Emerging education destinations like Spain, Germany, and Singapore are garnering strong overseas education demand from Indian students.
Indian students are expanding their global education horizons and are increasingly opting for emerging education destinations such as Spain, Germany, France, the UAE, Singapore, New Zealand and South Korea, reflecting a clear shift in overseas education preferences.
While English-language destinations like the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia continue to remain highly desirable, especially the USA for STEM courses, Indian students are now actively diversifying their choices. This shift is influenced by factors such as overall cost of education, quality of institutions, visa norms, internship and employment opportunities, and student safety.
“Indian students today are far more pragmatic and ROI-driven in their approach to overseas education. Destinations like Spain, Germany and New Zealand are witnessing strong demand as they offer high-quality education, affordability, clearer visa pathways and better alignment between education and employment outcomes, especially for postgraduate and STEM programmes.” informed Shweta Guru, CBO – Overseas Loan, Auxilo Finserve.
Comparative cost:
| Cost | Emerging Destinations (Cost approximation) | Legacy Destinations (Cost approximation) |
| Average Tuition Fee | ₹6–15 lakh per year | ₹15-50 lakh per year |
| Living Expenses (annual) | ₹6–10 lakh | ₹12–20 lakh |
| Total Course Cost | ₹18–40 lakh | ₹60–90 lakh |
| Course Duration | 12–24 months | 18–36 months |
| Currency Risk | Moderate | High |
| Internship Integration | High | Moderate to High |
| Time to Employment | Faster (6–9 months) | Moderate (9–15 months) |
| Average Starting Salary | ₹25–45 lakh equivalent | ₹45–75 lakh equivalent |
| Loan Repayment Comfort | High | Moderate to High stress |
[estimated cost, actual cost may vary depending on multiple factors]
Several non-traditional European destinations have recorded strong and sustained growth between 2023 and 2025. Data indicates a growing acceptance of these markets as first-choice destinations by Indian students.
“Emerging destinations increasingly offer comparable postgraduate and STEM outcomes at nearly half the cost of legacy markets, with lower visa risk and faster return on investment.” added Ms. Guru.
The evolving study-abroad landscape indicates a more mature, research-driven decision-making process, where emerging destinations are no longer considered fallback options but strategic first choices for a growing segment of Indian students.
“We expect the trend to continue strongly in 2026” added Ms. Guru.
Auxilo offers financing solutions that cover the entire expense of tuition fees, travel, accommodation, laptop, study materials, and living expenses. Till date, Auxilo has enabled education financing for over 18,000 students across more than 1,600 universities in over 30 countries.
Key trends in higher education and STEM enrolments include:
Spain (Higher Education only):
Indian student enrolments increased from 865 in 2023 to 1,192 in 2025, reflecting a 17% CAGR over two years. Growth is being driven by postgraduate programmes in business, data analytics, engineering and public policy, supported by affordable tuition and a growing number of English-taught courses.
Portugal and Lithuania (Higher Education only):
Portugal recorded a sharp rise from 980 students in 2023 to 1,350 in 2025, while Lithuania grew from 1,120 to 1,557 students during the same period. These destinations are attracting Indian students for technology, life sciences and applied engineering programmes with strong employability outcomes.
Italy and the Netherlands (Higher Education only):
Italy witnessed steady growth from 4,145 students in 2023 to 5,196 in 2025, reinforcing its appeal for design, architecture, engineering and management studies.
The Netherlands saw enrolments increase from 2,871 to 3,512 students, driven by demand for STEM, AI, fintech and sustainability-focused postgraduate programmes.
Germany (Higher Education, PG & STEM focus):
Germany continues to be one of the most preferred non-English European destinations for Indian postgraduate and STEM students, supported by low or no tuition fees at public universities, strong research orientation and deep industry integration. Indian students are increasingly opting for programmes in engineering, automotive technology, AI, robotics and applied sciences.
Singapore (Higher Education only):
Indian higher-education enrolments in Singapore increased from 2,850 in 2023 to 3,250 in 2025, reflecting steady demand for postgraduate and STEM-oriented programmes. Growth is being driven by courses in business management, data analytics, finance, artificial intelligence and technology-led disciplines, with students attracted by shorter course durations, globally ranked institutions, strong industry linkages and high post-study employability in the Asia-Pacific region.
UAE (Higher Education only):
Indian higher-education enrolments in the UAE rose from 5,850 in 2023 to 6,507 in 2025. Growth is concentrated in postgraduate programmes in business, fintech, logistics, design and technology, with students valuing shorter course durations, global faculty and strong regional employment prospects.