Foreign Student Enrolment in India Rises 19% in Five Years, Nepal Remains No. 1

Nepal remained the largest source of international students in India during the 2023-24 academic year , while Karnataka emerged as the leading destination for foreign students, according to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023-24 released by the Ministry of Education.

The survey recorded 58,134 foreign students from 173 countries studying in Indian higher education institutions. Nepali students accounted for 24.1% of the total, followed by the UAE (7%) , United States (5.9%) , Bangladesh (5.9%) , Nigeria (5.5%) , and Zimbabwe (4%) . Together, the top 10 countries contributed 63.8% of all international enrolments.

Among states, Karnataka hosted the highest number of foreign students with 7,914 enrolments, narrowly ahead of Punjab (7,902) . Maharashtra (6,190) , Uttar Pradesh (5,953) and Tamil Nadu (5,694) completed the top five destinations.

The report found that 73.6% of foreign students were enrolled in undergraduate programmes, while 16.8% pursued postgraduate studies. Overall international enrolment increased from 48,898 in 2019-20 to 58,134 in 2023-24 , marking an 18.9% rise over five years.

Education experts attribute Nepal's continued dominance to the similar education systems , close cultural ties and the open India-Nepal border , which allows Nepali citizens to study and work in India without a visa. Indian institutions also attract students with a wide choice of courses, relatively affordable education and degrees recognised across South Asia.

While the AISHE report provides comprehensive enrolment data, it does not track campus placements or employment outcomes of international students. Consequently, no official figures are available on how many Nepali graduates secure jobs or continue working in India after completing their studies.