Karnataka Records One of India’s Highest High School Dropout Rates Among Boys, UDISE+ Report Shows
The 2025 to 2026 education data highlights persistent dropout challenges in Karnataka, with 18% of boys leaving school at the secondary level, while overall dropout rates remain among the highest in the country.
Bengaluru: Karnataka has recorded one of the country’s highest dropout rates among boys at the secondary school level, raising concerns about students continuing their education through Classes 9 and 10.
According to the latest Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) report, released by the Union Ministry of Education’s Department of School Education and Literacy, Karnataka continues to face challenges in retaining students as they progress to higher classes.
The report puts the dropout rate among male students at 18% in the 2025 to 2026 academic year, placing Karnataka among the states with the highest rates in the country.
The figures also indicate that girls in Karnataka are leaving school at a concerning rate, with the state’s dropout rate among female students reportedly higher than those recorded in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Dropout Rates Show Gradual Improvement
Although Karnataka has made some progress in reducing school dropouts, the decline has been uneven.
The reported dropout rates for the state over the past three academic years were:
• 19.6% in 2023 to 2024
• 14.6% in 2024 to 2025
• 13.9% in 2025 to 2026
The figures point to an overall improvement, but the latest data suggests that a significant number of students are still leaving school before completing secondary education.
Among major states, Karnataka and Assam recorded dropout rates of 13.9% in the latest reporting period, followed by Gujarat at 13.3%. The Union Territory of Ladakh recorded a rate of 15.6%.
When the figures for boys are considered separately, Karnataka’s reported rate of 18% is followed by Chhattisgarh at 18%. Ladakh recorded 15.6%, while Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu reported 15%.
Karnataka Second in Overall Secondary Dropouts
The state’s overall dropout figures also remain a concern.
For the 2025 to 2026 academic year, Karnataka recorded an overall dropout rate of 14.3% at the secondary level, covering Classes 9 to 12, according to the report. This placed the state second among states and Union Territories, behind Ladakh, which recorded 14.8%.
The figures highlight the difficulties faced in ensuring that students remain in education as they move into higher classes.
Positive Results in Early Education
Despite the challenges at the secondary level, Karnataka has also recorded progress in the transition of students between earlier stages of schooling.
The state is among 12 states and Union Territories that achieved a 100% transition rate from the foundational stage, covering pre primary education to Class 3, to the preparatory stage, covering Classes 3 to 5.
However, the transition rate falls to 97.6% when students move from the middle stage, covering Classes 6 to 8, to the secondary stage.
Kerala is the only state reported to have achieved a 100% transition rate at this stage.
The latest figures underline the need to strengthen student retention measures, particularly during the transition to secondary education, while building on Karnataka’s progress in the earlier stages of schooling.