Ministry of Education (MoE) reports 31 per cent decline in Indian students studying abroad between 2023 and 2025

Key facts

• According to data shared by the Ministry of Education (MoE) in the Rajya Sabha, the number of Indian students travelling overseas for higher education fell from 9.08 lakh in 2023 to 6.26 lakh in 2025.
• The Bureau of Immigration under the Union Home Ministry recorded 7.7 lakh students going abroad in 2024, representing a cumulative decline of nearly 31 per cent over the three-year period.
• Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar cited affordability, access to bank loans, and aptitude for specific disciplines as key determinants for overseas study decisions.
• Major study destinations including the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), Canada, and Australia have implemented tighter immigration rules, higher financial proof requirements, and caps on certain visa categories.
• The MoE linked the decline to domestic strengthening of higher education under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, focusing on infrastructure, accreditation, and research.
• A total of 14 foreign institutions have received approval to set up campuses in India, while five overseas universities have been cleared to operate in GIFT City, Gujarat.
• The University of Surrey is among the international institutions that have announced plans to establish a physical presence in India.
• Indian students are increasingly diversifying to alternative destinations such as Germany, Ireland, and France due to lower tuition costs and clearer post-study work frameworks.