Nearly 40% of Delhi students take private coaching, far above national average: survey

Delhi students continue to rely heavily on private coaching, with nearly four out of ten attending tuition classes, significantly higher than the all-India average of one in four, according to the National Sample Survey’s Comprehensive Modular Survey on Education.

The survey ranked Delhi sixth among states in the proportion of students taking coaching, behind Tripura, West Bengal, and Odisha.

The report highlights that Delhi students start attending tuition as early as primary school, with participation rising sharply at secondary and higher secondary levels.

Household spending on coaching in the capital is also far above the national average. The survey found that 39.1% of students in Delhi were taking or had taken private coaching during the current academic year, compared to 27% nationally.

The Comprehensive Modular Survey, part of the 80th round of the National Sample Survey conducted from April to June 2025, collected data from 52,085 households and 57,742 students using computer-assisted personal interviews.

It covered both urban and rural areas to allow state- and national-level comparisons of educational participation and spending.

Girls in Delhi were more likely to attend coaching than boys, with 42.7% of girls and 36.5% of boys reporting tuition attendance.

At the higher secondary level, the share of students attending coaching rose to 59.2%, reaching 61% in urban areas, including 60.3% boys and 61.8% girls.

Rural Delhi recorded a lower 31.4%, with 28.6% boys and 36.3% girls. The national average at this stage was 37.9%.

At the secondary level, 51.6% of Delhi students attended coaching classes, compared to 37.8% nationally. \

Primary students in the capital also had higher participation, with 30.2% attending tuition against the national average of 22.9%.

Girls were again more likely than boys to attend coaching, at 34.8% versus 27.3%.

Middle school students in Delhi had a coaching enrollment rate of 41.8%, significantly higher than the national average of 29.6%.

In urban Delhi, boys slightly outnumbered girls in attendance, 43.2% to 39.3%, while at the national level boys had only a marginal lead over girls.

Even at the pre-primary level, 7% of Delhi children were in coaching, compared to 11.6% nationally, with notable differences among rural and urban children.

The survey also highlighted the high expenditure on coaching in Delhi. Across all levels, the average annual household spending per student was ₹5,643, more than double the national average of ₹2,409.

At the higher secondary level, Delhi households spent ₹12,891 per student compared to ₹6,384 nationally, while secondary school spending was ₹10,866 versus ₹4,183 across India.

Middle school spending averaged ₹4,992 in Delhi compared to ₹2,189 nationally, and primary students spent ₹2,195 versus ₹1,313 nationally. At the pre-primary level, Delhi spent ₹295 per student, lower than the national average of ₹525.

The report underscored urban-rural disparities. At the secondary level, 51.9% of urban Delhi students attended coaching, compared to 45% in rural areas.

Urban students also spent more, ₹5,812 annually, versus ₹2,865 in rural Delhi. Gender differences were also notable, with girls both attending coaching more and spending more than boys.

In urban Delhi, girls spent ₹6,683 annually compared to ₹5,159 for boys, while in rural areas, girls spent ₹3,982 and boys ₹2,188.

The findings indicate that Delhi parents are more likely to invest in private coaching for their children and spend significantly more than families in other parts of India, reflecting the capital’s highly competitive academic environment.