In 2025, the top regions in India that send the highest number of international students abroad continue to reflect long-standing trends, with a few notable shifts. Here’s a breakdown based on government data, education agencies, and regional news sources:
🇮🇳 Top Indian States Sending Students Abroad in 2025
State / Region
Key Characteristics
Punjab
Long-standing culture of migration, strong NRI networks, and demand for Canada & UK
Gujarat
Large middle-class and business families investing in foreign education; Germany rising
Maharashtra
Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur students go to the US, UK, and Australia for STEM & MBA
Kerala
High literacy rates, strong preference for medical and nursing degrees abroad
Telangana & Andhra Pradesh
High outbound flow, especially for tech and engineering courses in the US, UK, and Germany
Tamil Nadu
US and UK are the most preferred; increasing interest in Australia and Europe
Delhi-NCR (Delhi, Haryana, Noida)
Students from affluent urban families choose top-tier global universities
Karnataka
Tech-savvy students from Bengaluru prefer the US, Germany, and Canada
🔍 Highlights from 2025 Data & News
Gujarat: According to recent reports, Gujarat saw a 168% increase in general category students taking government education loans for overseas study.
Punjab: Continues to top the chart in per capita students going abroad, particularly for Canada, UK, and increasingly Germany and Australia due to Canadian visa issues.
Telangana: Hyderabad alone sends tens of thousands of students annually — US, UK, and Germany are top choices.
Kerala: Strong interest in medical programs in the Philippines, Georgia, Russia, and nursing courses in Australia and Ireland.
Maharashtra & Tamil Nadu: Leading states in sending students to Ivy League, Russell Group, and Group of Eight (Go8) universities.
🧭 Regional Trends by Destination Country (2025)
Destination Country
Top Source States in India
USA
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra
Canada
Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat (though declining in 2025)
UK
Delhi, Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala
Germany
Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat
Australia
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Delhi
Philippines/Georgia/Russia (MBBS)
Kerala, Gujarat, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh
📌 Summary
Punjab, Gujarat, Telangana, and Kerala continue to dominate in terms of student outflows in 2025.
A shift from Canada to Germany, UK, Australia, and the Philippines is noticeable.
Urban hubs like Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru are also top contributors.
