The number of Indians studying abroad fell to about 626,000 in 2025 from more than 908,000 in 2023, according to Indian government data, as tighter U.S. visa rules and a new India-EU mobility agreement redirect growing numbers of students toward Europe instead.
A. Shrinikheathan, a 22-year-old engineering graduate from Chennai, is one of them. Breaking with his family’s tradition of studying in the United States, he is learning German and preparing for a language proficiency exam as he applies for a master’s program in Germany, drawn by lower costs and the country’s industrial ties. “The world is becoming more multi-polar. Earlier, the U.S. was all that everyone was talking about,” he said, adding that he was glad to have study options beyond the far pricier United States and Canada.
The shift follows a free-trade agreement between India and the European Union signed Jan. 27, a pact European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called “the mother of all deals.” Beyond eliminating tariffs on more than 90% of goods traded between the two economies, which together account for roughly a quarter of global GDP, the agreement includes provisions meant to ease visa pathways for students and skilled workers, clarify post-study work routes and improve recognition of Indian academic qualifications.
“The European Union has become a leading destination for Indian students,” an EU official said in a statement to Reuters, adding that Indian students bring entrepreneurial energy, cultural diversity and research strength to European campuses while deepening ties between the two sides in innovation, trade and diplomacy.
More than 121,000 Indian students are now enrolled in the EU, roughly half the number studying in the United States, but the bloc’s numbers have been climbing. Indian enrollment in the Netherlands rose to about 3,700 in the 2025-26 academic year from 2,630 in 2018-19, making Indians the third-largest group of non-EU students there, according to Statistics Netherlands. Eindhoven University of Technology recorded roughly 2,140 pre-enrollments from India for the coming academic year, up from about 1,390 the year before, while Leiden University’s Indian intake in its standard master’s programs rose to 120 this year from 70 in 2021.
Cost remains a major driver. European tuition typically runs 50% to 80% below U.S. levels, according to education consultant KC Overseas, with lower living expenses further narrowing the overall price gap.
Arnav Kumar, co-founder of the study-abroad platform Leap, said the trade deal marks a turning point in how European institutions and governments talk about Indian students. “For the first time, a major economic bloc is saying, ‘We want Indian talent at scale,’” Kumar said, forecasting a 60% to 70% increase in Indian student and worker flows to Europe over the next three to five years as India and the EU spend the next five years building out social security agreements and a dedicated office to guide students and professionals.
Consultants say Indian students are increasingly matching destination countries to specific career goals: Germany for engineering, the Netherlands for work-life balance, Portugal for affordable postgraduate research and France for management. Education consultancy Europe Study Centre has seen inquiries rise 25% to 30% since the trade deal took effect, according to its director, Sivaraman Pandian, who described Europe as a red-hot destination for families discouraged by rising costs and tightening visa rules elsewhere.
Pandian cautioned that a European degree carries no guarantee of employment. “Just because you studied in that country, it does not entitle you to get a job,” he said, adding that students still need to develop marketable skills once they arrive. Students interviewed separately cited language barriers, housing shortages in cities such as Amsterdam, intense job competition and a need for specialized skills as ongoing obstacles; some also said they were watching the rise of far-right political parties and hardening attitudes toward foreigners in parts of Europe.
Perceptions at home appear to be catching up with the trend. T. Suthir, a Chennai-based engineer weighing programs in the Czech Republic and Italy, said his family’s views had shifted markedly since the trade deal was finalized. “Earlier, before the deal was finalised, my family was saying Europe is not good,” he said. “Now, they are saying it’s good.”
Whether the current surge in interest translates into a lasting shift in enrollment will depend on how smoothly the mobility agreement is put into practice, according to university officials in Italy and the Netherlands who said they are still monitoring how the framework unfolds on the ground.
