A human being is a social animal. Traveling abroad to get socialized in the age of globalization is like a fantasy for many. It is always a good thought to study abroad to experience not only to access the finest education but also to expand perceptual, cultural and behavioral horizons. Indian students are traveling the world over; for example, exposure to different cultures and lifestyles enables young minds to understand the importance of cultures in their lives. That’s why we at EduGorilla have strived to put before you the detailed list of the top 8 dream destinations of the Indian students when the question of studying abroad surfaces up.
Best 8 Study Abroad Places for Indian Students
| Country | Most chosen subjects | Best Universities | Average Expenditure |
| United States of America | Engineering & computer science | Massachusetts Institute of technology Harvard University Stanford University | Tuition: $25,000 Food and living: $11,000 |
| United Kingdom | Physiotherapy and Law | Cambridge University Glasgow University Durham University | Tuition: £30,000 Living:£24,000 |
| Australia | Medicine and Business Management | Australian National University University of Melbourne University of Sydney | $42,093 (AUS) |
| New Zealand | Business and Economics Hospitality
| University of Auckland University of Otago University of Canterbury | $25,000(NZ) |
| Germany | Engineering | Technical University of Munich RWTH Aachen University Heidelberg University | Tuition: $10,520(US) Living: $9980(US) |
| Canada | Animation & Pharmacy | McGill University University of Toronto University of British Columbia | Tuition: $10,000 (US) Living:$5,400 (US) |
| China | Medicine and International Economics and trade | Tsinghua University Peking University Fudan University | Tuition: $6000 (US) Living: $1000 (US) |
| Singapore | Management | National University of Singapore Nanyang Technological University Singapore Management University | Tuition: $10,500(US) Living: $2000(US) |
1. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Capital: Washington DC
Prominent cities: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago
Weather: Weather changes in different regions
Currency: $ US (US dollar)
STUDENT LIFE
When someone says “I’m going to States to study abroad”, eyebrows still raise in wonder despite the fact that 11.8% of the international student population studying in the US country is made up of Indian students. The education quality, infrastructure, freedom of choosing subjects and flexibility of completing your course attracts students from different countries of the world.
However, surviving in the US for Indian students is a roller coaster ride. For an Indian student, the most important factors for survival are food and accommodation. Accommodation is easily available on campus or the college assists you in finding an off-campus apartment or hostel room or homestay. Considering the fact that survival in the US is expensive compared to other countries, as an Indian student, you can opt to support yourself financially by working part-time on campus or off-campus at places like restaurants, call centers, etc or as an intern in the sector of your interest while you study abroad.
SCHOLARSHIPS:
Students of different countries who are planning to study abroad are offered two kinds of scholarships by the US Government- Foreign Full Bright Student Program & Humphrey Fellowship Program. Apart from these, individual universities also offer scholarships to capable students of different countries to help you cover your expenditure.
CHALLENGES
A big challenge, especially for an Indian student is his/her independent lifestyle. US culture expects students to manage their daily chores and study very punctually by themselves. For example, a meeting fixed with a faculty happens exactly on the stipulated day and time. Any delay can put you in trouble. After completing your graduation, students usually return back their respective country as it is difficult to obtain a working visa and find a job compared to other countries.
2. UNITED KINGDOM
Capital: London
Prominent cities: Birmingham, Manchester, West Yorkshire,
Weather: Unpredictable; usually windy, cold and snowy
Currency: £ UK (Pounds)
United Kingdom is the second most preferred country after the US among Indian students to study abroad. It’s due to its excellent professional curriculum studying environment and encouragement towards research & innovation. Interestingly, 5% of the world’s scientific research is conducted in the UK country producing 14% of world’s highly cited academic papers.
STUDENT LIFE
In the UK, 18% of the total students in higher education in the country are non-UK students. Part-time jobs in sectors like hospitality, retail, and delivery or on campus are easily available. Organizations like National Association of Student Employment Services also help international students find a job. Such things assist Indian students greatly in making earnings while learning when they opt to study abroad in UK country.
SCHOLARSHIPS
The government of UK offers Chevening Scholarship and Commonwealth Scholarship to international students. Universities also offer scholarships covering full or a part of the tuition fee.
