2025 Study Abroad Trends: Indian Students Turn to Affordable, Visa-Friendly Countries

TL;DR

• In 2025, Indian students are rethinking traditional destinations like Canada, the UK, the US, and Australia. 
• YUNO LEARNING’s data-backed review reveals a steep decline in enrolments across these “Big Four,” while countries like Germany, Uzbekistan, Russia, UAE, and Italy are seeing explosive growth. Germany leads the charge with its tuition-free education, STEM focus, and clear PR pathways. 
• Uzbekistan’s low-cost MBBS programs, Italy’s English-taught courses, and Dubai’s quick visa and job market access make them attractive alternatives. This shift is driven by visa tightening, rising costs, and changing student priorities. 

Whether for ROI, long-term settlement, or specialized programs, Indian students in 2025 are strategically expanding their horizons—and redefining the global study abroad map. 

The Indian study abroad dream is very old.  Remember your history lessons?  Gandhiji’s family sent him to London in 1888 where he studied law for four years at the Inner Temple (one of the Inns of Court), returning to India in June, 1891 after being called to the Bar.  And there are plenty more names — from Rabindranath Tagore to Subhas Chandra Bose to B.R. Ambedkar.  Lawyers, medical doctors, engineers, scientists …

The difference between the trickle then and the flood now is partly due to the fact that

• More Indian families have the financial means to send children abroad
• Banks have identified ‘study abroad’ loans as secure, lucrative and in-demand
• Plenty of Indian “pioneers” have shown that it is possible – and profitable – to settle abroad after studies
• Many foreign universities actively market themselves to Indian students
• Very limited seats in high-quality Indian institutions mean that even talented students may miss out due to extreme entrance competition and quotas.  Going abroad is the best option for the bright but excluded.
• Students are aware of, and drawn to, specialized, or niche, programmes that available abroad but not in India
• Foreign universities offer state-of-the-art labs, grants, mentorship, and access to cutting-edge research—especially in STEM fields
• Students crave the global recognition of foreign degrees.
• “Foreign returned” carries immense social capital in Indian society

And – dare we say it? — some Indian students are dissatisfied with India.  They see institutions as corrupt, advancement chances as dim, and overall environment for talent as stifling.

In 2023, approximately 8,93,000 Indian students studied abroad for degree purposes.  By 2024, the number declined by around 15 percent, to about 7,59,000.

Canada, UK, US, and Australia remain the most preferred destination countries (they hosted about 72 percent of Indian overseas students in 2024) but all four of these countries saw significant dips in the 2023-24 period.

The traditional “Top Four” (2023 → 2024)
Country	2023	2024	Change
Canada	233,500	137,600	−41%
UK	136,900	98,900	−28%
US	234,500	204,000	−13%
Australia	78,100	68,600	−12%
Sources: https://monitor.icef.com/2025/03/what-is-happening-with-indian-enrolments-abroad-this-year/ https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/number-indian-students-abroad-plummets-after-policy-turmoil https://www.applyboard.com/applyinsights-article/indian-students-2024 https://thepienews.com/over-1-3-million-indian-students-studying-abroad-in-2024/ https://opendoorsdata.org/annual-release/international-students

Numbers don’t lie:  the top four are losing their charm.  Meanwhile, the “charm quotient” is rising in other countries.

Let’s go back to the numbers.  Academic year 2024-25 has concluded but precise figures are not yet available. However, using the figures for the academic years 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 we can figure out the Compound Annual Growth Rate (%) and use that to calculate the approximate number of Indian students in various countries in the 2024-25 academic year.  Here are the statistics:

Laying out the data visually, it looks like this:

Everybody knows that New Zealand, Italy, and Ireland are rapidly attracting Indian students:  their Indian enrollments have just about doubled since 2021-22.  But are you surprised to see Dubai, Japan, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and Singapore figuring in the table?   

Here’s why they are gaining traction: 

As for the front-runner: from the graphic, it is abundantly clear that (excluding the Top Four), Germany is the Indian students’ first choice.  And what’s not to like … especially for an Indian student with strong aptitude in science, engineering, or computer-related fields…?

Germany leads the field for three main reasons:

1. Bright chances of admission to a good university (given academic merit and realistic competitiveness),
2. Affordability (tuition + living costs, availability of scholarships or part-time work),
3. Post-study work and immigration friendliness (especially for middle-class students aiming for ROI and long-term stability).

Living costs in Germany depend on where and how you live and how you travel:

Germany’s public transport is efficient and student-friendly:

YUNO LEARNING thinks it over and concludes if not Germany…?  Well, there are still a dozen other countries with big rates of growth in enrollment of Indian students.