Maharashtra Records 46.53 Lakh Higher Education Enrolments Across 7,893 Institutions: Govt

Maharashtra has more than 46 lakh students enrolled in higher education, making it one of the top seven states in the country in terms of student enrolment, the Ministry of Education informed the Rajya Sabha.

According to the data shared by the Dr Sukanta Majumdar, Ministry of State in the Ministry of Education in a written reply answered on August 12, Maharashtra has approximately 46.53 lakh students pursuing higher education.

The state has also built a large higher education network, with 87 universities, 5,380 colleges and 2,426 standalone institutions. Across India, there are 1,289 universities, 48,246 colleges and 15,221 standalone institutions.

Maharashtra's Higher Education Network

The Ministry said the state's higher education ecosystem has been strengthened through a combination of digital initiatives, quality accreditation, online learning, institutional governance and financial support.

Several national-level initiatives are being implemented in Maharashtra, including the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR), Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM), SAMARTH and PM Vidyalaxmi.

These initiatives are aimed at improving access to higher education while making academic records, learning resources and institutional processes more accessible to students.

144 RUSA Projects Approved In Maharashtra

The government also highlighted financial support provided to Maharashtra under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA).

A total of 144 projects have been approved in the state under various components of the scheme. The projects have a total approved amount of Rs 1,431.31 crore, of which Rs 863.37 crore is the Centre's share.

The funding is aimed at strengthening higher education infrastructure and addressing gaps in educationally underserved areas.

PM-USHA launched as third phase of RUSA

The Centre launched the third phase of RUSA in June 2023 in the form of the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA).

The scheme covers the period from 2023-24 to 2025-26 and has an overall financial outlay of Rs 12,926.10 crore, including committed liabilities from earlier phases of RUSA.

The programme focuses on supporting higher education institutions and improving access in areas that remain educationally underserved.

Published on: Thursday, August 13, 2026, 03:32 PM IST