CHALLENGES
Indian students who want to study in the UK, another favorite study-destination abroad, have to worry about finding an accommodation as it might be expensive, low quality and not easily available. In the last 5 years, UK has seen upsurge as well a downfall in the number of international students opting to study in the country. This year, it has witnessed a 10% downfall in the number of Indian students visiting the UK due to the changes in the new visa requirements. International students are now required to have a budget of £1000/month excluding the tuition fee to study in London and £800 if you’re studying in smaller towns. Finding a job after graduation might also be a challenge because non-UK students have just four months else they will have to leave the country. On the other hand, it is not easy to obtain a working visa. In 2014, only 5639 students, out of the entire international country student population, were granted visas.
3. AUSTRALIA
Capital: Canberra
Prominent cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Perth
Weather: temperate climate; temperatures rarely go below zero
Currency: $ AUS (Australian Dollar)
STUDENT LIFE
For the Indian students, Australia is the third most preferred study destination to study abroad, after US and UK, simply because it has a balance of everything. The country has 5 universities of the Best 100 world ranking universities and 15 noble prize winners. Foreign countries students’ at Australia expenses largely depend on the chosen city and university. Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth are the most sought-after cities to study. Accommodation is not a worrisome matter as students usually prefer staying off-campus in hostels, homestays or other rental properties. Australian lifestyle is extreme; you work equally hard at work and at leisure.
It’s not difficult to obtain a student visa provided you are studying at an accredited course. The student visa also enables you to work for a time period equal to the duration of your course.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Every year Australian government sets aside 200 million dollars only for international students making available several scholarships apart from the scholarships provided by the universities.
CHALLENGES
As an Indian student, you might have to tackle the stringent laws of the country to make sure you are doing legal things. Strictly any mistake might get you deported to your home country. A cultural shock is unavoidable. However, you will soon get adjusted to it. Jobs are again a vital concern and sometimes you may take a little longer than usual to find a job.
4. NEW ZEALAND
Capital: Wellington
Prominent cities: Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton
Weather: Warm dry summers and wet winters
Currency: $ NZ (New Zealand Dollar)
STUDENT LIFE
New Zealand and Australia, both countries are almost at par in terms of the number of Indian students they attract. Nevertheless, this island nation is popular because of the flexible working & visa conditions and affordable education. It’s every parent’s wish to accompany his/her child to make his/her life easier and New Zealand makes this possible very conveniently. Students can not only be accompanied by their guardians but the accompanier is also permitted to work. The student visa allows the student to work for a year after finishing the course and enhances the opportunity of obtaining permanent residency.
SCHOLARSHIPS
New Zealand government offers scholarships at different levels of study like undergraduate, postgraduate, Ph.D., etc. along with the scholarships offered by universities individually.
DISADVANTAGES
Despite having an affordable education system which is slowly gaining recognition, degrees from New Zealand Universities still do not weigh as much as those from the US, UK or Australia. Besides, New Zealand is a small market and hence job opportunities are less.
5. GERMANY
Capital: Berlin
Prominent cities: Hamburg, Munich
Weather: Temperate weather, might reach extremes during summer
Currency: € Euro
STUDENT LIFE
You can undoubtedly call Germany a free education country as all the public universities provide free undergraduate courses which are not only respected but is of high-quality standards. Germany has 450 state accredited State universities offering 17,500 courses. Considering the variety and financial feasibility, it witnesses 12% share of foreign students in its universities. Along with the many advantages, jobs and accommodations can also be found. Though the survival expenditure is high, student concessions are available on almost every front of expenditure, including entertainment facilities like theatre tickets, etc.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Many organizations help international students find scholarships. German Academic Exchange Service is one such huge network which has a huge database of scholarships and can help you find a suitable scholarship conveniently.
CHALLENGES
Survival might also become strenuous as non-EU students are permitted to work only for 190 full days or 240 half days while no such restrictions apply to EU students. If you are thinking of using your skills to employ yourself then you must know that freelancing and self-employment for non-EU students are banned in the country.
Though foreign country students in Germany can stay for additional months after completing a course, you might find it difficult to get along the punctual and selective social culture. However, Indian students can definitely give it a try when the matter of study abroad arises.
6. CANADA
Capital: Ottawa
Prominent cities: Toronto, Montreal, Calgary
Weather: Might be winter for the most part of the year
Currency: $CAD (Canadian Dollar)
STUDENT LIFE
Offering affordable education programs in many fields, Canadian universities encourage research and provide quality education. Offering several visa benefits like full time working hours during vacations and part-time on college workings days, the education is relatively affordable compared to a country like US and UK. The certainty of facing a cultural shock is definitely high, however, during a survey it was found that six out of ten international students found the environment, friendly and welcoming.
