■ In the ongoing DOST 2025 admission cycle, 64 colleges recorded zero admissions after three rounds of counseling.

■ This trend is a continuation of last year’s crisis where there was just 42.91 percent occupancy rate across 1,055 degree colleges in the state.

■ With enrolment declining further compared to last year, over 50 private colleges may be at risk of closure or merger.

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

For the second year in a row, degree colleges across Telangana are grappling with an alarming drop in student admissions, triggering concerns of large-scale closures. In the ongoing DOST 2025 admission cycle, 64 colleges, including one government institution, recorded zero admissions after three rounds of counseling. With enrolment declining further compared to last year, over 50 private colleges may be at risk of closure or merger.

In 2025, out of 4,36,927 seats offered across 957 degree colleges, only 1,43,037 seats have been filled, leaving 2,93,890 vacant. Osmania University saw only 34 percent of its 1,95,397 seats occupied, while Kakatiya University recorded just 31 percent of its 1,07,080 seats.

This trend is a continuation of last year’s crisis. In 2024, multiple rounds of web counselling were held for 4,57,704 seats offered across 1,055 degree colleges in various programmes such as BA, BBA, BBM, BCA, and BCom. However, only 1,96,442 seats were filled, resulting in a mere 42.91 percent occupancy rate. The overall number of admissions dropped by 8,232 compared to the previous academic year. The decline has only worsened in 2025, with total filled seats falling by more than 53,000 compared to 2024, reflecting a clear downward trend in the demand for traditional undergraduate courses.

Of the 64 colleges with zero admissions this year, Kakatiya University leads with 22 institutions, followed by Mahatma Gandhi University with 14, Osmania University with 13, Palamuru University with five, and Satavahana University with two, including one government college.

The National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management, which joined DOST for the first time this year, managed to enroll only seven students out of its 120 available seats. To assist students, DOST also conducted an intra-college phase for course changes within the same college. Web options were open on July 9 and 10, with seat allotment completed on July 11. Despite these measures, the continuing fall in admissions has put many colleges on the brink, making restructuring and closures likely in the near future.