Key takeaways:
- Some 83% of surveyed prospective students believe that earning a degree from another country will increase their chances of getting a better job in their home country
- One of the key advantages for prospective students from India is that the visa and immigration processes in the UK are less complicated than those in the US.
- More than two-thirds of Indian applicants—69%—prefer to finish their applications on a single integrated online platform.
Every year, millions of students are flying abroad to broaden their academic experience. The motivations for pursuing their education overseas vary–ranging from possibilities for a high-caliber education and job to the diversity of cultures and viewpoints.
To further understand it, I examine what Indian students, one of the major source markets for international students, think about global education.
India is one of the leading countries sending students abroad. According to a study, India has now surpassed China as the largest source market of international students.
In fact, a total of 133,135 students departed India for academic purposes in the first quarter of 2022 alone. When you consider that, this is a significant increase in 2020 when a total of 259,655 students studied abroad.
Moreover, the RedSeer report estimated that 1.8 million Indians will be spending US $85 billion on education overseas by 2024.
According to The Leap-Ipsos Strategy Study Abroad Outlook Report, 70% of respondents indicated they were encouraged to study abroad by the higher standard of living and education offered there, 69% by the possibility of progress in one’s profession abroad, and 60% by the prospect of better benefits and pay. The other major drivers stated included gaining independence, developing a diversified peer network, and learning new skills.
“The overseas education segment is expected to grow exponentially, with over 2 million Indian students expected to be studying abroad by 2025 and spending $100+ billion on their international education. Fuelled by the student community’s growing aspirations, this sector will see a meteoric rise in demand for innovative products and services over the next few years,” Co-founder of Leap Vaibhav Singh said.
Indian students’ perception on the advantages of global education
Although it is nothing new that better education and professional opportunities draw students to study abroad, the same study also highlighted how Indian students see their international education in relation to their native country.
According to the poll, 83% of prospective students think that having a degree from another nation will improve their chances of finding better employment possibilities in India, and 75% think that having a foreign degree will provide them an advantage over domestic competitors and talent pools.
Apart from the benefits of developing one’s talents and gaining a global perspective, 43% of these candidates think that it will help them improve their social standing and communication abilities.
Prominent and developing study destinations
In the list of top destinations, the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, and Germany come in first. This survey clearly shows that there is currently a substantially stronger interest in pursuing international study in the UK, even though historical data shows that more students are studying abroad in Canada.
The same country was selected as the preferred location to pursue data science, engineering, and business management.
The UK’s simpler visa and immigration procedures than those in the US are one of the main draws for aspirant students from India. High scholarship availability, access to prestigious universities, the simplicity of obtaining a work permit after completing the program, and the safety rating of the nation are some other significant criteria.
This change in destination country preference is supported by a global study conducted by INTO University Partnerships. Nearly two-thirds of Indian agencies (nearly 93%) anticipate sending significantly more students to the UK in the forthcoming academic year than they did in the previous one. 71% anticipate sending more students to Australia, 87% to Canada, and 92% to the United States.
Aspirants are broadening their options for destinations at the same time. Study-abroad locations like New Zealand, Ireland, France, and Italy have seen a rise in interest due to lower tuition costs, accessible work permits, and permanent residency pathways.
Role of education management
It is clear that international education is becoming more and more popular in India. According to the study, 57% of middle-class households in India with annual incomes between Rs 3 and Rs 10 lakh choose to invest thousands in international education. Additionally, 69%, or more than 2/3 of Indian applicants, prefer to complete their applications on a single integrated online platform. This covers selecting colleges, applying, receiving advice, processing visas, and other activities.
While there is a spike in applications for worldwide study in India, the government, leaders, and providers of global education must work consciously to carefully gatekeep international recruiting processes to prevent the traumatizing experience for international students and their families.
Furthermore, education leaders must, at all times, maintain their high standards in screening the partner institutions and processing the student applications to ensure that both the universities and prospective students will have a productive and fulfilling journey towards having global access to education. (SUNEETHA QURESHI)
SUNEETHA QURESHI MSM President
Suneetha has worked for 15 years in the international education sector and 25 years overall for her work for other industries. As president of MSM, she fortifies its business development outreach globally, particularly in the face of MSM’s foray into edtech-based recruitment via MSM Unify. She preserves the premium, value-adding services provided to each MSM partner institute, including dedicated teams on the ground, agent management, lead generation and inquiry management, application prescreening, and student and parent support through pioneering pre-departure briefing sessions
She has an impeccable track record of successfully launching the representative offices in Asia and Africa of many North American and European higher education institutions. Her key strengths include hiring, training, and developing teams as evidenced by the successful results of the dedicated in-country college and university client teams.
Suneetha also has taken the lead in developing several initiatives at MSM, including building robust standard operating procedures, the Rise ‘n Shine team engagement platform, and the organization’s data analytics and audit segments.
Sources:
- 2022. Leap-Ipsos Study Abroad Outlook Report 2022. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yhesWJ2wZ0r8CkG9wFrkmlbGRt5o_ntt/view
- 2022. India Has Overtaken China As The Largest Source Country Of International Students. Marketentry. Retrieved from https://marketentry.org/insights/2022/01/05/india-has-overtaken-china-as-the-largest-source-country-of-international-students/#:~:text=6.4.1%2Cvc_responsive-,India%20has%20overtaken%20China%20as%20the%20largest%20source%20country%20of,Institute%20at%20Victoria%20University%20shows.
- 2022. A Deep Dive into the Number of Indians Studying Abroad (2022 Statistics). OI Digital Institute. Retrieved from https://oidigitalinstitute.com/news/indian-students-abroad/
- 2022. QUESTION NO.3258 DATABASE OF INDIAN STUDENTS. MEA Government of India. Retrieved from https://www.mea.gov.in/rajya-sabha.htm?dtl/35103/question+no3258+database+of+indian+students
- 2021. 2 Million Indian students would be studying Abroad by 2024. Redseer. Retrieved from https://redseer.com/newsletters/2-million-indian-students-would-be-studying-abroad-by-2024/