Over a quarter of Indian students enrolled in private coaching
A new government survey shows that over a quarter of Indian school students—27%—are enrolled in private coaching classes.
The trend is stronger in cities, where nearly a third of students attend extra classes outside school.
The data also highlights big gaps between urban and rural education choices and costs.
Urban-rural divide in school choices
Most rural kids (about two-thirds) go to government schools, while city families prefer private schools—only 30% of urban students stick with government options.
This choice comes with a price tag: families with kids in private schools spend an average of ₹25,002 per year on education, compared to just ₹2,863 for those in government schools.
Private coaching costs
Private coaching isn't just more common in cities—it also gets more expensive as students move up grades.
At the higher secondary level, city families shell out nearly ₹10,000 per student at this stage; in villages it's about half that.
Overall, households cover most education costs themselves, making private coaching a real financial stretch for many families.