-Expenditure Report 2025-26, submitted to the state government by the directorate of higher education, UP.

In the 2024-25 academic session, 53,28,969 students enrolled in colleges across the state, including 28,75,211 girls and 24,53,758 boys. This means there were 4,21,453 more female students than male students.

In the 2023-24 session, 54,76,441 students (26,68,971 boys and 28,07,470 girls) had taken admission in colleges, showing that 1,38,499 more girls had enrolled than boys.

Looking at data from the past four years, the 2022-23 session was the only time when more boys than girls were admitted to colleges.

Records show that in 2022-23, 44,18,809 students enrolled, with 22,35,114 boys and 21,83,695 girls. Before that, in 2021-22, the trend was reversed, with more female students enrolling. Of the 45,40,605 students admitted that year, 23,63,138 were girls and 21,77,467 were boys.

According to experts, this upward trend in female enrolment is expected to rise further with the implementation of the Rani Laxmi Bai Scooty Yojana, aimed at encouraging meritorious girl students to pursue higher education.

The Rani Laxmi Bai Scooty Scheme, announced in the 2025-26 budget, aims to promote education among meritorious girls in Uttar Pradesh. The state government has allocated ₹400 crore for the scheme.

Amit Bhardwaj, director of higher education, UP, confirmed that as per department data, more girls than boys are enrolling in colleges across the state. “This is a welcome sign. We expect these numbers to rise further after the implementation of the Rani Laxmi Bai Scooty Yojana,” he said.