CMS Education Survey 2025: Families spend more on boys, favour them for private schools, coaching

MOSPI Survey: On average, Indian families are less likely to send their girl children to private school or coaching classes than their boys. Plus, spending on the education of girls is roughly 13.4% lower than that of boys, shows data from the Comprehensive Modular Survey on Education (CMS) 2025.

The CMS Education Survey 2025 is part of the 80th round of the National Sample Survey, conducted by the NSS Office, under the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MOSPI). The survey data shows that overall, families spend Rs 1,804 more per male child in an academic year, although there are variations by state, school level and the setting (urban or rural). Gaps between expenditure on males and females are significantly narrower in rural areas.

The CMS Education Survey was published on Tuesday. Among other things, it showed how much school education costs in different states as well as the increasing participation in private schools and prevalence of private tuition, especially in urban areas. Participation in both private schooling and shadow education – private tuition or coaching classes – are tied up with a family’s aspirations for their child and their perception of quality.

Indian families clearly pick their sons over their daughters for access to facilities seen as important for future success. The report shows that a higher proportion of boys are enrolled in private schools than girls, and a higher proportion are enrolled in government schools. Similarly, a higher proportion of boys is enrolled in private coaching than girls during the current academic year. Even the expenditure

The report is based on the survey conducted between April-June 2025 for the current academic year.

CMS Education Survey: Families spend on boys

On average, per-student expenditure on girls is lower than that on boys.

In rural areas, families spent Rs 1,373 more on boys than on girls; in urban areas, the gap is of Rs 2,791. This expenditure is on course fees, transportation, uniforms, textbooks, stationery and other items; the cost of private tuition is not included.

Average expenditure per student (in Rs)

The gap is wider in urban areas.

Private school access higher for boys

While there are variations with location and level of schooling, overall, a higher proportion of boys is in private schools while the proportion of girls in government schools is higher.

While the gap is of around 4-5 percentage points for both private-school and government-school enrolment, it is wider in urban areas – 54.2% boys vs 48.3% girls – than in rural ones where 26.1% boys are in private school against 22.3% girls.

Gender and private school enrolment

The data in the table above considers enrolment at all levels – pre-primary, primary, middle, secondary and higher secondary – of unaided, recognised private schools.

Coaching classes for boys

The MOSPI survey also reveals that a higher percentage of boys attend private tuition or coaching classes than girls. Both urban and rural families are more likely to spend on shadow education that supplements mainstream teaching for boys.

However, the gap is narrow – 1.8 percentage points.

Participation in private tuition

Rural and urban areas together saw a difference of Rs 345 in average expenditure per student on male and female children.

However, among students who had reported being enrolled in private coaching, the per-child cost – or, “per reported student” – was Rs 684 higher for boys than girls. This implies that even where both boys and girls are allowed access to private tuition, the more expensive services are still reserved for boys.

For participation in private coaching classes, the CMS Education Survey 2025 reports two types of data. The “per student” expenditure is the average amount spent on a student who is currently enrolled in a mainstream school and assumed to have access to coaching.

The “per reported student” expenditure is the average amount spent on a student who is currently enrolled in a regular school and has also reported being enrolled in coaching.

Average expenditure on private coaching by gender (In Rs)

Figures in the above table represent both rural and urban students.