At one point, it was Canada and Australia, and now the US and UK have joined the roster of places that are no longer the shining, golden standard for international education, especially for Indian students.
Given the recent tensions with the US (its President, of course) and the many restrictions placed on Indians going there, parents are no longer interested in spending lakhs and crores of their hard-earned money on places where their children will not be treated right and will always be in fear of being sent back over any small issue.
Of course, seeing this, many other countries have jumped to the task, providing interesting incentives that would attract not just Indian students but international students from around the world who are now looking for alternatives to the US and UK.
UAE
Dubai in the UAE is rapidly emerging as a top education hub for Indian students. With its blend of world-class academics, practical industry exposure, and a multicultural lifestyle, students are certainly leaning towards it. A 2025 Times of India report noted that Indian students comprise 42% of Dubai’s international student intake.
The proximity to India, an already significant Indian population based there, and accessible options make it an ideal option for Indian students to transition to a foreign location without feeling too homesick.
Universities in Dubai are also now offering degrees specially for today’s rapidly evolving global economy in fields such as AI, fintech, data science, logistics, and finance.
Singapore
Singapore has always been a very popular option for Indian students, especially those who couldn’t really afford the high costs of the US and UK. But in recent times, its popularity has only skyrocketed, with top-rated National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) being seriously considered by many here over previous popular places.
Singapore, furthermore, being a major financial and business hub in Asia, boasts of a whopping 7,000 international corporations, including major MNCs, thus leading many to hope for internship and post-study work opportunities that will help them build solid work profiles.
Similar to Dubai, Singapore also has a very multicultural society, with a significant Indian demographic as well, making many Indian students believe they can earn more than just a simple degree from there.
Read More: Why Is Germany Wooing Indian Students Now?
Japan
Japan has also been emerging as an education spot to look out for. Considering their recent decisions and aspirations regarding international students, Japan is certainly trying to jump into the void that has been created with the US and UK becoming difficult spots for Indian students.
Prerna Bansal, Principal Counsellor at Prerna Bansal & Co, has also commented on this, talking about how Japan is growing as an education destination and why.
She said, “Indian parents view education as an investment, and when a country stops welcoming their child, it is natural for parents to invest elsewhere. We have seen these patterns time and again, previously with Australia and Canada in the 2010s.
Therefore, a hot emerging destination for Indian students is Japan, where we are seeing an intentional effort by the Japanese government to invite Indian students with English-forward courses, lower cost of living, and ease of obtaining a visa.
Similarly, South Korea, Malaysia and UAE are emerging as strong alternative study abroad destinations. One of the reasons for this is also the presence of satellite campuses of prestigious colleges, such as Monash University Malaysia or Northwestern University Qatar.
While these colleges were initially aimed at the local population, their proximity to India with a far more affordable price tag are making them very attractive to students who are applying for the 2026 and 2027 intake.”
Ireland
Ireland, in an interesting twist, has emerged as a good alternative to the otherwise more expensive UK, offering high-ranked universities with better post-study work options and relatively lower costs.
Their tuition costs are quite affordable for international universities, ranging between Rs 11.1–18.5 lakh per year.
Factored this with multinationals like Google, Meta, and Intel having campuses in Dublin, their post-study work visa, called the ‘stay back option,’ that lets students stay back in the country for two years after graduation, is appealing.
Other European countries like the Netherlands, Finland, and others like Portugal, Switzerland, and Turkey are also drawing students for their affordability, friendly migration policies, and niche educational strengths.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Economic Times, NDTV, The Hindu
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: Indian Students, education hubs, japan, hong kong, south korea, ireland, uae, singapore
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