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Student mobility and motivation: India
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18 September 2026
Insights
Capabilities
Conferences
Newly-released QS Global Student Flows data unveiled that UK is set to become the top destination for Indian students by 2030. How can markets continue to effectively recruit Indian students and beat the forecast?
In our report, understand:
- the subject choices of prospective students
- what sources they use to make their study decisions
- the factors that influence their decisions.
Read an excerpt below or download the full report.
Executive summary
Indian students remain strongly motivated by academic quality and reputation, but the factors shaping destination choice are evolving. In 2026, a welcoming environment and high-quality teaching are the joint-leading drivers of destination appeal, while the importance of employability, post-study work opportunities and affordability has diminished since 2022. At the same time, lifestyle, networking opportunities and overall student experience are becoming more influential.
Demand remains concentrated in Business and Management, Engineering and Technology, and Computing, but the strongest growth is in health-related disciplines. Interest in Subjects Allied to Medicine has more than doubled since 2022, highlighting changing patterns of demand within the Indian market.
The student research journey is increasingly multi-channel. University websites remain the most influential source of information, but the growing role of education agents and social media means institutions must deliver consistent messaging across a broader range of touchpoints. Meanwhile, expectations around response times continue to tighten, particularly during the admissions process, making speed and personalisation an increasingly important part of conversion strategy.
Subject-level interest
Business and Management remains the largest subject area among prospective Indian students, accounting for 24% of interest in 2026. Its share has fluctuated across the period, rising sharply to 31% in 2023 before returning to a more stable level of 23–24% from 2024 onwards.
Engineering and Technology and Computing continue to attract substantial demand, but both have lost share since 2022. Engineering and Technology has fallen from 24% in 2022 to 17% in 2026, while Computing has declined from 16% to 12%. These remain high-volume subject areas, but the downward movement points to a more selective and competitive environment for STEM recruitment. Clear differentiators, particularly around employability or location-led value propositions, are necessary to retain market share.
The clearest growth is in health-related study. Subjects allied to Medicine has more than doubled its share, rising from 4% in 2022 to 9% in 2026, while Medicine and Dentistry has increased from 4% to 6%. Creative Arts and Design has also edged up from 2% to 4%. Most other subject areas remain comparatively stable at low levels.
The overall picture is not a wholesale shift away from traditional high-demand disciplines, but a gradual broadening of interest.
What drives outbound mobility?
The strongest pull factors for Indian students looking to study abroad centre on academic confidence, reputation and a sense of welcome. In 2026, 57% of prospective students selected “welcoming to international students” and 57% selected “high quality teaching”, making these the joint-leading drivers. Reputation remains highly influential: 48% point to a destination’s reputation as a place to study, while 47% cite well-ranked universities.
Practical and outcomes-led motivations remain important, but they have weakened since 2022. Good graduate employment options have fallen from 52% to 41%, while post-study work visa access has declined from 46% to 35%. The decline coincides with a period in which several major destinations have changed, or signalled changes to, post-study work rights and wider international student policy. Affordability has also become a less prominent driver, with affordable cost of living falling from 39% to 32% and affordable cost of studying declining from 41% to 34%.
At the same time, softer destination attributes are gaining ground. Cultural and lifestyle appeal has increased from 33% to 38%, while the share selecting “it will help me build a network of connections” has risen from 42% to 46%. Recommendations and friends or family remain lower-ranked, but both have grown modestly since 2022.
Overall, the data points to a more rounded value equation. Indian students are not disregarding employment, visas or affordability, but these factors appear to be sitting alongside a stronger emphasis on quality, welcome, lifestyle and networks. For institutions, the opportunity is to present international study not only as a route to post-study outcomes, but as a broader experience that builds confidence, connection and long-term value.
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