Nepal remained the biggest source of international students in India in the 2023-24 academic year, accounting for nearly one in four foreign students enrolled in the country’s higher education institutions, according to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023-24.
The latest data showed that 24.1 per cent of international students studying in India came from Nepal. Overall, 58,134 foreign students from 173 countries were enrolled in Indian universities and colleges during the academic year.
Nepal leads foreign student enrolment in India
Nepal was comfortably ahead of other countries when it came to sending students to India. The United Arab Emirates accounted for 7 per cent of foreign enrolments, while students from the United States and Bangladesh each made up 5.9 per cent.
Nigeria contributed 5.5 per cent of international students, followed by Zimbabwe at 4 per cent. Together, the 10 leading source countries accounted for 63.8 per cent of India’s total foreign student population.
India also hosted students from a diverse set of countries, including Lebanon, Burkina Faso, Mongolia, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Chile.
Foreign student numbers rise nearly 19% in five years
The number of international students in India has grown steadily over the past five years. Foreign enrolment increased from 48,898 in 2019-20 to 58,134 in 2023-24.
This represents an increase of 9,236 students, or 18.9 per cent, over the period.
The rise was visible among both men and women. Male international student enrolment increased from 32,386 in 2019-20 to 37,295 in 2023-24. The number of female foreign students climbed from 16,512 to 20,839 during the same period.
Undergraduate courses attract most international students
Undergraduate programmes remained the preferred choice for students coming to India from abroad. Around 73.6 per cent of all international students were pursuing undergraduate degrees in 2023-24.
A total of 42,779 foreign students were enrolled in undergraduate programmes, including 27,849 men and 14,930 women. Postgraduate courses accounted for another 16.8 per cent of foreign enrolment, with 9,845 international students pursuing advanced degrees. The remaining students were spread across PhD, diploma, certificate and integrated programmes.
Karnataka and Punjab emerge as top destinations
Karnataka hosted the largest number of international students among Indian states, with 7,914 foreign enrolments. Punjab was just behind with 7,902 students.
Maharashtra recorded 6,190 international students, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 5,953 and Tamil Nadu with 5,694.
The figures are part of the AISHE 2023-24 report prepared by the Ministry of Education. The annual survey gathers data from higher education institutions on student enrolment, faculty, infrastructure, examination results and other indicators used for education planning and policymaking.
India has also been trying to strengthen its position as an international education destination through the Study in India programme. Launched by the Ministry of Education in 2018, the initiative seeks to attract more overseas students to Indian higher education institutions.