In terms of choice of Indian students, the shine of America, Britain, Canada and Australia is now fading. A report by Leap Global Education says Indian students are now choosing courses like nursing, AI and finance in countries like Italy, France and New Zealand. In these countries, the path to employment is direct and the cost of education is low. Now their new mantra is – not degree, but job. Europe is emerging as the new favorite destination for Indian students. Applications for admission in Europe increased by 7 times Italy: +669% Main course: STEM + Healthcare Reason: lower fees, easy work visa France: +542% Main course: Finance + Marketing Reason: Shift from tech to management (Note: figures for 2026 STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Most preferred course – 338 times jump in applications Course applications increased Master of AI* 33,800% Master of Nursing Science 533% Physiotherapy 336% Healthcare courses 37.6% (Note: Figures for 2026, compared to a year earlier *New Zealand, Source: LEAP) Priority – What do Indian students want abroad now? GRE/GMAT* 58% Scholarships 40% Backlog concerns 27% Job placement 21% Part-time work 15% Cost of living 12% University ranking 7.8% Hyderabad leads Indian tech cities’ interest in France Hyderabad: +1,100% Biggest jump in tech professionals Chennai: +750% Looking for product-management careers from IT roles amid the changing global situation Bengaluru: +212% Strong demand for business and finance programs Reason for changing trend… The biggest concern among Indian students about jobs – Due to weakening of rupee, the cost of education and loan burden has increased. Seeing this, students are now asking – ‘Will this expensive degree get a job?’ Courses like Nursing, AI are popular because their demand is clearly visible in the global job market. Italy and France are attractive because the fees there are low. Migration pathways are also better than other countries. According to the report of Leap Global Education based on the analysis of about 30 lakh students, applications for courses like Healthcare, Master of Nursing Science, Physiotherapy, Master of AI programs in European countries have increased from 37.6% to 33,800%. In terms of AI courses, Indian students are preferring New Zealand more. The report says that the cost of education in countries like Europe and New Zealand is lower than traditional education hubs like America and Britain.
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