Hyderabad: Autonomous government degree colleges in Telangana have emerged as the top choice for undergraduate students in the 2025–26 academic year, drawing the highest number of admissions across the state. With 25,808 students enrolling in just 29 such institutions, these colleges are filling up faster than their regular government counterparts.
Despite the presence of 124 government degree colleges, only 24,794 students have opted for them. The data reveals a clear trend: students are increasingly favouring institutions with academic autonomy. These autonomous colleges are primarily granted that status based on NAAC accreditation scores, offering them greater flexibility in curriculum and assessments.
Among them, City College stands out, currently hosting over 3,000 students. Begumpet Women’s Degree College also saw a strong intake, with around 1,680 students joining just in the first year.
Of the total autonomous degree colleges in the state, 29 are run by the government. The rest include three aided, four private, and two university-affiliated autonomous institutions. These colleges, too, have seen steady admissions this year.
According to the latest numbers, Telangana has a total of 50,100 seats across its 124 government degree colleges. However, 25,306 of those seats are still vacant. In stark contrast, only 6,652 seats remain unfilled in the 29 government-run autonomous colleges.
On average, each government college has admitted about 199 students, while autonomous government colleges have seen an average intake of 889 students per institution. Private degree colleges, meanwhile, continue to attract higher volumes, with each admitting roughly 1,471 students.
The admission season for 2025–26 is now officially underway, with the DOST notification already issued. From today, students can begin submitting their web options, and going by the trends, autonomous colleges are likely to see another strong year.
