Majority of Indian study-abroad aspirants plan to return home: Survey
NEW DELHI: A majority of Indian students planning to study abroad intend to return to India after completing their courses, according to a new survey by Oxford International. The third edition of the Student Global Mobility Index found that 81% of respondents plan to come back home after their studies, while 15% said they would apply for a job without specifying whether the job would be in India or overseas.
The survey, which combines 17,925 responses to core questions and about 2,400 responses to additional questions, also revealed that nearly nine in 10 respondents (89%) are the first in their family to pursue education overseas. Almost half (49%) said the decision to go abroad was entirely their own.
The findings show a significant shift in decision-making over the three survey cycles. The proportion of self-motivated students rose from 29% in 2023-24 to 34% in 2024-25 and 49% in 2025-26. Meanwhile, family influence declined from 59% to 37% and then to 36% over the same period. Younger students were more likely to rely on family guidance, while older applicants tended to decide independently. Self-motivation was highest in north and south India, while family influence was strongest in the west and central region.
Academic preferences are heavily concentrated. Seven in 10 respondents (70%) are applying for postgraduate courses, and 75% identified business and management as their main field of study. Health and medicine followed at 8%, sciences at 2%, and engineering at 1%.
When it comes to choosing an institution, Google searches were the most common source of information, used by 39% of students, followed by education agents at 35%. Trust in sources followed a similar pattern: 56% named Google as their most trusted source for education information, compared with 20% for college events, 9% for Instagram, 6% for AI tools, and 5% for YouTube.
The survey was conducted by Oxford International, an education provider, and includes responses from Indian students planning to study abroad. The report does not specify the exact time frame of the survey or the full list of source countries, but the findings reflect current trends among Indian study-abroad aspirants.
