Parents in Telangana spend some of the highest annual expenditure on their children’s education with an average of ₹13,767 on pre-primary, ₹20,703 on primary and ₹30,326 on upper secondary departments. Expenditures vary widely between ₹5,896 in rural areas and ₹21,897 in urban areas for pre-school children.
This data is part of the “Comprehensive Modular Survey: Education, 2025”, conducted between April and June 2025 by the Household Survey Division (HSD) of the National Statistics Office as part of the 80th round of the National Sample Survey (NSS).
The survey collected expenditure information from 775 households in rural areas and 899 households in urban areas of Telangana. Nationally, 28,401 households in rural areas and 23,684 households in urban areas were interviewed for the findings.
In rural India, the average expenditure per student on school education during the current academic year was estimated at ₹ 2,639 in government schools and ₹ 19,554 in non-government schools. In urban India, the same was estimated at ₹4,128 for government schools and ₹31,782 for non-government schools.
State vs. private schools
The gap between public and private education is significant. Parents with children in government schools earn ₹2,286 per year in rural areas and ₹3,963 in urban areas in Telangana. In unaided private schools, it goes up to ₹35,104 in rural areas and ₹41,475 in urban areas.
This pattern mirrors the national trend, but with higher absolute spending in Telangana.
Nationally, parents spend an average of ₹9,807 on pre-school education, with ₹6,059 in rural areas and ₹18,943 in urban areas. Pre-primary education is the most expensive in Punjab at ₹22,471 in rural areas and ₹23,372 in urban areas.
Kerala again excelled with ₹7,038 in government schools and ₹33,798 in private schools, reflecting the state’s high public investment and lower reliance on expensive unaided institutions. In Andhra Pradesh, the corresponding figures were ₹1,988 in government schools and ₹32,612 in private schools.
Kerala’s model, where even government schools maintain higher standards and attract middle-class enrollments, contrasts sharply with Telangana’s reliance on private institutions. The Andhra Pradesh figures suggest a similar pattern of high private spending and modest public spending.
Compared to the 2024-25 Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) enrollment data, Telangana is an exceptional example where most students are in expensive private education. Almost 63% of students in Telangana study in private institutions and 36.2% in government institutions between pre-primary and intermediate. Nationally, only 38.8% of students are in private schools and more than 59% are in state institutions.
The trend of more students in government institutions is high for both Bihar, which has over 81% in government schools, and Kerala, which has 70% in government schools.
In Telangana’s case, the numbers suggest progress as well as pressure: the state’s family investment in education outpaces much of the country, but they also underscore the need for more spending on public education to reduce the financial burden on parents.
The price of education for parents
Bihar has 81% of school children educated in government schools, Kerala 70%. Telangana has 36.2% students in government schools.
Parents in Telangana spend ₹2,609 per child in a government school and ₹38,479 in private schools.
Parents in Kerala spend ₹7,038 per child in a government school and ₹33,798 in a private school.
Almost 63% of students in Telangana study in private institutions and 36.2% in government institutions between pre-primary and intermediate.
Published – 8 Nov 2025 21:41 IST
