Private tuitions are picking up in India’s rural areas too, especially among girls

The share of Indian schoolchildren enrolled in private coaching has risen sharply over the past seven years, according to government data. This increase is particularly pronounced in rural areas, which are quickly catching up with urban centres. While enrolment in private tuitions has grown across all levels, the steepest rise is seen at the higher secondary level. Notably, at this level, the sharpest rise was recorded among rural girls.

In this analysis, private tuition refers to academic support outside school, covering both regular studies and preparation for competitive exams.

The below chart shows the share of students taking private coaching in 2018 and 2025 across different levels of schooling. In both years, the lowest share of students in private tuition (around 12%) was recorded at the pre-primary level. The share rose steadily with each successive level of schooling.

In 2018, nearly 16% of primary, 22% of middle, 30% of secondary, and 27.5% of higher secondary students were enrolled in private tuition classes. The corresponding figures in 2025 were about 23%, 30%, 38%, and 37%. As noted earlier, there was a 9.5% point increase in the share of higher secondary school children enrolling in private tuition. This was the highest among all levels.

The below chart shows the share of higher secondary students taking private coaching in 2018 and 2025 across genders and locations. Among rural students, the share has increased from around 23% to about 33% (10 point increase). Among urban students, the share has increased from about 37% to 45% (8 point increase). Though there is a sharper rise among rural students, the share of them taking private tuition in 2025 remains about 4 points lower than that of such urban students in 2018. So, while the urban–rural gap persists, it has narrowed slightly.

Among rural boys, the share rose from about 25% to 34% (9 point increase); for rural girls, it climbed from nearly 20% to 32% (a 12 point increase). In contrast, the rise was more moderate among urban boys (6 points) and urban girls (10 points).

While private coaching is widespread across most States, it is particularly pronounced in the eastern and some of the north-eastern States. If all school levels are taken together, the eastern States stand out as stark outliers: about 75% in West Bengal, 57% in Odisha, 52.5% in Bihar, and nearly 40% in Jharkhand attend private tuition, compared with the national average of 27%. Among the north-eastern States, Tripura led with close to 79% private tuition takers and Manipur with 48%.

The chart below shows the share of students enrolled in private coaching in 2025 across all levels of schooling and state. If all schools levels are taken together, the eastern states and north-eastern states that stand as stark outliers are dark red and light red in colour respectively. Grey colour corresponds to all other states. In the Graphic, WB: West Bengal; OD: Odisha; TR: Tripura; BH: Bihar; MN: Manipur; JH: Jharkhand.

More importantly, the culture of private coaching begins much earlier in the eastern and north-eastern States. At the pre-primary (kindergarten) level, about 34% of students in Odisha, West Bengal, and Tripura attend private coaching, compared to a national average of about 12%.

The continuing surge in private tuition classes, when viewed alongside the findings of the Justice A.K. Rajan Committee on the impact of NEET in Tamil Nadu, points to a worrying trend. The committee found that in 2019-20, 99% of students admitted to MBBS courses in the State had attended coaching classes, and many among them were candidates who had taken the exam at least twice before securing admission. This trend holds true for most high-profile examinations in India. The steady rise in private tuition and the heavy financial burden it places on parents are key concerns.