India, Aug. 19 -- For many years, the study abroad journey followed a simple pattern: students often chose the destination first. Before shortlisting universities or courses, they would typically begin with traditional destinations such as the US, UK, Canada or Australia. But that approach is changing. Students are becoming more outcome-driven, making decisions based on return on investment, employability and long-term stability. This is not simply a passing preference. It reflects changing mobility patterns, policy developments across major destinations and new economic realities.

The cost of studying abroad has changed significantly across major destinations, pushing students and families to evaluate international education more carefu...