Why Indian Students Are Choosing Overseas Education: Trends, Benefits and Opportunities
Rising Global Mobility: Indian students abroad surged from 2.6 lakh in 2020 to 1.8 million in 2025, spending nearly US$70 billion. The US, UK, Canada, Australia and Germany remain top choices, with newer hubs like France, Russia and the UAE. STEM and business programmes lead demand.
Why Students Go Abroad: Tough competition and limited seats in India push students overseas, where they find wider options, scholarships and industry-linked courses. Benefits include higher salaries, post-study work visas and specialised fields like AI, sustainability and data science.
Opportunities & Challenges: Global exposure boosts skills, networks and employability, but high costs, visa issues and adaptation pressures remain hurdles. Families see study abroad as a strategic investment, while India balances brain drain with reforms under NEP 2020 and global tie-ups.