Indian Students Studying Abroad: The number of Indian students studying abroad has reached a massive 1.8 million in 2025, according to the data released by Ministry of External Affairs and confirmed by various internal education bodies. This marks a significant increase from 1.3 million in 2023 and reflects the robust increase in students choosing to study abroad.
Canada And UK Remain Top Choices, US Sees Growth
While Canada and UK stay as the top choice for Indian students, they have seen a slight decrease in the number of enrollments for Indian students. Canada recorded 137,608 Indian students studying in 2024 and UK had 98,890 students.
United States (US) recorded a high of 331,602 Indian students studying last year, a major increase of 23 per cent from 2023. India had surpassed China as the leading source of international students in the US for this period.
Germany and Ireland also has seen a significant increase in Indian students enrollment, with approximately 49,483 studying in Germany and over 7,000 in Australia during the 2023-2024 winter semester.
Why Students Choose To Study Abroad?
- Students choose to study abroad because of the limited seats available and high competition in premier Indian institutions like IITs and IIMs.
- The global recognition of foreign degrees and their perceived quality leads students preferring to study abroad.
- Better career and immigration prospects drive Indian students to pursue education abroad.
- There is an expanding availability of scholarships and financial aid, especially from UK and Australian universities which encourages students to enroll in their countries.
