Reorganising Justice in the Higher Education Ecosystem
Indonesian higher education is currently facing a major paradox. Campuses are expected to be adaptive, innovative, impactful, and quick to respond to the needs of the era. However, some strategic policies still operate with rigid administrative logic.
The submission of new study programmes is only opened during specific months, academic promotions for lecturers must wait for certain waves, the KIP Kuliah (scholarship) quota remains limited and its distribution is not yet fully transparent, while State Universities (PTN) are given significant leeway through independent entry tracks.
The problem does not lie solely with PTNs or Private Universities (PTS). The primary issue is the injustice within the ecosystem. Higher education is managed as if all universities possess the same capital, appeal, subsidies, reputation, and economic resilience. In reality, this is not the case. PTNs and PTSs operate in the same arena, but they do not always compete with balanced resources.
Data from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology shows that in 2025, there are 4,303 higher education institutions in Indonesia. Of that number, 2,713 institutions, or 63.05 per cent, are private universities (PTS), while state universities (PTN) account for only 127 institutions, or 2.95 per cent. The remainder consists of religious and vocational colleges. This data demonstrates that institutionally, Indonesian higher education relies heavily on private universities.
From the student perspective, the role of private universities is also significant. Higher Education Statistics 2025 records the number of enrolled students at approximately 10.75 million people. Private universities accommodate around 4.83 million students, or 44.95 per cent, which is larger than the 4.40 million students, or 40.99 per cent, accommodated by state universities. With this configuration, the future of Indonesian higher education cannot be discussed solely from the perspective of PTNs. If private universities weaken, access to higher education also weakens.
The ecosystem imbalance is further evident as the number of institutions decreases, while the number of study programmes and graduates continues to rise. Higher Education Statistics 2025 notes that the number of universities dropped from 4,416 in 2024 to 4,303 in 2025.
However, the number of study programmes increased from 33,741 to 34,711. The number of undergraduate graduates also rose from 1,794,243 in 2024 to 2,547,717 in 2025. This indicates a paradox: campuses are decreasing, study programmes are increasing, and graduates are rising, yet this is not necessarily accompanied by job absorption, learning quality, or competency relevance.