On the affordable course fees parameter, a significant 28 percent of Indian students selected the UK for higher education, followed by choices like Australia (20 percent), Canada (18 percent), and the USA (9 percent).
Despite concerns over affordability, safety, and security, the US remains the top choice for 69 percent of Indian students seeking higher education abroad. The UK comes a distant second at 54 percent, Canada at 43 percent and Australia at 27 percent, according to a report based on a survey.
The second edition of Oxford International’s Student Global Mobility Index (SGMI) report stated that 45 percent of students cited the quality of education and 42 percent highlighted the reputation of universities as significant motivating factors for those aspiring to pursue higher education in the US. In contrast, for the UK, 59 percent of students stressed on the quality of education, while 61 percent pointed to the reputation of British universities.
The SGMI survey revealed that nearly 71 percent of the Indian students stated that their parents or guardians were the primary influencers in making the decision of pursuing education abroad. This trend was also observed in students from countries like Nigeria (72 percent), Pakistan (71 percent) and Vietnam (62 percent). Some 44 percent of Indian students stated that their closest friends were the second influencers in their decision to move abroad for higher studies.
On the affordable course fees parameter, a significant 28 percent of Indian students selected the UK for higher education, followed by choices like Australia (20 percent), Canada (18 percent), and the US (9 percent). Over 34 percent of all responding aspiring students selected Australia as they could apply for scholarships followed by Canada at 32 percent, the UK at 27 percent, and the US at 23 percent.
In comparison to Pakistan (23 percent) and Vietnam (22 percent), 35 percent of the students from India and Nigeria are inclined to engage with higher education agents as a primary source of information during the decision-making process for selecting courses and universities to consider for their education.
“In an era where global education transcends borders, the findings of Oxford International’s Student Global Mobility Index illuminate the evolving landscape of higher education aspirations. The survey has ranked the US as the most preferred study destination followed by the UK as the second most preferred one. It is interesting to note that despite apprehensions surrounding affordability and safety, the allure of quality education and esteemed universities persists as primary drivers,” said Mohit Gambir, MD of Oxford International Education Services.
Conducted collaboratively by Oxford International and the Knowledge Partnership, the SGMI study encompasses a diverse sample size of 500-plus current and prospective students.