New Delhi, April 15 -- The ongoing Middle East crisis hasn't deterred Indian students from pursuing education abroad, but it has made both them and their parents more cautious in their decision-making. There is now a sharper focus on choosing destinations based on safety, stability, and long-term prospects. At the same time, traditional favourites such as the USA and the UK continue to remain top choices among Indian students. "Not just from a safety point of view but people also worry about financial risks and the risk of being stranded overseas, particularly since what happened with lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic," said Saurabh Arora, Founder & CEO, University Living. In fact, Arora said that the traditional destinations still remain central. The USA hosted over 3.6 lakh Indian students in the latest academic year, the UK around 1.46 lakh, and Australia over 1.4 lakh. These markets continue to form the core consideration set.
Nearly five lakh Indian students, accounting for almost a quarter of India's total overseas student population, are currently based in Gulf countries, many of which are now in the line of fire amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict. In recent years, the Gulf, especially the UAE and Qatar, has emerged as an attractive higher education destination for Indian students, owing to its proximity to India, relatively lower tuition fees compared to Western countries, and the presence of reputed international university branch campuses.
Meanwhile, of the roughly 1,200 Indian students who were stranded in Iran, most of them from Jammu and Kashmir, around 1,100 have now returned to India. Iran has been a preferred destination for many Indian students pursuing medical education, largely due to its affordable tuition, lower cost of living, and availability of English-medium programmes.
According to Craig Smitherman, Head of International Recruitment at the University of East Anglia, the conflicts demonstrate why keeping an open mind and keeping oneself informed on the opportunities in different study locations is important. "The UK offers not only some of the best higher education opportunities in the world, but also these programmes can be on offer in different countries - even occasionally allowing students to start in one global location and finish in another. Institutions, private, public and international, in the Middle East tend to have many influences from the UK higher education sector, making Great Britain a natural choice as an alternative destination," he said.
In 2025, India had 1.88 million students studying abroad across 150 countries, according to data compiled from various government sources. Abizer Merchant, Director (India & Sri Lanka), Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, informed how the present times require both the students and their parents to think more about the safety and security. "A number of Indian universities are offering students the opportunity to study part of their degree in India and then transfer with credit to a partner university overseas. These are referred to as dual degrees or twining arrangements. This allows students to reduce their costs by completing part of their degree in India and then getting the international experience at the overseas partner university. In some cases, the degree is conferred by the Indian university and their overseas partner separately. These options should be seriously considered by students and parents," said Abizer Merchant, Director (India & Sri Lanka), Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
With the US-Iran war still on, several other study abroad options are becoming popular among Indian students. Arora informed how stronger interests are being noticed in Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, where lower tuition costs, increasing English-taught programmes, and clearer post-study pathways are making these destinations more viable. "At the same time, destinations like Ireland, New Zealand, and Japan are gaining traction, supported by research opportunities, institutional partnerships, and defined career pathways," said Arora. Students are also evaluating countries like Poland, and South Korea, and making decisions based on cost, career outcomes, and long-term stability rather than familiarity alone.
Merchant highlights how Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand remain attractive study destinations despite the conflict. "Besides being geographically away from the conflict zone, these countries continue to offer high quality education and an excellent international experience for students. The conflict is likely to raise the costs of study and living in all destinations and no country will be immune to this," he said.
Arora believes students today need to look at studying abroad as a full journey, not just an admission decision. Of course, safety and stability remain important, but they are now being evaluated alongside how predictable the overall experience will be. "This includes visa timelines, approval consistency, and clarity on post-study work rights. A destination may be attractive academically, but if the policy environment is uncertain, students are factoring that in much earlier," he said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.