Experts advocate quality over quantity in recruitment of Indian students
India remains one of the largest source markets for international education, with nearly one million students studying abroad in 2023. While demand is strong, a BONARD Education webinar emphasised the need for prioritising quality over quantity in recruitment.
India remains one of the largest source markets for international education, with nearly one million students studying abroad in 2023. While demand is strong, a BONARD Education webinar emphasised the need for prioritising quality over quantity in recruitment. Experts highlighted that sustainable growth depends on building high-quality partnerships with reputable education agencies and quality programs for Indian students.
January 2025 – The Indian source market continues to demonstrate potential as one of the high-demand countries for international education. With Indian students exceeding recovery levels in 2023 across all major Higher Education destinations, this market still offers opportunities. To recruit the best-fit Indian students, it is essential to reassess and update the recruitment strategies that have been employed over the past five years.
This is what emerged during a BONARD Education webinar dedicated to unpacking statistics and trends in the Indian international education sector.
Key destinations and sectors
Five primary study destinations dominate the preferences of Indian students: Australia, Canada, the UK, the USA, and Germany. Together, they hosted nearly 973,000 Indian students in 2023, spanning sectors such as Higher Education (HE), K-12, and English Language Teaching (ELT).
Higher Education remains the dominant growth driver. By 2023, Indian student enrolment in HE showed consistent growth, with all key destinations witnessing more than 100% recovery post-pandemic. In 2023, Canada led the charge, driven by attractive postgraduate offerings, work-study options, and post-study opportunities. The USA followed, achieving 211% recovery in 2023 compared to pre-pandemic levels. Germany’s rise is attributed to affordable education, increased English-taught programmes, and high visa approval rates.
While there has been an increase in K-12 and ELT enrolments among Indian students in analysed destinations, these are not primary growth sectors. K-12, in particular, may interest international schools, but the demand remains limited and lacks organic momentum.
The full enrolment data for 2024 is not yet finalised. Preliminary insights suggest that growth in the Indian market will slow compared to previous years due to government interventions and tighter visa approval rates.
Visa challenges
Despite organic demand from India, challenges with visa acceptance have created hurdles in sustaining the inflow of Indian students.
Canada saw a 62% drop in visa approvals for Q1-Q3 of 2024 compared to the previous year, despite increases earlier in the year.
The UK experienced a steady decline in HE visa approvals since 2022, with a 41% decrease by Q3 of 2024 compared to 2023.
Australia’s visa approval rates for HE fell sharply from 92% in Q3 of 2023 to 62% in Q3 of 2024, though VET programmes gained traction with improved approval rates.
The USA also faced challenges due to visa processing delays, impacting overall numbers.
According to the panelists, while Q1 2025 witnessed a record-high number of applications, visa refusal rates also remained elevated. If this trend continues, it could have a detrimental impact on traditional destination countries.
Emerging trends
Several noteworthy trends have surfaced during the webinar:
Diversified programmes: Indian students are increasingly drawn to undergraduate and vocational education (VET) programmes due to their focus on employability and skills-building.
STEM and health courses: Programmes in AI, STEM fields, health, and nursing are highly sought after, with regions like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana showing strong interest.
Alternative destinations: Countries like Germany and Ireland are gaining popularity due to affordability, quality education, and growing demand for STEM courses.
Call for quality and sustainability
While the Indian market offers significant volume, it also presents challenges, such as navigating fragmented market with networks of agents and sub-agents, different regional and state dynamics, as well as addressing the financial strategies Indian students use to fund their overseas education.
Many institutions rely on complex networks of agents and sub-agents, which can drive growth but reduce transparency. Promises made by sub-agents to students often happen without direct oversight, creating risks. Working with trustworthy agents who predominantly focus on B2C model helps reduce these risks and ensures sustainable recruitment.
“There are a lot of study abroad agents, and it's unorganised. You will find a lot of regional players. You'll find a lot of one of these agencies. So when it comes to working with agents, try to work with those agents who are working with the students directly, not sub-agents,” said Madhav Gupta, Director at EEC India.
In addition, panellists emphasised that institutions should strategically target specific regions and states in India for better ROI, as each state has unique preferences. For example, Punjab inclines towards Canada, while Telangana and Maharashtra are more interested in the US and other destinations. In contrast, the Hindu Belt and states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are harder to recruit from due to lower awareness of study abroad options.
“Every country has its changes state wise. Every state has a different market. when it comes to Gujarat, it was about Canada before. Now it's about US, UK, Australia and Germany,” explained Madhav Gupta, Director at EEC India.
Rajesh Arya, President at the Council for American Education, added: “The strongest demand for the US is Telangana, Maharashtra, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. These are the major markets for the US. Punjab is more towards, towards Canada.”
The discussion also underscored the importance of thorough screening processes and the need to timely clarify Indian student priorities, including employability, scholarships, and post-study opportunities.
“Indian students often navigate financial challenges, frequently relying on long-term loans to support their studies. For some, education serves as both an academic endeavour and a pathway to broader opportunities, including immigration. This highlights the importance of thorough screening processes, clear communication, and setting realistic expectations regarding financial and academic requirements to build trust and support student success,” said Ivana Bartosik, International Education Director at BONARD.
Despite organic demand, education providers must navigate challenges such as increasing competition from alternative destinations and growing scrutiny on the influx of Indian students. Tailored strategies that consider local dynamics and trends will be key to recruit the best-fit Indian students. BONARD Education remains committed to equipping providers with the insights and tools needed for success in India and beyond.
The webinar also provided its participants with an analysis of visa trends (covering applications, grants and refusals) in a number of study destinations. Find a copy of the presentation and recording of the webinar below.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
BONARD Education is an independent market research and strategic development firm specialising in international education. Our team of specialists has been tracking student mobility data for the past 15 years. We advise and empower sector associations, governments and individual institutions with timely data and market intelligence. Find more information at www.bonardeducation.com or contact Terezia Sufliarska, BONARD’s Marketing Manager, atterezia.sufliarska@bonard.com.
SOURCE MARKET WEBINAR: INDIA
Webinar Recording
After a presentation of the latest statistics by Kristina Benedikova (International Education Analyst at BONARD), Ivana Bartosik (International Education Director at BONARD) lead a panel discussion featuring Rajesh Arya (Council for American Education) and Madhav Gupta(Enbee Education Center, India).
SOURCE MARKET WEBINAR: INDIA
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