Despite strides taken in IT and registering high economic growth, Andhra Pradesh is way behind in terms of higher education, with half of the state not having enough colleges for its youth. The Union Human Resource Development ministry has identified 11 districts in AP among the 370 districts across the country where less than 10 per cent population has access to college education.

The University Grants Commission says that there should be at least 12 degree colleges for every one lakh population of youth. The districts that do not meet this norm are Adilabad, Nizamabad, Medak, Mahbubnagar, East Godavari, West Godavari, Prakasam, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram in coastal Andhra region, and Anantapur and Kurnool in Rayalaseema region. These sum up to 23 districts in AP, which means that half of the state does not have the required access to college education.