HE Institutions still struggle to engage and enrol more students from India

Many agents and colleges, universities and HE institutions, even with established experience in recruiting international students, still struggle to engage and enrol more students from India who wish to study abroad. The institutions need to understand the thinking and behaviour that drive these potential students in applying for a course abroad.

QS Quacquarelli Symonds released a report in February 2021 which analyses the Indian students market. The insights are based on  QS student data such as the International Student Survey (ISS) as well as ongoing coronavirus pulse surveys. This information can help make data-based decisions to target potential students.

The growing population and increasing demand for international study experience from students from India are an important part of the international student recruitment bringing diversity and drive to the institutions where they study.  The Indian government has recognized that the young generations and their education are the future of the country’s progress and growth and approved and unveiled a new education policy in 2020 in order to reform and improve education. Despite this, many Indian students are interested in studying abroad in search of better opportunities with high-quality education that might not be yet accessible in their home country.

According to the QS International Student Survey, the Indian respondents have shown an ongoing interest in studying abroad with top study destinations like Australia, the UK, Canada, the US and Germany.

Regarding the factors influencing the students’ decisions on study destination, Indian students opted for the following top 5 factors about the country:

• It is welcoming to international students (54%)
• It has universities with high-quality teaching (53%)
• They can get a visa to work after graduating (48%)
• Affordable tuition (47%)
• Good graduate employment options (46%)

To a question which types of marketing and communications are influential in helping them choose a university the students most chosen types were:

• Information on work placements and links to industry (67%)
• Ability to connect with existing international students (66%)
• Information about teaching staffs’ experience and qualifications (59%)
• Meetings with admissions staff at fairs or information sessions and Accommodation information (both 55%)
• Stories about current and former international students (53%)

The data shows that the potential Indian students need information about the course, programmes, previous students’ experiences to make a decision and value studying in a welcoming country and put importance on financial aspect as well as the academic value and the teaching quality. They prefer destinations that would offer them future post-study opportunities and employment prospects.