Around 47 per cent of Indian study abroad aspirants still prefer the US over other overseas destinations, claims the iSchoolConnect Survey 2022. It adds that 47 per cent of Indian respondents chose the US as their preferred study abroad destination followed by the UK, with 18 per cent wanting to study there. The survey also added that 85 per cent of Indian respondents regarded the availability of scholarships and financial aid as a significant factor when choosing a university.
iSchoolConnect, an AI-enabled EdTech firm that assists study abroad aspirants, recently surveyed four geographies: Africa, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, to understand the evolving perspectives of study abroad aspirants. According to the report titled “Unconventional factors influencing university choice in 2022,” the US remains the top choice for studying abroad for 47 per cent of Indian aspirants. The UK came in second place, with 18 per cent of students choosing it. For aspirants in Sri Lanka, Canada tops the study abroad destination list, with 29 per cent pinning it on their top destinations map.
Meanwhile, aspirants in Thailand exhibited a strong affinity towards the United Kingdom, while African students leaned towards Canada, with 49 per cent choosing it as their top study-abroad destination.
Speaking about the report’s importance, Ashish Fernando, Founder and CEO iSchoolConnect, says, “The study-abroad landscape is an ever-evolving one. While there are several stakeholders in this ecosystem, students and their perspectives are the primary forces that shape the sector’s functioning predominantly. It has been seen that universities recalibrate their enrollment strategy and offerings based on students’ expectations and evolving perspectives. The findings of our study will aid both students planning international studies and universities in better comprehending the needs of students.”
Business and Management emerged as one of the most popular program choices among students in India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. However, Indian students clung to STEM education, with 53 per cent of surveyees choosing it as their preferred program.
The survey also makes some groundbreaking findings about the growing trend toward several other variables, including diversity and inclusion, campus type, availability and quality of university representatives, recommendations from family and peers, and study abroad consultants.
The iSchoolConnect survey also reverberates that physical violence, racial discrimination, and theft are the top-most safety concerns among students of all four countries. 76 per cent of Indian and 84 per cent of African study abroad aspirants are primarily worried about racial discrimination, while 79 per cent of Thailand and 75 per cent of Sri Lankan respondents cite physical violence as their primary safety concern.
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