Hyderabad: Despite completing three rounds of Degree Online Services Telangana (DOST) 2025 counselling, over 60 degree colleges in Telangana have failed to attract even a single student for the 2025–26 academic year, highlighting serious concerns over the demand and relevance of some institutions.
According to data released by the Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE), 64 colleges, including one government-run institution reported zero admissions. These colleges, mostly located in rural areas, account for a combined 20,260 unfilled seats.
Among the universities, Kakatiya University has the highest number of colleges with no admissions (22), followed by Mahatma Gandhi University (14 colleges), Osmania University (13 colleges), and Palamuru University (five colleges). Satavahana University saw one government and one private college record zero admissions.
In total, only 1,43,037 seats were filled across 957 colleges, leaving 2,93,890 seats vacant out of the 4,36,927 total seats available. This includes government, university-affiliated, and private colleges.
Notably, Osmania University colleges filled just 34% of their seats (out of 1,95,397), while Kakatiya University colleges saw only 31% enrolments from their sanctioned intake of 1,07,080 seats. These low admission rates raise questions about the overall health of the undergraduate education system in the state.
Even institutions with niche programmes have struggled. The National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management, which participated in the DOST process for the first time, managed to secure only seven admissions out of 120 seats.
To help students refine their choices, the TGCHE and Commissionerate of Collegiate Education have announced the intra-college phase of DOST admissions. Students who wish to switch to a different programme within the same college can use the web options on July 9 and 10.
