Germany and Ireland emerge as key hubs for higher education for Indian students

Indian students are increasingly being drawn towards Germany and Ireland for higher studies, moving away from traditional destinations such as the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia. In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, Karan Lalit, Executive Director for South Asia at TOEFL and GRE, stated that data from the last two years shows a majority of Indian students are choosing institutions in these two countries.

According to figures from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the world's largest international student exchange funding organisation, the number of Indian students enrolling in German universities for the winter semester of 2025-26 has reached 69,816. This figure represents an increase of 17.5% compared to the previous year. Similarly, in the year 2024-25, approximately 9,175 Indian students enrolled in Ireland, accounting for 20.6% of the total non-Irish resident student population there.

This trend is particularly prominent among students from Karnataka. According to Karan Lalit, out of more than 60,000 students going to Germany, 12,000 students, or 20%, are from Karnataka alone. The primary reason behind the choice of these countries by Karnataka students is not just visa policies, but 'Return on Investment' (ROI). Since students take loans from banks or parents invest lakhs of rupees for higher education, they give greater importance to the ROI factor.

World-class engineering technology is available in Germany, and students are granted the right to work for 18 months after completing their studies. Students from Bengaluru who have their own start-up ideas particularly prefer Germany. On the other hand, students wishing to study healthcare or social sciences are choosing Ireland. Ireland also offers the opportunity to work for 18 months after graduation, a benefit similar to that of Germany.

The situation in the USA is also responsible for this shift. Lalit noted that while the USA is not accepting students in large numbers, Germany and Ireland have emerged as suitable alternatives. He added that despite wanting to go to the USA, either visa slots are unavailable or there has been an increase in visa rejection rates.

Regarding the rates of application rejections by universities, he clarified that relevant data for the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia is not available. However, admission results depend not only on language assessment but also on academic performance, program requirements, and the institution's selection criteria. He advised that standardised assessments, prior planning, and guidance from reliable overseas education counsellors can help students prepare a strong application. He further stated that visa decisions are a separate process and should not be linked with university admission results.

Speaking on language tests, he mentioned that most English tests, other than TOEFL, are not accepted in Germany. The TOEFL iBT test is accepted by institutions in both Germany and Ireland and is recognised by over 13,500 institutions in more than 160 countries worldwide, providing students the facility to explore educational opportunities in various countries. Karan Lalit further stated that TOEFL has introduced several changes in January 2026 to make it more suitable for the 'Gen-Z' generation and to maintain its credibility in foreign universities.