Classrooms in India are becoming more international, but the patterns behind where students come from and where they study remain largely unchanged.The latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023-24 shows that Nepal remains the largest source of foreign students to India. Karnataka has emerged as the state hosting the largest number of international students, narrowly ahead of Punjab.The figures also indicate India’s growing appeal as a study abroad destination. Foreign student enrollment has increased by nearly 19% in the past five years, with students from 173 countries studying in Indian higher education institutions during the 2023-24 academic year.The Ministry of Education launched the Study in India (SII) program in 2018 to attract international students. The latest survey provides one of the clearest pictures yet of how the effort is translating into enrollment.
Nepal remains India’s largest source of foreign students
The survey found that Nepal accounted for 24.1% of all foreign students in India during 2023-24. In other words, almost a quarter of international students studying in India are from neighboring countries.The United Arab Emirates (UAE) follows with a 7% share.The United States and Bangladesh each account for 5.9% of foreign students, Nigeria 5.5% and Zimbabwe 4%.The top 10 countries of origin together account for 63.8% of foreign student enrollments in India, indicating that a sizable proportion still comes from relatively small countries.Meanwhile, Indian campuses welcome students from diverse regional countries, including Lebanon, Burkina Faso, Mongolia, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Chile.
Karnataka narrowly leads Punjab
Another trend highlighted in the report is students choosing to study in India.Karnataka emerged as a major destination for foreign students with 7,914 international students enrolled in its higher education institutions.Punjab follows with 7,902 students.Maharashtra ranks third with 6,190 students, followed by Uttar Pradesh (5,953 students) and Tamil Nadu (5,694 students).Data shows that existing education centers continue to attract large numbers of international students.
Undergraduate courses remain the biggest draw
Most international students in India are pursuing undergraduate courses. The survey shows that 73.6% of foreign students are enrolled in undergraduate courses.A total of 42,779 students study at the undergraduate level. Among them, 27,849 are male and 14,930 are female.There are another 9,845 students in graduate programs, accounting for 16.8% of the total number of foreign students.Fewer people are enrolled in diploma, PhD, certificate and integrated courses.
The number of foreign students continues to grow
The survey also showed that foreign student enrollment has grown steadily over the past five academic years. In 2019-20, there were 48,898 foreign students in India. By 2023-24, this number has increased to 58,134.An increase of 9,236 students, or 18.9%.There has been an increase in the number of male and female students. Male enrollment increased from 32,386 in 2019-20 to 37,295 in 2023-24. During the same period, the number of female students increased from 16,512 to 20,839.The All India Higher Education Survey is the Ministry of Education’s annual survey of the Indian higher education sector.Higher education institutions across the country upload information covering student enrollment, staff, infrastructure and exam results via a web-based Data Capture Format (DCF).The survey is the Government’s main database on higher education, used for planning, policy development and monitoring developments across the sector.This year’s foreign student data shows that India is attracting students from a wider range of countries, while continuing to rely heavily on neighboring countries and established education hubs.