Over 1.3 million Indian students chose to study abroad in 2022

The US is the most preferred destination of most Indians to pursue their higher education. Over 1.3 million Indian students chose to study abroad between 2017 and 2022.

This information was shared by the Minister of State for Education, Subhas Sarkar in Rajya Sabha recently. The data on the number of Indian students pursuing higher education in foreign universities or colleges was provided by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

However, the data on the expenditure incurred by Indian students studying in foreign countries is not available.

Here’s the list of countries and the number of Indian students studying: United States - 4,65,791; Canada - 1,83,310; UAE - 1,64,000; Australia - 1,00,009; United Kingdom - 55,465; Saudi Arabia - 65,800; Qatar - 46,000; Germany - 34,864; Georgia - 14,000; France - 10,003; Bangladesh - 9,308; Armenia - 8,015; China - 6,436.

Minister Sarkar spoke in response to a question raised by DMK MP R Girirajan pertaining to government’s plan on providing quality higher education in the country itself.

The government in its last budget had permitted opening of world-class foreign universities and colleges in state like Gujarat. These universities offer academic courses in financial management, fintech, science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These institutions are free from domestic regulations.

“The University Grants Commission (UGC) introduced the UGC (Academic Collaboration between Indian and Foreign Higher Educational Institutions to offer twinning, joint degree, and dual degree programmes) Regulations, 2022. This facilitates international collaboration with foreign higher educational institutions (FHEIs), further enriching educational opportunities for Indian students.” quoted NDTV as told by Minister Sarkar.