The number of Indians going abroad to study has fallen for the second consecutive year, after reaching its immediate post-Covid resurgence nearly three years ago. According to data provided by the Bureau of Immigration (BoI), 6,19,264 Indians disclosed study or education as their purpose of visit while going abroad in 2025. This was down from 7,60,060 in 2024 and 8,94,758 in 2023.
The five-year data shows a sharp post-pandemic rise followed by a steady decline. In 2021, 4,45,580 Indians travelled abroad with study or education as their declared purpose. The number jumped to 7,52,100 in 2022 and then rose further to 8,94,758 in 2023. Since then, the numbers have fallen to 7,60,060 in 2024 and 6,19,264 in 2025.
Overall, more than 34.7 lakh Indians disclosed study or education as their purpose of travel between 2021 and 2025. The 2023 figure was the highest in this period.
From a post-Covid surge to two years of decline
The year-on-year movement makes the shift particularly clear. The number of Indians travelling abroad for study increased by nearly 69% in 2022. It grew by another 19% in 2023. The direction changed in 2024. The number fell by about 15% from the previous year. The decline became steeper in 2025, when student departures fell by about 18.5%.
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The sharp rise in 2022 came after the first years of the Covid-19 pandemic, when international travel and overseas education had been disrupted. The 2023 figure then became the peak of the five years.
The decline since then is therefore important, but it needs to be read against that high base. The number of students travelling abroad in 2025 was about 2.76 lakh lower than in 2023. At the same time, it was still about 1.74 lakh higher than in 2021.
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Last year was lower, but not a return to pre-surge levels
The five-year sequence can be divided broadly into two phases.
The first was the recovery and expansion phase. Student mobility increased from 4.46 lakh in 2021 to 7.52 lakh in 2022 and then crossed 8.9 lakh in 2023. The second phase began in 2024. The number dropped below eight lakh and then fell further to 6.19 lakh in 2025.
The government has also not linked the movement to any single reason. The Ministry of Education said the decision to study abroad depends on factors including affordability, access to finance, exposure to foreign societies and aptitude for a particular branch of study.
Leaving India each year is not the same as the number already abroad
There is another number that helps put the annual figures in perspective. The number of Indians who travel abroad for study in a particular year should not be confused with the total number of Indian students already studying outside the country.
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An earlier government dataset on Indian students abroad recorded 18,82,318 Indian students across countries. Of these, 12,54,013 were studying in universities or tertiary institutions, while 6,28,305 were studying in schools. The annexure is dated January 2025.
Canada, US and UK remain the biggest university destinations
Among students studying in universities or tertiary institutions, Canada had the largest number in the government dataset, with 4,27,085 Indian students.
The United States followed with 2,55,247, while the United Kingdom had 1,73,190. Together, these three countries accounted for more than 8.55 lakh Indian students in universities or tertiary institutions in the dataset.
The concentration in these destinations also shows why changes in international education policies, costs and access in a few major destinations can have a significant bearing on Indian student mobility.
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Not just students, even Indian institutions went abroad
While Indian students continue to travel abroad in large numbers, Indian higher education institutions are also beginning to move in the opposite direction by establishing overseas campuses.
IIT Madras, IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad have established overseas campuses in Zanzibar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. IIT Madras opened its Zanzibar campus in 2023, IIT Delhi established its Abu Dhabi campus in 2024, and IIM Ahmedabad opened its Dubai campus in 2025.
IIM Ahmedabad’s Dubai campus launched a one-year full-time MBA programme in September 2025 and had 35 students. IIT Madras reported that 35 students had graduated with MTech degrees from its Zanzibar campus, while more than 100 students were enrolled in its BS programmes. IIT Delhi’s Abu Dhabi campus, which offers nine undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral courses, had 171 students in the 2025-26 academic year.
The numbers are still small compared with the scale of Indian student mobility abroad. But they point to a gradual change, like internationalisation. Indian students are travelling out for education, while Indian institutions are also beginning to take their programmes and campuses overseas.