Last updated on: February 27, 2026
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Yuvika Rathi
College Student
According to data shared by the Ministry of Education in Parliament, the number of Indians travelling abroad for studies fell from 9.08 lakh in 2023 to 6.26 lakh in 2025 - a 31% drop in just two years. That's 282,000 students who, two years ago, would have been sitting in classrooms in Toronto, Melbourne, London, or New York — but aren't.
This isn't a marginal shift. It's a structural break in one of the most consistent trends in Indian education over the past two decades. And it's happening for reasons that go far beyond what most parents and students realize.
In Canada specifically, study permits issued to Indian students reportedly plummeted by around 31% in early 2025 compared to the previous year. But Canada wasn't alone. In the first half of 2025, F-1 visa issuances to Indian students dropped by -44% compared with the same period in 2024 QS Quacquarelli Symonds in the United States.
The administrative chaos is real. Logistical challenges such as long visa appointment wait times and administrative backlogs have discouraged some applicants. These changes have made the process less predictable and more stressful, especially for families that prefer a smooth, timely transition for their children.
But visa denial isn't the only barrier. The perception of hostility matters just as much. When 90% of international students in the US report fearing for their visa status, that fear spreads back to prospective applicants in India.
Recent reports suggest Indian families are sending significantly less money abroad for education, with education remittances falling to their lowest levels in nearly a decade. Between April and August 2025 — peak remittance season for fall admissions — outflows hit an eight-year low.
But it's not just about families having less money. The annual cost of studying in the US has risen by Rs 10 lakh for Indian students over the past five years, with currency devaluation and tuition hikes pushing the overall cost of studying abroad up 10–12% in 2025.
The calculation has changed. A degree that cost ₹60 lakhs three years ago now costs ₹75+ lakhs. Post-study work visas are harder to get. Job markets in the West are tighter. The return on investment equation no longer closes as cleanly as it did in 2022.
The decline isn't evenly distributed. Indian government data indicates major enrolment declines for the Big Four, and large gains for destinations such as Russia, Germany, New Zealand, and France.
Specifically, the number of Indian students in Russia rose by nearly 34% from 2023 to 2024, while Germany experienced a rise in student numbers from India, increasing from 20,684 in 2022 to 34,702 in 2024. This represents a nearly 49% increase from 2023 Ourcollege.
These aren't just "backup options." They're strategic choices. Germany offers tuition-free education at world-class universities. Russia offers affordable MBBS programs without IELTS requirements. France has invested €109 billion in AI and actively recruits Indian students with clear post-study employment pathways.
The other piece of this puzzle is domestic improvement. Initiatives under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 are aimed at enhancing infrastructure, promoting research, and encouraging global collaborations, making Indian universities stronger contenders.
Fourteen foreign universities have received approval to establish campuses in India. IITs are signing partnerships with global institutions. The gap between "studying abroad" and "studying at a globally-recognized institution" is narrowing — at least for students who don't need the immigration pathway that used to come bundled with a foreign degree.
The 31% drop isn't a temporary dip. It's a recalibration driven by restrictive immigration policies, rising costs, geopolitical uncertainty, and genuine improvements in India's domestic higher education system. Students aren't giving up on international education — they're just choosing different routes to get it. The question isn't whether the trend will reverse. It's whether the Big Four destinations will adapt fast enough to win them back.