Karnataka Approves 57 New Government PU Colleges as Private Numbers Drop

The Department of Pre-University Education has cleared 144 new pre-university colleges across Karnataka for the 2026-27 academic year, reflecting a sharp increase in government institutions, including six each in Bengaluru North and Bengaluru South.

While the total number of approved colleges declined slightly from 153 in 2025-26 to 144 this year, government PU college approvals witnessed a substantial rise. The department cleared 57 new government PU colleges for 2026-27, up from just eight approvals in the previous year. In contrast, new private unaided colleges dropped steeply from 112 to 54. Approvals were also granted to 33 minority PU colleges.

District-wise distribution showed Vijayapura at the top with 10 approved colleges, comprising eight government, one minority, and one private college. Mysuru and Dakshina Kannada each secured approvals for eight colleges, while Ballari and Kolar were cleared for seven colleges each. Along with Kalaburagi, both Bengaluru North and Bengaluru South received six new colleges each.

Among districts receiving fewer approvals, Kodagu was cleared for just one new college, while Davanagere, Mandya, Haveri, and Uttara Kannada received approvals for two colleges each.

Pre-University Education Department Director Bharat Selvan stated that the department cleared applications that strictly met departmental norms, infrastructure requirements, and regulatory conditions.

Education experts observed that the surge in SSLC results appears to have driven demand for pre-university education in the public sector. They noted that competition from Karnataka Public Schools (KPS), minority department residential institutions, and other state-backed PU colleges has diminished private sector interest in starting new colleges, adding that the continued expansion of government PU colleges could also affect enrolment trends in neighbouring institutions.