Canada Emerges as Top Choice for Indian Students Studying Abroad in 2024
A new report from NITI Aayog shows a major shift in where Indian students prefer to pursue higher education overseas. Canada has taken the number one spot, pushing the United States down to second place for the first time in years.
Key Changes in Student Preferences
The United Kingdom has moved up to third position, overtaking Australia which now sits in fourth place. This change happened even though Australia saw a modest increase in Indian student numbers, reaching 1,22,000 this year.
Two new countries made their debut in the top ten list for 2024. The United Arab Emirates and Kyrgyzstan entered the rankings, reflecting the growing diversification of study destinations among Indian students.
Detailed Rankings and Student Numbers
According to the NITI Aayog report titled "Internationalization of Higher Education in India," here are the top ten countries preferred by Indian students in 2024:
- Canada: 427,000 students (up from 94,240 in 2016)
- United States: 337,630 students (down from 423,863 in 2016)
- United Kingdom: 185,000 students (up from just 16,559 in 2016)
- Australia: 122,202 students (up from 78,103 in 2016)
- Germany: 42,997 students (up from 10,820 in 2016)
- UAE: 25,000 students (new entry in 2024)
- Russia: 24,940 students (up from 6,903 in 2016)
- Kyrgyzstan: 16,500 students (new entry in 2024)
- Georgia: 16,093 students (up from 3,000 in 2016)
- Philippines: 9,665 students (up from 8,500 in 2016)
What's Driving These Changes?
The report highlights several factors behind these shifting preferences. Canada's popularity among Indian students has grown by an impressive 350 percent since 2016. This remarkable rise helped Canada claim the top position in both 2020 and 2024.
Meanwhile, the United States has experienced a decline in Indian student numbers. The country hosted 4,24,000 Indian students in 2016, but that figure dropped to 3,38,000 by 2024.
Indian students are increasingly looking beyond traditional destinations. The report notes that students now prefer countries offering more affordable education options, particularly in fields like medicine and technology.
Broader Trends in Indian Student Mobility
India remains one of the world's largest sources of international students. Between 2016 and 2024, the country experienced an 8.84 percent compound annual growth rate in outbound student mobility.
Globalization and the growing ambition for high-quality higher education have led to a significant increase in Indian students choosing to study abroad. The NITI Aayog report, published on December 22, 2025, provides comprehensive data on these trends.
Russia, Georgia, and the Philippines have maintained their positions in the top ten since 2020, though they attract significantly fewer students compared to the leading destinations.
The United Kingdom's rise to third place reflects a substantial increase in Indian student numbers. The country hosted just 16,559 Indian students in 2016, but that number grew to 90,300 in 2020 and reached 1,85,000 by 2024.
These changing patterns show how Indian students are becoming more strategic about their overseas education choices, considering factors beyond just traditional reputation when selecting their study destinations.
