More than four in five surveyed Indian study-abroad aspirants expect to return home after completing their education, according to new research suggesting overseas degrees are not necessarily tied to plans for permanent migration.
Oxford International’s third Student Global Mobility Index found that 81% of surveyed applicants intended to return to India after their courses. A further 15% selected “applying for a job” as their next step, although the research did not specify whether they planned to seek work in India or overseas.
The index combined 17,925 responses to its core questions with approximately 2,400 additional responses covering course preferences, family backgrounds, information sources and plans after graduation.
While stated intentions may change once students begin studying and working abroad, the findings point to an evolving outlook among Indian applicants, who appear likely to view international education as a period of academic and professional exposure rather than the beginning of a life overseas.
A clearer shift is evident in who drives the decision to study abroad. The proportion of students describing themselves as self-motivated rose from 29% in 2023/24 to 34% in 2024/25 and 49% in 2025/26.
Over the same period, the share identifying family as the primary influence fell from 59% to 37% and then 36%. Self-motivation was highest among students in northern and southern India, while family influence remained stronger in western and central regions. Older applicants were more likely to make the decision independently than younger students.
Nearly nine in 10 respondents – 88% – would be the first in their family to study overseas, highlighting the first-generation character of India’s overseas education demand.
Postgraduate education dominated demand, with seven in 10 respondents applying for postgraduate courses. Business and management accounted for 75% of subject interest, followed by health and medicine at 8%, sciences at 2% and engineering at 1%.
Digital platforms have also become central to how students evaluate their options. Google helped 39% of respondents discover an institution, narrowly ahead of education agents at 35%. It was also the most trusted source of information, selected by 56% of respondents, followed by university events at 20%, Instagram at 9%, artificial intelligence tools at 6% and YouTube at 5%.
Despite the considerable financial and political pressures surrounding international education, 51% of students reported having no concerns about going overseas.
Weather was the most commonly cited concern, selected by 27% of respondents, followed by homesickness at 26% and adapting to another culture at 23%.
Accommodation and food were each cited by 20%, while fewer respondents selected travel, communication, teaching methods or time differences.
Only 6% identified fees as a concern, while 4% cited finding part-time work, 3% safety and security and 2% currency conversion. The finding does not necessarily mean affordability has become less influential in destination choice, however, with previous sector research showing that costs, borrowing and expected employment outcomes remain central to Indian families’ decisions.
Women were more likely than men to report apprehensions about studying abroad, while younger applicants expressed greater concern than older students.
The findings land amid a broader reset in Indian outbound mobility. Ministry of External Affairs data showed that 1.254 million Indians were enrolled at overseas universities and tertiary institutions in 2025, down 5.7%, or approximately 76,000 students, after three consecutive years of growth.
Although India remains one of the world’s largest sources of international students, rising tuition and living costs, a weaker rupee and tighter immigration policies have made applicants more attentive to employability, post-study work rights and the likelihood of recovering their investment.
Students are also looking beyond the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Sector leaders have reported growing interest in destinations across Europe, East Asia and Southeast Asia, with the proportion of applicants considering several countries estimated to have risen from 10–15% to 35–40%.
Recent Keystone Education Group search data offered further evidence of that diversification. Among Indian students, interest in studying in India rose by 94%, while searches for the US and Australia fell by 37% and 42% respectively. Interest in the UK remained comparatively stable, increasing by 2%.
Understanding both what students value academically and the challenges they face will be important in creating an international education experience that is both academically rewarding and supportive
Mohit Gambir, Oxford International India
The findings come amid growing discussion of India’s potential to retain more students through “internationalisation at home”. Policymakers and sector leaders have pointed to international branch campuses and deeper international partnerships as ways of giving students access to global education without requiring them to move overseas.
More than 15 international universities are expected to be offering degrees in India by the end of 2026, according to previous reporting by The PIE News. If those plans materialise, they could widen domestic options for students seeking an international qualification while avoiding some of the costs and immigration uncertainties associated with studying abroad.
“The latest SGMI findings show that the international education journey is evolving, with students placing greater importance on the quality of their academic experience and teaching methodologies,” said Mohit Gambir, managing director of Oxford International India.
“At the same time, their concerns around adapting to a new environment highlight the need for institutions to look beyond admissions and provide the right support throughout the student journey. Understanding both what students value academically and the challenges they face will be important in creating an international education experience that is both academically rewarding and supportive.”
