By Kunal Mehra

In 2022, 7.5 Lakh Indian students were enrolled to study abroad, which is a 68% increase from the previous year. These numbers have almost doubled in less than 5 years and grown at a very healthy double digit CAGR (nearly 11%) year on year.

These numbers are a clear testament to just how popular studying abroad has become in recent years.

Another interesting statistic is that in the past, a majority of these students headed to the US – which has historically been the go-to destination, not surprisingly, given the economic landscape and employment opportunities.

However, in recent years other countries such as Canada are driving the growth in these numbers, mostly because of their liberal immigration policies.

Last year, Canada, with almost 45% share of the overall Indian students going abroad market, emerged as the leading destinations for Indian students, which was almost 50% more than the number of Indian students that went to the US.

When families are thinking about sending their kids to universities abroad, they are making this investment not solely for the quality of education that these top universities offer, including access to top research resources, but also for the social cachet. The growth their child will have through the challenges they face, the connections they build, the worldview they form, the long term vision and confidence their child builds, are all equally important aspects of an abroad education!

Equally important is the ‘how’ of getting into colleges abroad. The most coveted and selective universities in the world, such as Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge, MIT, amongst others have some of the most meticulous processes of selecting their students. Students will go on a four year journey to pursue intellectual endeavors, develop their personal interests and hobbies, come up with solutions to problems in their community, and in this process demonstrate their commitment to doing a good thing for the world and show what education is truly meant for. This, in and of itself, is a process of discovery and growth for students.

For the admissions officers at these top universities, it’s akin to putting together the cast of a movie – a cohort of individuals who will come with a rich set of experiences from all parts of the world – aspiring engineers, neuroscientists, biologists, physicists, archaeologists, computer scientists, philosophers and chemists. These students will bring with them their diverse experiences, upbringing, perspectives, worldviews formed from challenges they faced. What you get to experience then in a class are enriching conversations, debates, and unique stories. When these students come together, the solutions they build to some of the most pressing problems are more inclusive and robust. The learning you experience is not just from your professors, but also from your peers.

While the popularity of online education continues to grow, it can never be seen as a replacement for an actual college degree, for it is not just an academic experience, it is in equal part a social experience.
And although online education will give you flexibility, enrolling in a particular degree or course still means you will be learning the subject matter of that particular degree or course. One of the biggest appeals of studying abroad (at least in the United States) is not having these boundaries – while enrolled for a degree in Computer Science, you can go take a class in philosophy, business, or history!

With online learning becoming incredibly popular over the last few years, with companies like Coursera, Udacity, EdX offering full degrees, specializations online, there is no doubt it allows for more people to have quality skills to participate in the workforce. But even with large communities created around online learning, nothing can quite match the experience of being at a college campus, experiencing the halls, libraries, debating with your classmates, grabbing lunch with them.

(Author is Country Head, Crimson Education)