In the report titled "Internationalization of Higher Education in India," released by NITI Aayog, it is revealed that the number of students from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh is the highest studying abroad among the total number of Indians studying abroad.
State-Wise Students Flow Trends
- As reported, there was a total of 46,818 students from Andhra Pradesh pursuing higher education outside the country in 2016. However, this number rose to 62,771 by 2018. But in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this number went down to 35,614. Still, Andhra Pradesh remains number one among all the states in India.
- Other states whose students are abroad in large numbers are listed in the report as well. These are Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh respectively.
Overall Growth in Indian Students Abroad
- According to the data for 2024, there are approximately 13.35 lakh students from India pursuing higher education studies outside the boundaries of their nation. Of these, roughly 8.5 lakh students are pursuing their studies in the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia.
- In this report, the growth rate among the Indian students abroad has been specified at 8.84% from 2016 to 2024.
Economic Effects of Overseas Education
- NITI Aayog estimates that the total cost of overseas education by Indian students amounts to almost ₹6.2 lakh crores annually. This cost equates to around 2% of the gross domestic product of India.
- According to the report, it is also a fact that education-related expenditure of Indian students abroad contributes close to 75% of the Indian trade deficit. Further, it is pointed out that for each foreign student coming to India for education, 28 Indian students move to foreign countries.
