Most preferred foreign universities by Indian students

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It has become a very common trend nowadays for Indian students to go abroad for higher studies. In fact, studies have revealed that most of the foreign universities are targeting more and more Indian students. This is evident given the increasing participation of foreign universities in the education fairs in the country that take place from time to time. The number of students studying abroad has almost crossed the 300,000 mark.

The latest report on “Indian Students Mobility 2015” on study abroad trends has revealed that after China, India is the second largest source for studying abroad in the World. It has also been revealed in the same report that very soon India will surpass all countries to be the largest source of international students in the world. The most popular countries where Indians prefer to go for higher studies are USA, UK, Australia, and some Asian universities.

Top US Universities

The USA has been the preferred destination of choice for education for students from India and other South Asian countries since a very long time. In the QS World University Rankings 2013, out of the top 10 institutions, 7 are American institutions. They are as follows:

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

• Harvard University

• Stanford University

• Yale University

• University of Chicago

• Princeton University

• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Why Indian students prefer US for studying abroad?

• Strong Asian community

• World-class education

• Variety of research-centric science and technology courses

• Job-oriented management courses

• Large number of scholarships and fellowships offered by the American government and Institutions

• Part-time job opportunities

• An American degree is regarded highly by many organisations around the world

Many research reports have revealed that the MBA and an MS in Bio-technology, Computers, and Electronics are amongst the most popular courses in the USA. Other popular courses are the specialised post-graduate courses like medicine, para-psychology, cosmetic surgery, diabetes-research and genetics.

Top UK Universities

The United Kingdom has always been a primary destination for international students, especially for Indians. According to QS World University Rankings 2013, some of the popular UK Universities with a large number of Indian students are as follows:

• University of Cambridge

• UCL (University College London)

• Imperial College London

• University of Oxford

• King’s College London (KCL)

Why Indians prefer to study in the UK?

• The UK already has a substantial population of Indians, who are an integral part of the UK society. Indians have created a large community for themselves. And so the Indian students get a friendly atmosphere.

• Indians prefer UK also because of the number of scholarships offered by the government and universities there.

• It is much easier to get admission in UK as compared to USA because of stiff competition in the latter.

• UK programs are comparatively less expensive than programs in other top international destinations for Indian students, including the United States.

• In terms of infrastructure, UK universities provide very well-equipped laboratories, libraries, dormitories etc, including excellent sports and recreational facilities.

• It is a great place offering lots of opportunities to students to enrich their interests.

You can find a variety of UG and PG courses offered by the UK universities that are fully accredited including MBBSs, MAs, MScs, MBAs and PhDs. The most popular ones are architecture, accounting, physiotherapy, economics, medicine, psychology, fashion design, law etc.

Top Australian Universities

The number of students from India applying to study at Australian universities has been increasing in the last few years. As per QS World University Rankings 2013, the top 5 Australian Universities are as follows:

• Australian National University

• The University of Melbourne

• The University of Sydney

• The University of Queensland

• The University of New South Wales

Why Indian students prefer Australia for studying abroad?

• One basic reason for Indian students opting for Australian Universities is due to the low annual tuition fees.

• Also Australian qualifications comply with all the national standards.

• The ESOS Act 2000 also ensures that international students will receive the tuition for which they have paid. This means that the tuition fees are protected by the law.

• Australia as a destination provides one of the highest standards of living but an affordable one.

• International students are allowed to work while they study in Australia

Australian universities provide a variety of qualifications ranging from bachelor degrees, associate degrees and advanced diplomas to post graduate diplomas, masters degrees and doctoral degrees.

Top Asian Universities

The number of Indian students applying to study in Asian countries has been rising steadily since 2009. The top universities in Asia from 16 countries throughout the region as per the QS World University Rankings 2015 are as follows:

• National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore

• University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

• Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST), South Korea

• Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore

• Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Hong Kong

• The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Hong Kong

• Peking University, China

• Seoul National University, South Korea

• City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

• Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH), South Korea

Why Indian students prefer Asian universities for studying abroad?

• Other than Australia, US and the UK, Indian students are also opting for Asian destinations, especially Singapore, Hong Kong and China due to the quality of its universities and proximity to India.

• Places like Singapore have gradually become a leading financial centre and the headquarters for many Asian MNCs.

• China too has invested a lot in its top-tier universities and now offers significant quality education in most academic fields.

• These places offer the perfect launch pad to students looking for jobs in different fields, business, management, finance, accountancy, law in particular.

• Tuition fees and the cost of living are affordable here as compared to the West.

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