Indian Students Are Warming Up to Foreign University Campuses at Home

More Indian students now want a foreign degree without actually leaving home. A new Emeritus study shows foreign university campuses in India are becoming a genuinely attractive option.

What happened

Emeritus surveyed Indians aged 15 to 28 across major cities, combining quantitative research from March 2026 with qualitative interviews from January. The report found that interest in foreign university campuses in India cuts across two very different groups: students actively planning to study abroad and students who aren’t considering it at all. That’s a notable signal, since it means the appeal isn’t limited to students settling for a backup option.

The numbers behind the noise

Affordability leads the list of reasons. 72% of respondents believed an India-based campus would cost less than studying the same course abroad. An equal 72% expected similar exposure to global teaching methods and academic standards, and 71% believed it could improve their job prospects. Meanwhile, 70% of respondents said their families view these programmes as a smart investment. Interestingly, the report suggests the quality gap between Indian and foreign campuses may be narrowing faster than public awareness of it.

Why visa concerns are reshaping choices

Visa uncertainty plays a major role too. Among students actively transitioning into or preparing for higher education, 69% said they would prefer an India-based international programme specifically to avoid visa uncertainty, and 92% said they’re interested in studying in India within the next two years. Even so, 78% would still consider studying abroad, which shows this isn’t an either-or decision for most students. One 23-year-old transitioning student from Hyderabad, quoted in the report, said a visa denial actually pushed them toward an India-based programme instead, since it offered similar exposure without the same risk.

The bigger picture

Fully on-campus programmes in India emerged as the most preferred format, chosen by 44% of pre-college respondents and 50% of transitioning students. A hybrid pathway model, combining study in India with a partial stint abroad, also gained traction, especially among students closer to enrolment. That said, studying abroad clearly hasn’t lost its appeal entirely. Around 60% of pre-college respondents and 78% of transitioning respondents still said they’d consider it, largely because of higher earning potential and stronger global job opportunities. However, cost and visa concerns are increasingly tempering that interest, and even interest in the US specifically has cooled, with 42% of students considering it saying their interest has declined over the past year.

Bottom line

Foreign university campuses in India appear to be carving out real demand, not as a consolation prize, but as a genuine middle ground between affordability, global exposure, and reduced immigration risk.

Original reporting: The Economic Times