Over 2.6 lakh seats vacant in various degree programmes in Telangana
Only 42.91% of 4,57,704 seats in various degree courses filled during academic year 2024-25
Hyderabad: Conventional degree seems to be losing its lustre. This academic year, after multiple rounds of admission processes, a staggering 2,61,262 seats have no takers!
Multiple rounds of web counselling via the Degree Online Services Telangana (DOST) 2024 have been held for 4,57,704 seats available in various programmes including BA, BBA, BBM, BCA, and BCom, offered by 1,055 degree colleges. Ironically, only 1,96,442 seats were filled – a mere 42.91 per cent occupancy rate. In fact, degree admissions fell by 8,232 in comparison with the last academic year.
As per the statistics available with the Telangana Council of Higher Education, the majority of these vacant seats i.e., 2,12,405, were in private degree colleges, highlighting a significant crisis within this sector. Out of 3,44,793 seats in 816 private degree colleges, only 38.39 per cent have been filled.
Residential degree colleges under different welfare societies, which usually are in good demand, too did not fare better than the private colleges. Only 36.87 per cent out of 23,574 seats in 79 residential degree colleges were filled. The 160 university and government degree colleges recorded 61.96 per cent admissions out of 89,337 seat intake.
The alarming vacancy rate, officials attribute to a glut in the available seats in the regular degree programmes. This year, while 3,90,827 students cleared the intermediate public examinations, including the supplementary exams, there are 4,57,704 degree seats, indicating a significant mismatch between demand and supply.
Moreover, not all students who complete the intermediate opt for the degree programmes. Students first preference has generally been either the undergraduate engineering, MBBS or BPharmacy programmes. As a result, degree colleges are being left with a large number of unfilled seats, threatening their financial stability and quality of academics as well.
| Management | Total colleges | Intake | Admitted |
| Government | 160 | 89,337 | 55,361 |
| Private | 816 | 3,44,793 | 1,32,388 |
| Residential Degree Colleges | 79 | 23,574 | 8,693 |
| Total | 1,055 | 4,57,704 | 1,96,442 |
More women take admissions
More women than men are enrolling for undergraduate education in the State. Statistics show 1,05,329 women took admissions as against men enrollment of 91,113 this academic year 2024-25.
BCom continues to be top pick for students with 77,469 enrollment followed by BSc Life Science and Physical Science which recorded 36,733 and 32,181 admissions respectively while BA stream saw 28,362 enrollment.