Finding an accommodation is not a difficult task in Canada. Often Canadian families are open to providing accommodation to foreign country students. Many colleges also have youth hostels and dormitories located near their campuses. Students can also rely on finding apartments to stay.
CHALLENGES
Though obtaining a visa is not an uphill task, the biggest challenge for foreign country immigrants is their low income as compared to the local counterparts. Immigrants tend to be employed in low-skill jobs and hence tend to return home or travel to different countries in search of better jobs. Seeing the overall picture, it seems prudent to undertake the journey to this country as its education policies are favorable for the Indian students when the question of abroad-study springs up.
7. CHINA
Capital: Beijing
Prominent cities: Shangai, Hong Kong, Canton
Weather: extreme temperatures however since the country is vast, weather depends on the place you choose to stay in
Currency: Renminbi
STUDENT LIFE
The culture of this oriental country is deeply penetrated into the lifestyle of its countrymen. Indian students visiting China might face an extremely different culture which may or may not be similar to their own culture. Studying in China is less expensive and recommended especially for medicine and business-related courses as it leads to research and innovation. As a student, you will not have to tackle food or accommodation or transportation-related problems as the variety and affordability is seamless. The biggest asset of the country which you should exploit is the huge market with umpteen job opportunities in almost every sector.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Chinese government and universities do offer scholarships, nevertheless, financial issues should not prevent you from studying here.
CHALLENGES
A student might not face huge challenges in major academic elements like knowledge, faculty, infrastructure, etc. Although, minute issues like cultural differences, an evident distinction between local and foreigners, the importance given to local language Mandarin and internet restrictions might employ your bravery skills. Also, seeing the newfound hostility between India and China following the 1962 war and the umpteen border-related issues, it may be safe to carry the garb of caution when studying in the country.
8. SINGAPORE
Capital: Singapore
Weather: hot and humid with a lot of changes)
Currency: $SGD (Singapore Dollar)
STUDENT LIFE
Student life is certainly an enriching experience while studying in Singapore as you have access to reasonable education facilities and resourceful knowledge base. The education of Singapore is based on bilingual policy. Also, there are stringent laws in place in favor of international students ensuring to protect them from any kind of mental and physical abuse. With the increasing demand, on-campus accommodation may be difficult but private facilities like hostels might provide you sufficient space and facilities.
SCHOLARSHIPS
The government provides many scholarships to the students independent of their income or living standards.
CHALLENGES
It is easy to obtain a visa but it might be difficult to work part-time in Asia’s one of the most expensive cities, as such jobs are approved only after authorizations from respective universities. However, for Indian students, Singapore is one of the main hubs of learning to ameliorate their studies when the matter of abroad-study is concerned.
IN A NUTSHELL
| Country | Benefits | Challenges |
| United States of America | Diverse infrastructural facilities; knowledge resources; welcoming environment | Cost of living |
| United Kingdom | Experienced Faculty, professional education system | Cost of living, lack of jobs, visa requirements, unpredictable weather |
| Australia | Student visa can be used as working visa | Cost of living sometimes higher that US |
| New Zealand | Affordable education | Smaller market for job opportunities |
| Germany | Free undergraduate education Student concessions on most public facilities | Restricted days of work for non-EU students |
| Canada | Affordable education on par with US and UK | Low salary for immigrants |
| China | Vast employment market | Cultural distinction |
| Singapore | High standard education and foreign students favorable laws | Survival can be very expensive |
VERDICT :
Studying abroad is on every youngster’s bucket-list and such openness of the global education world definitely motivates every student to aim higher. This is the time where you would be required to make a choice. It is very evident that despite the high education costs, US and UK still remain the most opted for destinations as their education system essentially exposes a student to rich academic learning experiences. The UK and the US undoubtedly offer the best, but if you want to make a wise and informed choice, then you should definitely consider your subject of focus and make comparisons between the countries to avoid unnecessary expenditures. A degree from a reputed institute and from a country which specializes in that field should make your goals a cakewalk. From the graph below it is evident that migration is going to reach a
saturation point. So does this indicate that degree from a reputed university would no longer be held in high regard or will the indigenous education system will suffice for the best? Leave your comments below as we wait for them.
Related Links:
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/edri/2015/202753/
Best 8 EDUCATION CONSULTANTS TO HELP YOU STUDY ABROAD [/sociallocker]
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