Career development opportunities are the most influential factor determining where Indian international students pursue global education, according to new research conducted by international education specialist IDP Education in March 2025.
The Emerging Futures Seven – Voice of the International Student research, which collected responses from more than 6,000 students from over 106 countries, including nearly 1,400 students from India, found that 77 per cent of Indian students pursue international education for career advancement, including better employability and higher earnings.
According to the research, 70 per cent of Indian students ranked access to work placements as the main academic factor influencing which institution they study at. This provides an opportunity for institutions looking to attract and retain Indian talent, to align their marketing, program development, and student support services with this key academic priority.
The research also identified that ‘job outcomes from the institution’ was the top non-academic factor when choosing an institution for 69 per cent of Indian international students, which is nine per cent higher than average.
“We know that international students choose their study destination based on factors that help them become job ready, with access to post-study employment visas being the key influence. Students leaving India to embark on their global journeys are no different,” said Simon Emmett, Chief Partner Officer at IDP Education.
“Simultaneously, we observe that international students are increasingly able to address essential skill shortages in the destination workforces. This is particularly true for Indian students, with nearly half (45 per cent) of current students and 43 per cent of prospective and applied students indicating that they intend to work in their study destination after completing their education.”
“The research serves as a timely reminder for governments and policymakers to embrace the international student cohort, who go on to fill vital skill gaps and foster long-lasting diplomatic ties between their home and host countries.”
While the research showed that there were positive sentiments among students, it also revealed they are struggling with study-related costs and increasing cost of living. The cost of tuition and cost of living were identified as the top reason Indian students chose not to pursue international education.
“Financial factors like tuition costs and savings requirements are top of mind for Indian students — and we’re starting to see how that is shaping their decisions in powerful ways. More than half of Indian students say their choice of study destination would change based on the availability of scholarships (55 per cent) and part-time work opportunities (54 per cent),” said Piyush Kumar, Regional Director – South Asia, Canada and Latin America (LATAM) at IDP Education.
In a shift from previous findings, Australia has overtaken the United States as the number one destination for Indian students, followed by the United Kingdom. This change reflects Australia’s efforts to align post-study work rights with skills shortages and its increasing affordability compared to other major destinations.
Sunny Singh a former international student from India who now works as an engineer in Australia, highlighted the real-world impact of international education.
“When Indian students come to countries like Australia, we’re not just here to study. When we embark on global study journeys, we are investing in building a future. We want to make a positive impact on our communities during the time that we spend studying and working in places like Australia,” said Mr Singh.
“I’m incredibly proud of the career that I have built for myself. It hasn’t always been easy, but working in engineering and filling a critical skills gap is very rewarding.”
More information on the research is available at https://partners.idp.com/emergingfutures
