What is happening with Indian enrolments abroad this year?
- Indian students have traditionally gravitated to one of the Big Four destinations for study abroad: Australia, Canada, the UK, and US
- But immigration policies and affordability issues are depressing Indian applications and enrolments in those destinations
- Indian government data indicates major enrolment declines for the Big Four, and large gains for destinations such as Russia, Germany, New Zealand, and France
Just a couple of years ago, Indian students were flocking to a number of attractive study abroad destinations, and especially to the “Big Four” of Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Collectively, those four host countries welcomed more than 70% of all Indian students abroad, offering a range of study opportunities, post-study work rights, and the possibility of immigration.
The appeal of those leading destinations remains, but over the last year it has become more difficult for international students to:
- Get a study visa
- Bring family with them
- Secure post-study work rights
- Afford their studies
- Become permanent residents
- Feel certain that policy settings are stable
These challenges are making it more challenging for many international students from around the world to pursue study abroad in a Big Four destination – not just Indian students.
However, for schools and universities in the Big Four countries, Indian enrolments have been crucial, with India often representing the first or second-largest market for many institutions and schools. Now, however, many of those educators are coping with a significant softening, or even decline, in Indian student numbers.
For example, Indian government data indicates that the number of degree-seeking Indian students travelling abroad for studies declined by almost -15% in 2024 compared with 2023, and (rounded to the nearest hundred) by:
- -41% in Canada (from 233,500 in 2023 to 137,600 in 2024)
- -28% in the UK (from 136,900 to 98,900)
- -13% in the US (from 234,500 to 204,000)
- -12% in Australia (from 78,100 to 68,600)
Overall, 759,000 Indian students studied abroad in 2024 according to Indian government data, down from 893,000 in 2023.
While Indian enrolments in Canada, the UK, and US have declined, these destinations still accounted for nearly three-quarters (72%) of Indian students abroad in 2024.
What is driving Indian student outbound in 2025?
For the most part, it is policies in Australia, Canada, and the UK – and growing unease about President Trump’s treatment of immigrants – that are depressing Indian student demand for study in one of the Big Four destinations. Also contributing is the recent depreciation of the Indian rupee against the US dollar, which makes it even more expensive for Indian students to study abroad. Sudarshan Motwani, founder and CEO of BookMyForex.com, points out: “Even a slight fluctuation can inflate students’ annual expenses, making budgeting a daunting task.” Eela Dubey, co-founder of EduFund, elaborates:
“Rupee depreciation acts as hidden inflation for Indian students aspiring to study abroad, significantly increasing the cost of education, even if universities do not raise tuition fees. This means that even if a university maintains its tuition fee in USD, Indian students end up paying more in [rupees] solely because of currency fluctuations.”
Speaking with University World News, Maria Mathai, founder of MM Advisory Services, called lower Indian outbound a “market adjustment” rather than an exit. She said: “It’s a recalibration, not a collapse. Students are responding pragmatically to shifting costs and changing visa rules.” She continued:
“Student priorities are evolving with each policy shift in the industry. Our destination maps now have layered overlays – visa stability indices atop rankings. The student who once asked: ‘What’s your university's rank?’ now asks: “What salary can I expect, and which programme guarantees work rights if policy changes?’”
A recent report from the British Council adds that the number of students from India "will almost surely decline" for major study designations this year. While the fundamentals – including the massive demand for higher education – remain very strong for the Indian market, "the broad-based slowdown in outbound mobility from India is driven in part by a market correction after enrolments from the country surged in 2022 and 2023. Tightening visa restrictions in major host destination countries are also depressing demand from less qualified Indian students."
Indian students warming to alternative destinations
In contrast to trends in the Big Four, and according to Indian government data, Indian student numbers are rising in destinations such as:
- Germany: +68% from 2022 to 2024 (from 20,700 to 34,700)
- Russia: +59% from 2022 to 2024 (from 19,800 to 31,400)
- France: +33% from 2022 to 2024 (from 6,400 to 8,500)
- New Zealand: +354% from 2022 to 2024 (from 1,600 to 7,300)
- Ireland: +49% from 2022/23 to 2023/24 (from 4,700 to 7,000)
Uzbekistan and Bangladesh are also very popular according to Indian government data, welcoming 10,000 and 8,900 Indian students in 2024, respectively.
Germany’s high quality of education and low tuition fees are its main draw for Indian students. France is also more affordable than the Big Four and like Germany, boasts several highly ranked universities. Seventeen German universities are in the Top 500 tier of the QS 2025 World University rankings, and France boasts the same number of higher education institutions in that tier.
France has stated a goal of welcoming 30,000 Indian students by 2030. It is recruiting more intensively in India accordingly. Indian students can access a new French-language foundation programme to prep them for French bachelor’s or graduate programmes, or they can choose from nearly 2,000 English-language programmes in the country. Post-study opportunities are another draw: Indians graduating with French master’s degrees are one of only five nationalities who can benefit from a two-year post-study stay visa.
Russia, meanwhile, has always been popular in India for its medical, engineering, and aviation programmes. It is vastly more affordable than the Big Four, and its admission requirements are far lower.
New Zealand is gaining market share as the most welcoming Anglophone destination for Indian students in terms of study and work visa opportunities. It offers highly ranked universities and is considered safe. Safety is naturally an enduring priority for all international students, and along with New Zealand’s policy environment, is part of the reason that there was a 24% increase in international student numbers in New Zealand in Jan-August 2024 (73,500) versus Jan-August 2023.
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