Australia Falters, Making Canada a Hotspot For Indian Students

Australia’s sharp drop off in Indian enrollment has been attributed to racially motivated violence

More and more students from India are choosing the North, vs. studying down-under.

For years, Australia was the go-to choice for Indian students, but it’s estimated that their student visa applications have plunged by 80% over the past two years.

Indian students looking to study abroad are now looking at Canada’s colleges and universities.

Canada’s numbers are soaring with Canadian officials estimating a 400% growth in Indian student visa applications (from 3,152 to nearly 14,000) between 2009 and 2010. Those numbers are expected to grow even more, as Canadian universities recently announced a pledge of over $4 million in funding for a series of India-specific initiatives.

Many would-be students find Canada attractive because of its very multi-cultural population, and the fact that foreign college and university students who study in Canada gain credit towards becoming a permanent resident.

Australia’s sharp drop off in Indian enrollment and applications has been attributed to racially motivated violence against Indian students. There were 14 highly publicized attacks during a five-week stretch in 2009, which has tarnished the country’s international image.

India is a remarkably coveted market for international recruiters in any country. Nearly a third of India’s 1.2 billion population is under 15-years-old, with their middle class expected to grow 10 times larger by 2025.