
Undergraduate admissions in Telangana increased by 8,531 in 2026, with 2,13,671 students enrolling in 937 degree colleges, according to data from the Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE). This compares with 2,05,140 enrolments in 2025.

Officials attributed the rise to new courses and the inclusion of five-year integrated programmes in the Degree Online Services Telangana (DOST) system. Admissions to integrated programmes in MA Applied Economics, MBA, MSc Pharmaceutical Chemistry, MSc Biotechnology and MSc Chemistry were conducted through DOST this year, with 81.62 per cent of 370 seats filled.
Government degree colleges and university colleges saw enrolment increase by over 10,000 and nearly 900 respectively, while private unaided colleges saw a decline of 7,288 and private aided colleges fell by 645. TGCHE Chairman Prof V Balakista Reddy said multiple counselling rounds, spot admissions, and new programmes such as BSc Digital Forensics and Cyber Security contributed to the increase.
The 4.16 per cent rise in enrolments masks a sharp divergence: government and university colleges gained while private aided and unaided colleges collectively lost nearly 8,000 students. That shift may reflect growing preference for lower-cost or perceived higher-quality public institutions, or the effect of DOST centralisation. New programmes such as BSc Digital Forensics and BA Cyber Security appear to have drawn students, though their individual enrolment numbers are not disclosed. TGCHE's next step will be to sustain the momentum while ensuring the promised job-ready skills are delivered, a commitment that will be tested when these first cohorts graduate.
Source: telanganatoday.com
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