Study Abroad 2026: A research on the study abroad trends by the NITI Aayog has revealed how students from India are making strategic decisions about their global higher education journeys by carefully choosing their academic streams. These trends offer insights into how Indian students respond to global academic opportunities, labour market signals and shifting geopolitical contexts.
The research paper titled 'International Student Mobility: A Global and Indian Temporal Overview' tracks student enrolment patterns across disciplines such as Engineering, Business, Health Sciences, Social Sciences, and Humanities between 2018 and 2022. The report highlights both persistent preferences and evolving aspirations.
Technical Education, Career-Oriented Disciplines
The data from the year 2020-21 revealed a strong preference for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and career-oriented disciplines. Engineering enrolments accounted for 16.4 per cent of the total Indian student outbound enrolments, whereas Mathematics and Computer Science accounted for 15.7 per cent.
Engineering, and Math and Computer Science together accounted for over one-third of students, reflecting India's strong interest in technical education and the global demand for IT and engineering professionals.
MBA Courses
Business and Management (12.6 per cent of enrolment) is also a major draw, given the popularity of MBAs and related programmes as pathways to international careers, the study has shown.
Is Social Science Popular?
According to the report, fields like Social Sciences (6.6 per cent of enrolments), Fine and Applied Arts (4.4 per cent), and Communication and Journalism (1.8 per cent) remain less pursued, in contrast to STEM and MBA courses.
Health Professionals
Health professions, with an enrolment of 2.8 per cent, also attract a relatively small share, likely due to high costs, stringent licensing requirements, and sufficient domestic options, the report said.
However, according to the study, there has been a rising interest in Social Sciences, Arts, and interdisciplinary fields in recent years.