Change In Indian Students' Destination Preferences Post COVID-19

Indian students have developed a deep interest in education abroad to keep up with the international education standards and develop skills that can grant them jobs anywhere in the world. This is why studying abroad is becoming a popular trend among Indian students. With the number of Indian students studying abroad increasing at an unimaginable rate, India is emerging as the top country for providing international students.

Since the Covid restrictions have eased, and the world is returning to how it was before the pandemic, students are making new career plans. Students who are ambitious to study abroad are preparing with enthusiasm to apply to their desired foreign universities while considering the precautions and restraints due to covid. Even after Covid, UK, US, and Canda are the top destination preferences to study abroad for Indian students.
Many Indian students also study in Armenia, Georgia, Italy, Poland, Netherlands, UAE, Switzerland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.
Increase in Indian Students’ decision to Study Abroad
Overall 5 million students around the globe are studying outside their home country, with India having the highest number of international students.
According to recent research, the number of Indian students studying aboard will reach 1.8 million by 2024.
Despite the Covid-19 restrictions, students are still interested in studying abroad. The number of Indian students who want to study abroad is increasing rapidly, making India the second most important country with an international student number after China and the leading country in the global student market.
The top five destinations for Indian students to study abroad are the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, but due to Covid-19, students’ preferences are changing.
Change in Preference from Australia to the UK
Although most countries accept Indian students to study in their country, Australia has yet to make any decision. Many students interested in studying in Australia are switching to UK or Canada, as these countries accept Indian students’ applications and grant vaccine approvals.
Many students made this decision because they did not want to waste more of their precious time waiting for Australia to allow Indians to travel to their country. The number of students applying in the UK decreased due to anti-immigrant sentiments and new visa policies.
But recently, it has been noticed that despite the high cost and visa policies, students are still opting for the UK as their destination to study abroad. Students are applying to Study in the UK because there have been labour shortages in the UK, and the pandemic increased the demand for healthcare, logistics, and information technology professionals.
Students who complete their undergraduate or master’s degree in the UK can now stay and work in the UK for two years under the new Graduate route. This is why Indian students prefer to study in the UK instead of Australia.

The Shift towards Canada
Canada handled covid better than any other country in States, and as a result, many students are now interested in studying in Canada. Students also choose to Study in Canada because of its easy immigration policies. Also, Canada has many high-ranked universities offering quality education at a much lower cost than the United States. Indian students prefer to study in Canada because of :
- Ethical diversity
- Peace and safety
- Reputable education institutes
- Less expensive than the US
- Easy immigration policies.
New Zealand is the New Preference
New Zealand provides student visas very quickly and offers opportunities for post-study work. Although New Zealand is not the first choice of many Indian students, it is becoming popular. More and more students are opting to study in prestigious institutes in New Zealand.
Germany is Popular Among Students too
Indian students are interested to Study in Germany because of the following reasons:
- Germany has an excellent international reputation in scientific research and higher education.
- There is a significant increase in master’s programs offered in English.
- Germany offers free tuition fees to all international students.
China- A Reasonable New Preference
China is becoming a new preference of Indian students due to following reasons:
- Government based scholarships
- Joint degree programs
- Involvement with foreign institutes such as; NYU, Duke University, and the University of Nottingham
- Cheap medical education
- Cost friendly
Staying Close to Home is A Significant Preference
Due to Covid-19, the students studying abroad found it difficult to reach back home as countries closed borders. Students now prefer to study in Dubai at campuses of American, Canadian, and UK-based universities to stay close to home. Since Covid hasn’t ended completely, parents are reluctant to send their children far from home to study. Singapore has some of the world’s best universities, grabbing students’ interest.
Twin Programs Are The New Trend
Many students are not interested in getting a degree in twin programs. Twinning programs are agreements between native institutes and foreign universities. This allows the students to study in their home country for a short period and then travel abroad to complete the remaining degree. In twinning programs, Indian institutes enable undergraduate and postgraduate courses with regular curricula of the partnered foreign institutes.
Students can transfer their credit hours to partnered foreign institute after completing a portion of their degree in the home institute. Studying abroad is a memorable experience for every student. Indian Students who are ambitious about their careers and want to pursue higher studies in a foreign country are not letting pandemics get in the way of their dreams.

Conclusion
Some countries are becoming popular among Indian students because of their specialized courses. For example, Switzerland and Spain are the primary choices of Indian students interested in getting degrees in hospitality and hotel management.
Asian countries are becoming famous because they are close to India and offer a cheaper education than the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. Students interested in getting their higher education from foreign institutes should research all facts about admission criteria, travel restrictions, work, future opportunities, and socio-economic and political aspects.
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