Female Students' Enrollment in Higher Education surpasses Male Counterparts in UP: Report

By: WE Staff | Tuesday, 8 April 2025

• 4,21,453 more Female students enrolled in 7,984 colleges compared to Male students
• Female enrollment in Traditional Courses was three times Higher in 2024-25
• 47.08% of Female students have registered for the UP Board High School Examination

The Income-Expenditure Report 2025-26 from Uttar Pradesh's Directorate of Higher Education shows a significant increase in female students pursuing higher education than males. For the 2024-25 academic year, there were 4,21,453 more female students enrolled in 7,984 colleges compared to male students.

The UP Higher Education department reports that there are 24,53,758 male students in the state for 2024-25, while 28,75,211 are female, resulting in 4,21,453 more female students. In addition to this, during the 2023-24 academic year, 54,76,441 college students, including 26,68,971 boys and 28,07,470 girls, enrolled, with 1,38,499 more girls than boys.

Meanwhile, this trend is consistent with previous years, except for 2022-23, when male enrollment briefly surpassed female enrollment. Over the past four years, the number of girls admitted to colleges has shifted, with more female students enrolling in subsequent years.

The data further shows that female enrollment in traditional courses, including BA, BSc, BCom, etc., in 2024-25 was three times higher than male enrollment. This trend is expected to continue with the implementation of the Rani Laxmi Bai Scooty Yojana, aimed at promoting higher education among career-oriented girls in Uttar Pradesh. The scheme announced in the 2025-26 budget allocates Rs 400 crore and aims to boost these numbers.

Director of Higher Education, UP, Amit Bhardwaj, notes, "This is a welcome sign. We expect these numbers to rise further after the implementation of the Rani Laxmi Bai Scooty Yojana."

Additionally, the report also mentions that 47.08 per cent of female students have registered for the high school examination in the UP Board High School Examination, an increase from the last four years.