Indian students prioritise job prospects over prestige when choosing foreign universities

Indian students are increasingly choosing overseas universities based on career prospects, affordability and visa certainty, according to an IDP Education survey. While traditional destinations remain popular, students are becoming more focused on long-term return on investment and post-study employment opportunities.

Hyderabad: Amid ongoing layoffs and shifts in the global job market, Indian students are increasingly prioritising employment opportunities after graduation when opting for foreign universities.

A recent survey has revealed that 41 per cent of the respondents consider career outcomes after graduation as the leading measure of value for money. It is ahead of teaching quality (31 per cent) and gaining industry-aligned skills (27 per cent).

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In addition to career outcomes, the IDP Education in its latest edition of Emerging Futures – Voice of the International Student research report also highlighted how affordability and visa certainty are influencing Indian students’ decisions to study overseas.

Affordability pressures continue to influence students’ decisions on international education. A total of 43 per cent of Indian students who are no longer pursuing overseas education said tuition costs were beyond their financial reach, and 32 per cent cited rising living expenses as a key barrier.

Further, the research highlighted that 28 per cent of respondents identified visa-related difficulties as a major challenge. It also highlighted how Indian students are focused on their destination choices earlier in the decision-making journey, with the number of students considering only one country increased from 19 per cent to 22 per cent.

IDP Education said students today are placing greater emphasis on outcomes, employability, affordability and certainty while making destination choices.

“Their destination choices have become more focused and depend on long-term return on investment. This indicates a clear shift towards more informed and outcome-driven decision-making, where students are assessing destinations not only on academic reputation, but also on long-term career value, financial preparedness and confidence in post-study pathways,” it added.

According to the research, traditional destinations – Australia, UK, USA and Canada – continue to lead first-choice preferences.

Indian students considering the UK placed greater emphasis on high-quality teaching and academic support (39 per cent), while those considering Australia prioritised industry-aligned skills and knowledge (29 per cent) along with strong career outcomes after graduation (42 per cent).

Canada is associated with course-related work opportunities (29 per cent), while the USA stood out for career connections and networks (34 per cent) and career outcomes (46 per cent).

New Zealand recorded the association with post-study work rights (34 per cent) and career outcomes after graduation (48 per cent).