Engineering colleges are shutting down: UP and Maharashtra see biggest closures

India’s engineering education landscape has shrunk again.

The All India Council for Technical Education has confirmed that 58 engineering and technical colleges underwent “progressive closure” during the 2025-26 academic year, with Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra recording the highest number of shutdowns.

According to AICTE, the affected colleges will not admit first-year students, but those already enrolled will be allowed to complete their courses.

WHICH STATES SAW THE MOST CLOSURES?

Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra topped the list with 12 closures each.

They were followed by:

WHAT DOES ‘PROGRESSIVE CLOSURE’ MEAN?

AICTE clarified that progressive closure does not mean an institute shuts overnight.

Instead, colleges stop admitting new first-year students while continuing to teach existing batches until they graduate. This ensures that current students can complete their degrees without disruption.

WHY ARE COLLEGES CLOSING?

AICTE has not released institute-wise reasons for each closure. However, engineering colleges have increasingly faced challenges such as falling admissions, financial viability concerns, changing student preferences and growing competition from emerging fields and institutions.

The closures also reflect the broader shift in India’s technical education sector, where many students are increasingly opting for newer specialisations such as artificial intelligence, data science and interdisciplinary programmes.

Even as some colleges close, others are introducing industry-focused courses and curriculum reforms to remain relevant in a rapidly changing job market.

For aspiring engineers, the message is becoming clearer: the focus is shifting from simply increasing the number of colleges to improving the quality and employability of graduates.

(With PTI inputs)