India students weigh overseas degrees, local options

Emeritus’s India Gen Z Outlook 2026 found 71% of surveyed respondents were interested in studying abroad, yet 48% of that group said their interest had fallen over the past year. Among those whose enthusiasm had cooled, 37% cited rising costs, 26% pointed to visa and immigration policies and 24% flagged safety and political uncertainty in other countries.

The finding suggests that demand has not disappeared; it has become more selective. For students, the appeal of overseas education remains strongly career-driven, with 40% citing higher earning potential and 39% better job opportunities. But the survey implies that the decision is now less about prestige and more about whether the economics still work.

For universities and education providers, that shift is significant. International branch campuses in India and hybrid programmes that combine time at home with time abroad are increasingly positioned as a compromise between ambition and affordability. Emeritus said 68% of all respondents would be likely or extremely likely to pursue a programme offered in India by an international university, while 39% of transitioning students and 27% of pre-college students were open to models that blend domestic study with time overseas.

That creates a two-way market. Some families that would previously have sent students abroad may now choose an international campus in India instead. Others that were never going to pay for a full overseas degree may be upgraded into the international education market by a lower-cost local option carrying a global brand. Ashwin Damera, Emeritus co-founder and chief executive, said the campuses “are drawing in a broader audience than that” of students simply determined to stay in India.

The pricing gap remains central to the debate. Research cited by Emeritus shows average annual tuition across the India campuses examined at about INR 13.3 lakh for undergraduate programmes and INR 17.2 lakh for postgraduate courses. That is well above many domestic private universities, but still far below the cost of a full foreign degree once visa fees, travel and living expenses are added. Emeritus argues those ancillary costs are increasingly decisive as families reassess total outlay rather than headline tuition alone.

For investors, the issue is whether the branch-campus model can convert awareness into durable enrolment and career outcomes. Surveys show 48% of schools thought it was still too early to confidently recommend international branch campuses, underscoring that brand recognition alone is not enough. Employers are also placing more emphasis on workplace readiness than institutional reputation, which means placement records, internships and industry links will matter more than the university name on the gate.

There are early signs that the model can work, but the evidence is still limited. Deakin reported in March that around 50% to 60% of its GIFT City students had secured jobs, while newer campuses are still in their first recruitment cycles. That leaves execution risk high: if graduate outcomes disappoint, the premium pricing of these programmes could become harder to justify.

The broader narrative is that India’s education market is not turning away from global learning; it is demanding a different product. The next phase is likely to favor institutions that can combine international branding with lower total costs, stronger career pathways and flexible mobility. For families, that could mean more choices. For universities, it means proving that a global education can still clear a local affordability test.