“My child will do engineering.” In India, this phrase echoes through many households, as parents steer their children toward a future in engineering. For years, it has been a common aspiration, with many students encouraged—sometimes even pushed—to choose Science in Class 11, the ulterior motive being making them engineers. After all, India is home to some of the world’s most prestigious engineering institutions, like the IITs. But here’s a surprising twist to ‘the great Indian engineering’ dream: Despite this long-standing trend, engineering colleges across the country are seeing an increasing number of vacant seats.
A recent example can be seen in Maharashtra. According to media reports, nearly one in three engineering seats in the state remains unfilled this year. The Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test (CET) cell reported that out of 1.6 lakh available engineering seats, only 1.12 lakh students have confirmed their admissions, leaving a vacancy rate of 31%.
This isn’t an isolated case. In Ahmedabad, after online admission rounds for degree engineering programmes, the admission committee had to announce an additional round to fill around 1,000 vacant seats this year. Similarly, in Telangana, spot admissions were held for the first time to address unfilled seats in universities. In Tamil Nadu, over 1 lakh engineering seats remained vacant in 2024 even after two rounds of counseling.
On the other hand, the 2023 All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), published by the Ministry of Education, revealed surprising statistics. Enrollment in regular engineering programmes dropped by 10%, from 40.85 lakh in 2016-17 to 36.63 lakh in 2020-21.
| Programme | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 |
| BTech and BE | 40,85,321 | 39,40,080 | 37,70,949 | 36,44,045 | 36,63,685 |
| BA | 80,71,804 | 78,54,572 | 76,04,269 | 77,64,666 | 85,35,174 |
| BSc | 44,33,910 | 45,97,068 | 44,62,217 | 44,55,380 | 47,27,748 |
| BCom | 34,84,301 | 35,48,572 | 35,71,436 | 36,66,311 | 37,91,109 |
| BBA | 3,83,827 | 4,24,785 | 4,76,169 | 5,28,740 | 5,83,952 |
Source: All India Survey on Higher Education (Old report)
Meanwhile, a report by the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) showed that engineering was no longer the most popular degree choice among India students, as physical sciences had overtaken it. The data highlighted a significant decline in the number of students opting for engineering through the GRE, dropping from 34% a decade ago to just 17% in 2021-22.
The AISHE report identified quite a few driving factors behind this downturn. One major reason is that students are increasingly being introduced to new courses that offer alternative career opportunities. The report specifically noted that Bachelor of Engineering (BE) and Bachelor of Technology (BTech) programmes were the only major undergraduate courses to experience such a decline.
Further, in the past five years, BTech and BE courses have seen a steady decline as job opportunities in core streams have diminished. Neeti Sharma, Co-founder and President of TeamLease Edtech, in an interaction with PTI pointed out that fresher hiring by IT companies has dropped from 26% of overall passouts in FY22 to 15% and 10% in FY23 and FY24, respectively.
Major factors driving the decline in engineering enrollment
Here are some major factors that are driving the decline in engineering enrollment in India:
Increasing Competition: Each year, lakhs of students prepare for the highly competitive Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), a gateway to prestigious institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), and Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs). Additionally, various states and institutes conduct their own entrance exams, such as BITSAT, SRMJEE, VITEEE, MET, KCET, MHCET, and WBJEE. The intense competition and the limited number of seats in top engineering colleges contribute to the declining interest in engineering courses
High Costs: Engineering education in India is expensive. The average fee for a BTech course ranges from INR 3 lakhs to 19 lakhs per year in private colleges, while government colleges charge between INR 4 lakhs and 10 lakhs. Prospective students need to visit the official websites of engineering colleges to find specific fee details.
Emerging Alternatives: In the recent years, there have been a sudden rise in demand for Data Science and Analytics and Information Technology amongst the students which can also be seen as a factor for decline:
- Data Science and Analytics: The rise of big data has led to lucrative career opportunities in data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Companies are increasingly seeking data analysts and scientists.
- Information Technology (IT): Careers in IT, especially in software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing, offer high salaries and are attracting more students.
Employment Challenges: A recent media report based on Right to Information (RTI) applications from IIT Kanpur revealed that around 8,000 IIT graduates across 23 campuses were unplaced in 2024. The World Economic Forum has highlighted that only one in five engineers and one in ten graduates who join the workforce are deemed employable. This trend is attributed to rapidly changing job requirements and technological advancements. The 2020-21 AISHE report also noted a decline in engineering enrollments, reflecting the evolving landscape of job market demands.
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