Indian students’ numbers in Australia reach seven-year high

After the US and the UK adopted tougher immigration laws, Indian students are evincing interest in studying in Australian colleges and universities. Data from Australian High Commission in New Delhi revealed that the number of students from India pursuing an education in Australia rose to a seven-year high.

Universities of Australia such as Deakin, Canberra, New South Wales, James Cook, Queensland and Bond said that they saw a spurt of applications from India in 2017. Earlier, most Indian students traditionally preferred the states of Victoria and New South Wales, but now they are applying to colleges and universities in both Queensland and Melbourne, the high commission said.

The Australian High Commission was quoted by The Economic Times as saying that more than 68,000 Indian students were studying in educational institutions of Australia in November 2017, an increase of 14.65 percent compared to the same period in 2016. Likewise, in January-December 2016, there were 60,013 Indian students in Australia, which was an increase of 12 percent over its previous year.

Experts attribute the increase in numbers owing to Australia’s more welcoming nature towards Indian students.

Narayanan Ramaswamy, partner and head, education of KPMG, India, said the Australian government’s approach to education is akin to Switzerland’s to tourism. He said that with US visa restrictions in place, it is unclear if that country wants more people. But Australia’s message is unambiguous, as they want more people who can contribute to its economy, Ramaswamy added.

A Council of Graduate Schools study revealed that on the other hand, the number of Indian students heading to the US is decreasing. First-time graduate enrollments and number of Indian students at US institutions slumped from Fall 2016 to Fall 2017 by 15 percent and 13 percent, respectively.

Jane den Hollander AO, Deakin University vice-chancellor and president, was quoted by the newspaper as telling it that increasing number Indians are now applying for admission to undergraduate programs at their institutions.

The number of Indian students enrolling at Deakin University increased by 50 percent in Indian students in 2017 compared to 2015. Bond University saw Indian students’ numbers rise by 20 percent in 2017.

James Cook University's spokesperson said that the number of enrollments of Indian students is surging by 10 to 12 percent.

According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs, the number of Indian students who were granted a study visa to Australia increased by 14.6 percent to 68,227 students in the year 2017.

A study recently conducted by Pearson for PTE Academic showed that Australia was emerging as the new desired destination. It said that the most number of applicants wishing to study in Australia were from Gujarat, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh.

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