TL;DR Foreign student enrolment in Indian higher education reached a record 58,134 in 2023–24, more than doubling since 2010–11. While neighbouring countries continue to account for a large share of students, enrolment from countries such as the UAE, the United States, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe has grown rapidly, reflecting a gradual diversification of India’s international student base.

Context
India has set an ambitious goal of positioning itself as a global hub for higher education. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 places considerable emphasis on internationalising Indian universities by attracting foreign students, facilitating collaborations with overseas institutions, and encouraging globally competitive campuses. In recent years, this push has gathered pace with initiatives such as the Study in India programme, regulations permitting reputed foreign universities to establish campuses in India, and Indian institutions opening offshore campuses abroad.

The timing is significant. Many traditional destinations for international students, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, have tightened visa norms or introduced stricter immigration policies in recent years. As students increasingly explore alternative destinations that offer quality education at relatively lower costs, India has an opportunity to strengthen its position in the global education landscape.

Against this backdrop, the latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023–24 offers insights into the scale and profile of foreign student enrolment in Indian higher education institutions. The data shows how international student numbers have changed over time, the countries from which these students originate, the states and institutions they prefer, and the courses they pursue, providing a snapshot of India’s progress towards becoming an international education destination.

Who compiles this data?
The All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) is an annual survey conducted by the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, since 2010-11. The survey collects institution-level data from universities, colleges, and standalone institutions across the country through a web-based portal. It is the primary source of official statistics on India’s higher education sector.

The survey findings are based on data submitted by participating institutions. As noted in the AISHE reports, the published statistics do not include information from institutions that did not furnish data to the Department of Higher Education for the respective survey year.

Where can I download clean & structured data related to this?
Clean, structured, and ready-to-use datasets based on AISHE are available on Dataful. This collection contains year-wise and state-wise statistics on higher education in India, including foreign students’ enrolments, distribution by country of origin, by higher education level, etc.

Key Insights

• Foreign student enrolment has nearly doubled since 2010–11, with a strong post-pandemic rebound. Total enrolment increased from 26,293 in 2010–11 to a record 58,134 in 2023–24, an overall increase of 121.1% since 2010-11. After declining during the COVID-19 years (2020–21 and 2021–22), enrolment recovered sharply, with 2023–24 recording the highest annual increase (19.3%) in the last decade.
• Women’s participation among foreign students has improved after years of decline. The share of women fell from around 37% in the early 2010s to a low of 31.8% in 2018–19, before steadily recovering to 35.8% in 2023–24, the highest level in over a decade. Female enrolment also grew by 28.9% in 2023–24, nearly twice the growth recorded among male students (14.5%).

• Data indicates that most foreign students choose undergraduate education. Throughout the period (2010–11 to 2023–24), more than 70% of all foreign students were enrolled in undergraduate programmes, while postgraduate courses remained a distant second (around 16–20%).
• Research programmes account for a small share of foreign enrolment. Although the number of foreign PhD students nearly tripled from 832 in 2010–11 to 2,195 in 2023–24, doctoral students accounted for less than 4% of total foreign enrolment in 2023–24. Meanwhile, M.Phil. enrolment declined sharply over the decade and remained negligible after the programme was phased out under NEP 2020.
• Gender preferences have remained largely unchanged across major programmes. Men consistently outnumbered women in undergraduate, postgraduate, integrated and PhD programmes throughout the period. Diploma programmes are the only major exception, where women have outnumbered men since 2020–21.
• Integrated programmes have witnessed rapid growth in recent years. Foreign student enrolment increased from 656 in 2020–21 to 1,191 in 2023–24, an increase of 82%, indicating rising enrolment in integrated degree programmes following the pandemic.

• Nepal has remained the largest source of foreign students, with enrolment rising from 4,785 in 2010–11 to 13,999 in 2023–24. Along with Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan, neighbouring countries have consistently accounted for a substantial share of foreign students in India.
• While Afghanistan was the second-largest source country for much of the past decade, its enrolment more than halved from 4,657 in 2018–19 to 2,131 in 2023–24. In contrast, enrolments from the United States, Bangladesh, the UAE and Nigeria have grown significantly, reshaping the top source countries.
• The UAE recorded the sharpest recent increase. The number of students from the United Arab Emirates more than doubled from 1,751 in 2022–23 to 4,094 in 2023–24, making it the second-largest source country of foreign students in India after Nepal.
• African countries have emerged as an important source of foreign students. Enrolment from Nigeria increased from 225 in 2010–11 to 3,205 in 2023–24, while Zimbabwe grew from just 29 to 2,306, indicating a growing presence of students from Africa in Indian higher education.
• In 2023–24, the top 10 source countries accounted for nearly 64% of the total. Nepal alone contributed nearly one in four foreign students.

Why does it matter?
Foreign student enrolment is an important indicator of India’s attractiveness as a higher education destination. Tracking where students come from, the courses they pursue, and how these trends change over time helps assess whether India’s efforts to internationalise higher education are translating into greater global participation. The data also highlights emerging source countries and changing enrolment patterns, enabling policymakers and institutions to better target outreach, improve student support, and strengthen India’s competitiveness in an increasingly dynamic international education market.

Key Numbers

• ↑ 26,293 → 58,134 — Foreign student enrolment (2010–11 to 2023–24)
• ↑ 13,999 (Nepal) | ↑ 4,094 (UAE) — Top two source countries in 2023–24
• ↑ 225 → 3,205 (Nigeria) | ↑ 29 → 2,306 (Zimbabwe) — Growth in enrolment from African countries (2010–11 to 2023–24)
• 73.6% — Foreign students enrolled in undergraduate programmes in 2023–24
• 35.8% — Women among foreign students in 2023–24

Note: Featured image created with ChatGPT

Pavithra K M

A bachelor’s degree in mathematics and master’s in social science, she is driven by ardent desire to work with this unique combination to create her own path instead of following the herd. Having served a stint as the college union chairperson, she is a strategist who is also passionate about nature conservation, art and loves solving Sudoku.