According to the International Migration Outlook report 2022, India is the second largest contributor to the international student population in OECD countries. Indian students make up 10% of the overall international student population in OECD countries.
The report also revealed that Indian students prefer universities located in regions with lower tuition fees but a prospective job market. They tend to prefer being close to a job or labour market even during their course and prefer countries with good labour market policies. The countries like Australia, Norway, Germany, and Switzerland have therefore been preferred by Indian students in huge numbers.
The geographical proximity and language of the study were also observed to have been considered important by Indian students.
Also Read: India Continues to be the Leading Source of Global Talent in Canada
As per an OECD report figures, Indian students have been observed to choose STEM subjects, especially Engineering, over others.
In 2016-17, over 50% of Indian students were enrolled in Engineering course programmes in the Netherlands. In 2017-18, in the USA, almost 50% of international students opted for STEM subjects. While 79% of total Indian students chose STEM fields, only 45% of the Chinese international student population enrolled in the said subjects.
While in France, in 2018-19, 63% of the overall Indian cohort was enrolled in science courses, Chinese students were more equally distributed among the social sciences fields of economics, social and natural sciences, with 1% belonging to the health and medical sector.
In 2021, 66% of Indian students in Germany were enrolled in Engineering fields in comparison to 50% of Chinese students.
Also Read: Indian Students to Become the Largest Foreign Group in Australia by the End of 2022
Other OECD countries also reported the same trend.
The 12 OECD countries where Indians dominate the market as one of the top three international student cohorts are Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the USA. Among these countries, India is the largest contributor to three nations and the second largest to eight nations.
Source: Indian Express
Explore Which Country and university are Best Suited for You!
