A. Shrinikheathan is doing something his family has never done before — skipping the United States for his graduate education and heading to Germany instead.
The 22-year-old engineering graduate from Chennai is currently studying German and preparing for a language proficiency exam as he applies to master’s degree programs there. He’s drawn by Germany’s comparatively low tuition costs and its deep ties to the engineering industry.
His choice is part of a broader pattern. A growing number of young Indians are reconsidering the traditional path to American universities, with a new India-EU trade deal offering clearer routes to study and work in Europe — while U.S. immigration policies have become more restrictive. That’s the picture painted by roughly a dozen students and education consultants interviewed for this story.
“The world is becoming more multi-polar. Earlier, the U.S. was all that everyone was talking about,” Shrinikheathan said, adding that he was glad to have options beyond the “wildly more expensive” United States and Canada.
If the trend holds, it could fundamentally change where Indian students go to study, with Europe stepping up as a serious competitor to North America — and the EU actively seeking young talent to fill labor gaps created by an aging population.
According to education consultancy KC Overseas, tuition fees at European universities typically run 50% to 80% lower than those in the United States, with living expenses also considerably cheaper.
“The European Union has become a leading destination for Indian students,” an EU official said in a statement. “Indian students bring entrepreneurial spirit, cultural richness, and research excellence.”
The official continued: “(Indian students enrich) European campuses while deepening EU-India ties in innovation, trade, and diplomacy … this trend will continue to grow, benefiting Europe’s talent pool and India’s globally competitive workforce.”
India’s total number of students studying abroad dropped to around 626,000 in 2025, down sharply from more than 908,000 in 2023, according to government data. Students have grown wary of stricter visa requirements and higher costs in the U.S., Australia, and the United Kingdom. Last week, Washington moved to shorten the length of visas for international students as part of a sweeping immigration crackdown that began after Donald Trump took office in January 2025.
Interest in Europe has picked up since the India-EU trade agreement reached in January, which aims to simplify the process for Indian students and skilled workers to move to Europe through streamlined visa pathways, clearer post-graduation work options, and better recognition of Indian academic credentials.
“The EU-India mobility framework is part of a broader set of initiatives aiming to make the EU a global magnet for attracting and retaining talent, including for Indian students and talent,” the EU official said.
“For the first time, a major economic bloc is saying, ‘We want Indian talent at scale,’” said Arnav Kumar, co-founder of study-abroad platform Leap.
India and the EU plan to work together over five years on social security agreements with member nations, starting with a tech-focused office to support Indian students and professionals navigating the system.
“Indian students have been growing in Europe without any overarching framework. Now, we have structured pathways from education to employment,” Kumar said, predicting a 60% to 70% increase in student and worker movement over the next three to five years.
Education consultants say students are increasingly aligning their destination choice with their career ambitions and personal preferences — picking Germany for engineering, the Netherlands for work-life balance, Portugal for affordable postgraduate research, and France for management studies.
The possibility of traveling and working freely across EU member countries, along with a growing number of English-language graduate programs, is also pulling Indian students toward Europe.
Education consultancy Europe Study Centre has seen inquiries rise 25% to 30% since the trade deal was announced. Director Sivaraman Pandian described Europe as the “red-hot destination” for families put off by climbing costs and tougher visa requirements elsewhere.
More than 121,000 Indians currently study within the EU — roughly half the number enrolled in the United States — but the bloc has been steadily gaining ground as a preferred destination alongside the U.S., Canada, and Australia, government data showed.
Still, significant hurdles remain. Pandian cautioned students against unrealistic expectations: “If somebody says you will get a job in this country, don’t blindly believe it. Just because you studied in that country, it does not entitle you to get a job. You study, and you develop a skill-set; your doors are open.”
Students also pointed to language barriers, housing shortages in major cities like Amsterdam, stiff competition in the job market, and the need for specialized skills as ongoing concerns. Some also noted worries about the rise of far-right political movements and shifting attitudes toward foreigners in parts of Europe.
Early enrollment data, however, suggests real momentum. Indian student enrollment in the Netherlands climbed to roughly 3,700 in the 2025-26 academic year, up from 2,630 in 2018-19, making Indians the third-largest non-EU student group, according to Statistics Netherlands.
Eindhoven University of Technology reported approximately 2,140 pre-enrollments from India for the upcoming academic year, compared to about 1,390 the year before. Leiden University saw its Indian intake in standard master’s programs jump to 120 this year from 70 in 2021. Italy’s Padua University said partner agencies in India are reporting rising interest in European programs, including from regions that have traditionally sent students to the United States.
Whether the surge in inquiries translates into lasting enrollment growth will depend largely on how effectively the new agreement is put into practice.
Chennai-based engineer T Suthir, who is looking into colleges in the Czech Republic and Italy, said the change in attitude is already noticeable. “Earlier, before the deal was finalised, my family was saying Europe is not good,” he said. “Now, they are saying it’s good.”
