Nepal remains top source of international students in India, Karnataka leads host states: Report

India enrolled 58,134 international students from 173 countries during the 2023-24 academic year, with Nepal remaining the largest source of foreign students and Karnataka emerging as the leading host state, according to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023-24.

The survey, released by the Ministry of Education, compiles data from higher education institutions across the country on student enrollment, faculty, infrastructure, examination outcomes, and other key indicators. It serves as a major reference for higher education planning and policy.

The report showed that Nepal accounted for the largest share of international students studying in India at 24.1%, followed by the United Arab Emirates at 7%, the United States and Bangladesh at 5.9% each, Nigeria at 5.5%, and Zimbabwe at 4%.

Collectively, the top 10 countries contributed 63.8% of all international student enrollments in India during the academic year.

Among states, Karnataka hosted the highest number of international students with 7,914 enrollments, narrowly ahead of Punjab, which recorded 7,902.

Maharashtra followed with 6,190 students, while Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu hosted 5,953 and 5,694 international students, respectively.

Undergraduate programs remained the preferred choice for foreign students, accounting for 73.6% of total international enrollment. A total of 42,779 students were enrolled in undergraduate courses, including 27,849 men and 14,930 women.

Postgraduate programs accounted for 9,845 students, representing 16.8% of total foreign student enrollment. The remaining students were enrolled in diploma, PhD, certificate, and integrated programs.

The survey also indicated a steady increase in international student enrollment over the past five academic years. The number of foreign students rose from 48,898 in 2019-20 to 58,134 in 2023-24, an increase of 9,236 students or 18.9%.

During the same period, male enrollment increased from 32,386 to 37,295, while female enrollment grew from 16,512 to 20,839.

In addition to students from neighboring countries, Indian higher education institutions attracted enrollments from countries including Lebanon, Burkina Faso, Mongolia, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Chile.

To strengthen India's appeal as a global education destination, the Ministry of Education launched the Study in India (SII) program in 2018 to encourage international students to pursue higher education in the country.