With over 1.3 million of them studying abroad in 2024, Indian students have emerged as one of the largest international student cohorts in the world. 

India’s reputation as a major source market for international students has also made universities across popular study destinations adapt to changed course preferences and expectations over the past few years. 

“In recent years, particularly following the pandemic, there has been a notable shift in student interest towards public health and nursing courses in India. Historically, business and computing programs dominated the landscape,” said Disha Gupta, head of operations and recruitment – India, Nepal & Sri Lanka at Birmingham City University. 

Though evolving student interests have led to the introduction of new programs, which include placement years, debates around the graduate route in the UK have led to some concerns among students. 

“We’ve received numerous inquiries from students about the graduate route and related uncertainties. Concerns have ranged from job prospects and placement opportunities to overall safety for international students. The volatility around policy changes caused some confusion, but we’ve worked hard to provide clear information and support,” added Gupta. 

“While this September has seen slower growth, we remain optimistic. The challenges haven’t deterred us from our mission, and we are encouraged by the upward trend in student numbers.” 

As a representative of the UK’s cultural and educational opportunities across the world, the British Council was able to facilitate an agreement on mutual recognition of qualifications between the UK and India in July 2022. 

According to Rittika Chanda Parruck MBE, director of education – India at the British Council, such memorandum of understanding (MOU) will benefit Indian students planning to return to India after their studies in the UK. 

“We supported a large cohort of Indian students heading to the UK this September at our pre-departure briefing, I am delighted to say that we signed off an MoU between the UK and India which will allow young people the option of returning to India with qualifications, and work experience that will be recognised and valued here and across the world,” Parruck told The PIE News. 

In the case of US universities, students have become more interested in newer STEM courses in the past few years. 

According to Ashutosh Agarwal, associate director for South Asian affairs at the Rochester Institute of Technology, the university has phased out a few programs to make way for programs with higher rates of employability. 

“We are seeing a lot of interest in courses in data science, analytics, management information systems as students are sensing higher employability in these areas compared to the conventional computer science program,” said Agarwal. 

“We phased out a few programs that were not popular with students and have now introduced programs like MS in artificial intelligence two years ago, which is gaining traction among students in India.” 

There are also challenges that US universities are facing as they try to make students understand the importance of qualification tests. 

“We are seeing a lot of interest in courses in data science, analytics, management information systems as students are sensing higher employability in these areas compared to the conventional computer science program.”

Ashutosh Agarwal, Rochester Institute of Technology.

“We meet many students, especially in the South of India, who are looking for waivers on GRE or English tests. They want to get into a high-quality institution without taking the required tests,” stated Agarwal. 

France, which has set a target of 30,000 Indian students by 2030, is emerging as a major alternative destination for the cohort. 

From announcing a five-year short-stay Schengen visa for Indian degree holders from French institutions to launching Classes Internationales for Indian students to learn French for a year in France, the country has been encouraging higher education initiatives in India. 

“We are seeing a real increase of interest for France in India, but we now need to convince students to choose the destination for their bachelor’s, and other courses apart from just management programs,” said Maud LE BARS, South Asia area manager at Omnes Education. 

“For private schools, a lot of them have understood the importance of having a local representation in India. They are developing additional value for their Indian alumni.” 

Increasing policy changes in Australia, Canada, and the UK, coupled with many finding the US unaffordable, has led to students opting for countries such as Germany. 

“A year ago me and some of my friends decided to look for study options abroad as India was going through a recession-like situation. I decided on Germany because the fees are very low and there was a huge support system to help with the process,” said Sahil Dubey, who will be studying at Germany’s Fulda University of Applied Sciences. 

“Access to a visa in Germany can also help me find work opportunities in other European countries, which is a huge benefit of studying there.” 

With many study destinations aiming to restrict international students citing the housing crisis, accommodation platforms have been allaying concerns among outbound students. 

“In regions experiencing a housing crisis, students, especially international ones, can explore off-campus housing options, which are expanding due to increased demand,” said Saurabh Goel, CEO and co-founder at AmberStudent. 

“Students can also benefit from exploring alternative housing markets in less saturated areas where demand is not as high, thus avoiding the steep rental hikes observed in major urban centres.” 

According to Goel, the global market size for student housing was valued at $11 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $11.54bn in 2024, indicating a stable growth trend.

“The narrative that international students are a primary cause of housing shortages is overly simplistic and overlooks the broader structural issues in housing markets,” he added.