Total universities & deemed universities

Total universities grew from 304 (2004-05) to 1,168 (2022-23), including central, state, deemed, and private universities. The pace of addition accelerated post-2010 with liberalised private university establishment norms. NAAC accreditation coverage remains low — only ~35% of Higher Education Institutions are NAAC-accredited. Quantity growth has outpaced quality assurance; NIRF rankings show concentration of high-quality institutions in a few states.