Why are families rethinking study abroad?
For a decade, the plan felt simple: finish Class 12, get a foreign degree, get a foreign job, and the money comes back. In 2026 every step of that plan is less certain, and families are noticing.
The numbers have turned. Indian enrolments in universities abroad fell 5.7% in 2025, about 76,000 students, the first drop after three years of growth, according to Ministry of External Affairs data. Canada still hosts the most Indian students (427,085), followed by the US (over 255,000) and the UK (173,190). Source: The PIE News, citing MEA data.[1]
How many Kerala students go abroad?
Kerala feels this more than most states. The number of Kerala students abroad nearly doubled, from 1,29,763 in 2018 to about 2.5 lakh in 2023, and students now make up 11.3% of everyone who emigrates from the state. Some leave as early as 17. The UK is the top choice, picked by about one student in four, and Canada by about one in five. Source: The South First, 15 Jun 2024, on the Kerala Migration Survey 2023. [2]
That's a lot of family money. The same survey put Kerala's total outward remittances at ₹43,378.6 crore in 2023. Not all of that is tuition, but much of it follows children abroad. Source: Kerala Migration Survey 2023, key indicators. [3]
How much does a degree abroad cost after 12th?
Canada: the average international undergraduate pays C$41,746 a year in tuition (2025/26). Over a four-year degree, that is about ₹1.12 crore in tuition alone, before rent and living costs. Canada also requires proof of C$22,895 a year for living expenses before it issues a study permit. Sources: Statistics Canada, 10 Sep 2025; Careers360, 31 Oct 2025. [4][5]
UK: international undergraduate fees range from about £9,725 to £70,000 a year. At five leading universities, 2026/27 averages run from about £24,000 to £44,214, before living costs. Source: Hotcourses Abroad, 31 Oct 2025. [6]
Is it still easy to stay and work after graduating?
The return on a foreign degree depends on the years after it, and that is where the rules have tightened most.
Canada will issue just 155,000 new study permits in 2026, a 49% cut from its 2025 cap of 316,276. Source: ICEF Monitor, 5 Nov 2025. [7]
The UK is shortening its Graduate Route, the visa that lets students stay and work after their degree, from two years to 18 months for applications made from 1 January 2027. From August 2028, English universities will also pay a £925 levy for each international student. Sources: The PIE News, 15 Oct 2025; ICEF Monitor, Nov 2025. [8]
None of this makes studying abroad a bad choice. It does mean the old maths, "the job abroad will pay it back", needs checking against today's rules, not your cousin's experience from 2019.
Study abroad vs building in India: how do they compare?
What should you ask before you decide?
- What happens after the degree? Check the current post-study work rules for your intake year, not last year's.
- What is the full cost? Add tuition, living costs, flights and the interest on any loan, then ask how many years of salary it takes to pay back.
- What do you actually want to do? If the answer is to build or run a business, ask whether a foreign classroom is the fastest way there.
- Is the Indian option you're comparing approved? If it includes an online degree, check it on UGC's list. Our guide to doing an online degree alongside a full-tme programme shows how.
Where The School of Future fits
For students who want to build, the strongest Indian routes now combine a recognised degree with real work. Our guide to the best courses after 12th if you want to build a business compares them. SOF's undergraduate programme in Kochi is one: three years, full-time, with Co-Builds inside real companies and an online BBA from Jain (Deemed-to-be University), enrolled separately. Its optional global immersions in Singapore, Dubai, London and elsewhere, billed separately, give students international exposure without four years of foreign fees.
The bottom line
Studying abroad is no longer a sure bet; it's an expensive one, with rules that can change after you've paid. For students who want to build, the better question isn't "which country?" but "what's the fastest, safest route to doing real work?" Sometimes that's abroad. Increasingly, it's at home. Applications for SOF's next UG cohort are open.
Sources
- Outbound Indian university enrolments fall after three-year rise — The PIE News, citing Ministry of External Affairs data.
- Youth exodus: Kerala sees unprecedented rise in student emigration — The South First, 15 Jun 2024 (Kerala Migration Survey 2023).
- Kerala Migration Survey 2023: key indicators — IIMAD (outward remittances ₹43,378.6 crore).
- Tuition fees for degree programs, 2025/2026 — Statistics Canada, The Daily, 10 Sep 2025.
- Studying in Canada got costlier: 4-year degree will now cost over INR 1 crore — Careers360, 31 Oct 2025.
- Tuition fees in the UK — Hotcourses Abroad, 31 Oct 2025.
- Canada cuts foreign enrolment cap by nearly 50% — ICEF Monitor, 5 Nov 2025.
- Shorter Graduate Route from January 2027, UK government confirms — The PIE News, 15 Oct 2025.
- UK confirms international fee levy of £925 per student from August 2028 — ICEF Monitor, Nov 2025.
Frequently asked questions
Is studying abroad after 12th still worth it in 2026?
It can be, for a student set on a specific foreign career with funding secured. But costs have risen and visa rules have tightened: Canada halved new study permits for 2026, and the UK shortens its post-study work visa to 18 months from 2027.
How much does a bachelor's degree in Canada cost for an Indian student?
The average international undergraduate tuition in Canada is C$41,746 a year (2025/26), about ₹1.12 crore for a four-year degree in tuition alone, before living costs.
How long can international students stay in the UK after graduating?
The UK Graduate Route allows two years now, falling to 18 months for bachelor's and master's graduates who apply from 1 January 2027.
What are the alternatives to studying abroad after 12th?
A regular Indian degree, an IIM integrated programme, an approved online degree alongside real work, or a learn-by-building undergraduate programme that pairs a degree with work inside real companies.
