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New Delhi: The dream of studying abroad is gradually vanishing for Indian students. As per the latest data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Indians spent 23 per cent less on higher education abroad in the month of August 2025 comparision to the same month last year.
Under the RBI’s Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), Indian residents sent 319.17 million dollar abroad for education in August 2025 which is less from 416.39 million dollar in August 2024. This significant dip shows that less number of Indians are sending large sum of money for higher education overseas.
According to experts this drop is due to rising study costs, stricter visa regulations and the downfall of the value of the Indian Rupee against the US Dollar. The rupee has weakened by about 4.5 per cent in the last year and 2.6 per cent so far in 2025, making foreign education even more expensive.
Many top study destinations have tightened immigration and visa policies. The United States saw a 44 per cent fall in Indian student arrivals as student visa issuances dropped by 19 per cent in August 2025 compared to the same time last year.Canada, which introduced a cap on international students, recorded a 70 per cent decline in new arrivals this year. The UK and US have also introduced policies to reduce temporaary immigrant numbers which include foreign students and workers.The average annual cost of studying abroad has also surged rpassing CAD 30,000 in Canada and 22,000 pound in the UK which is making families to rethink on overseas expenditures.
Beyond money, experts believe this decline reflects a shift in mindset. For years, studying abroad was seen as a status symbol and a guaranteed career booster. But now, many students are becoming more practical and ROI-driven.Social media platforms are filled with stories of students facing visa issues, low-paying jobs and mental health struggles abroad.With global job markets becoming more competitive, Indian students are exploring high-quality domestic universities, hybrid global programmes and specialised programmes in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence instead of pursuing pricy foreign degrees.
