The United States has solidified its position as the preferred destination for Indian students pursuing higher education, overtaking the United Kingdom and Germany, according to a report by NITI Aayog. In total, Canadian, American, British, Australian, and German institutions host around 850,000 Indian students, who collectively spent approximately ₹2.9 lakh crore on their studies in the 2023-2024 academic year.
For decades, the US has been a top choice among Indian students due to its prestigious universities and diverse academic programs. It offers degrees in fields such as engineering, business management, medicine, computer science, social sciences, and the arts. In addition to gaining academic knowledge, students acquire essential life skills, including independence, adaptability, and cross-cultural communication, making the US an ideal option for those aiming for varied career paths.
The report underscores that in 2024, Canada topped the list of international higher education destinations, attracting 427,000 Indian students. The US came second with 337,630 students, followed by the UK with 185,000, Australia with 122,202, and Germany with 42,997, as noted by the news agency PTI.
India has emerged as the largest source of international students globally, with over 1.335 million Indian students studying abroad by 2024. The country also boasts the largest age cohort for higher education, comprising 155 million individuals between the ages of 18 and 23.
The report highlights a significant “brain drain,” revealing that for every international student arriving in India, 28 Indian students seek opportunities abroad. This data was part of the report titled “Internationalisation of Higher Education in India,” which also examined the inflow of foreign students to India, showing that in 2021-22, the leading source countries included Nepal, Afghanistan, the USA, Bangladesh, and the UAE.
Additionally, the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia together accommodate 850,000 Indian students who invested ₹2.9 lakh crore in overseas education in 2023-2024. Among countries, Latvia has the highest percentage of Indian students at 17.4%, followed by Ireland at 15.3%, and Germany at 10.1%.
The report also noted that Andhra Pradesh sent the most students overseas in 2020, with 35,614 students departing for higher education, trailed by Punjab at 33,412 and Maharashtra at 29,079. Over the decade from 2014 to 2024, there has been a dramatic increase in outward remittances from ₹975 crore to ₹29,000 crore under the Reserve Bank of India’s Liberalised Remittance Scheme, which facilitates Indian students studying abroad.
Original Source: https://www.india.com/education/us-becomes-top-destinations-for-indian-students-surpassing-uk-germany-niti-aayog-report-reveals-united-states-top-international-higher-education-destination-337630-indian-students-8245493/
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Publish Date: 2025-12-26 14:35:00
