Indian University Enrolments Abroad Fall for First Time in Three Years
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For the first time in three years, the rapid surge of Indian students heading to international universities has stalled. According to data recently tabled by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in parliament, university-level enrolments fell by 5.7% in 2025. While the total number of Indian students abroad has technically reached an all-time high of 1.88 million, this figure is inflated by the inclusion of school-level data for the first time. For higher education specifically, the number of students at international universities dropped by approximately 76,000, bringing the total down to 1.25 million from a peak of 1.33 million in 2024.
Several formidable barriers have contributed to this “cooling off” period. Chief among them is a significant tightening of visa regulations across the “Big Four” destinations; Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Canada has seen the most dramatic shift; following diplomatic tensions and a crackdown on international student caps, the rejection rate for Indian study permits soared to 71% in August 2025. Similarly, the US recorded a 44% drop in F-1 student visas issued to Indians in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year, as stricter vetting and policy uncertainties began to weigh on applicants.
Financial pressure is another critical factor. The annual cost of studying abroad has risen by roughly 10–12% this year alone. This is driven by a combination of tuition fee hikes and the steady devaluation of the Indian Rupee against the Dollar and Pound. For many middle-class families, the “migration triangle;” the hope that an expensive degree leads to a job and then a visa, now feels increasingly fragile due to shrinking entry-level job markets and more restrictive post-study work rights in the UK and Australia.
Despite these hurdles, the demand for global education is not vanishing; it is simply diversifying. While traditional giants are seeing fewer new arrivals, alternative destinations are thriving. Germany has seen its Indian student population more than double since 2020, reaching nearly 60,000 in 2025, thanks to its low-cost STEM programmes. Russia and France have also reported growth, with France aiming to host 30,000 Indian students by 2030. As students become more “value-conscious,” the market is shifting away from prestige alone and towards countries that offer clearer professional outcomes and more stable immigration pathways.
Source: THE PIE NEWS
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