Is a foreign degree still worth it? Indian students rethink as costs soar, visas tighten

The value of a foreign degree is increasingly being judged by career outcomes, visa certainty and the total cost of studying overseas, as students compare more destinations and reconsider plans when tuition or visa barriers become too high, according to recent research from IDP Education and Navitas.

India has a significant presence in IDP Education's Emerging Futures 9, Voice of the International Student survey. Of more than 5,800 students surveyed, 962 respondents were from India — the largest source market in the study, ahead of China with 817 and Nigeria with 666. Respondents came from 118 countries and regions.

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The IDP research shows that students are applying the "worth it" test to overseas education earlier in their decision-making. Return on investment, visa certainty and quality assurance are increasingly shaping decisions, while employability, post-study work opportunities and affordability remain key factors.

The findings are echoed by the latest Navitas Agent Perception Survey, which shows cost pressures dominating student choices and more applicants keeping multiple destinations — and studying in their home country — as alternatives. The Navitas survey was conducted in May 2026 and reflects responses from 870 education agents across 64 countries.

Career returns shape the value of a foreign degree

Students are not judging the value of overseas education on price alone.

Globally, 32% of respondents in the IDP survey identified securing strong career outcomes after graduation as one of the factors that matter most when deciding whether overseas study is worth the money.

High-quality teaching and academic support followed at 28%, while 22% cited gaining relevant, industry-aligned skills and knowledge. Building career connections or networks and access to scholarships or other financial support were each cited by 21%. Respondents could select up to three factors.

IDP describes the trend as one where value for money is increasingly defined by outcomes rather than price, with career outcomes, skills and academic quality carrying more weight than tuition costs alone.

There is also an India-specific finding in the IDP report. Post-study work rights ranked fifth among the factors Indian respondents associate with value for money, cited by 24%.

The findings indicate that the calculation around a foreign degree increasingly extends beyond getting admission. What happens after graduation — including employment prospects and the ability to work in the destination country — is part of the value equation.

Cost remains a major barrier

While students may define value through outcomes, the cost of getting a foreign degree can still stop them from pursuing one.

Among respondents globally who said they were no longer pursuing international studies, 50% said tuition costs were beyond their financial reach, according to IDP. Another 35% said the cost of living had become too expensive. The findings were based on 208 respondents classified as "decliner students".

The Navitas survey provides a similar signal from education agents.

Globally, 82% of agents identified cost of study, including fees and living costs, as an important factor influencing students' choice of destination.

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Access to post-study work rights was cited by 61%, followed by quality of education at 54%, safety and security at 52%, opportunities to work while studying at 50% and permanent migration opportunities at 49%.

The pressure is also evident in Navitas' South Asia findings.

Among agents responding from South Asia, 80% identified cost of study as an important factor influencing destination choice. Post-study work rights followed at 75%, opportunities to work while studying at 60%, visa access and processing at 55%, and permanent migration opportunities at 53%.

Visas move to the start of the decision

Visa requirements are also changing when and how students decide whether an overseas degree is worth pursuing.

IDP says visa settings have shifted from being a late-stage consideration to a primary filter in destination choice. Students are screening destinations earlier and can rule them out because of visa costs, policy uncertainty or perceived barriers to entry.

Among prospective students surveyed by IDP, 48% identified post-study work as a strong visa-related influence on destination choice, while 43% cited savings requirements and 42% cited visa costs.

Visa problems are also showing up among students who have decided against international education.

Among IDP's global group of decliner students, 27% said the cost of a student visa had become too expensive, while 26% said obtaining a student visa was too difficult. IDP reported that difficulty getting a visa had recorded the largest increase among the reasons measured for not pursuing international education.

Navitas' research similarly suggests that uncertainty around visas can affect even strong applicants.

The survey asked agents to respond to the statement: "Lower visa acceptance rates discourage some of the strongest potential students from applying, even when they are genuine and well-qualified."

About 80% agreed or strongly agreed.

Another 76% agreed that students with strong academic and financial profiles are more likely to choose alternative destinations with higher visa certainty.

The findings suggest that visa certainty is becoming part of the return-on-investment calculation before students commit money and time to an overseas degree.

Students shop around before committing

Students are responding to these pressures partly by widening their choices.

IDP found that 78% of students were seriously considering more than one destination, up from 66% in October 2024. Of the respondents, 36% were considering two countries and 22% were considering three.

The detailed March 2026 results show 20% considering one country, 36% two, 22% three, 14% four and 6% five or more.

However, established destinations have not lost their pull.

IDP found that Australia remained the leading first-choice destination globally at 31%, followed by the UK at 19%. The US and Canada stood at 14% each.

Students also remain confident about the career value offered by traditional destinations. Among those considering, applying to or studying in particular destinations, confidence that the destination would help develop skills needed for a future career stood at 85% for the UK, 84% for Canada, 83% for Australia, and 82% each for New Zealand and the US.

The data therefore points to students becoming more selective rather than simply turning away from overseas education.

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Studying at home becomes part of Plan B

The Navitas findings show another way students are managing the financial and policy risks associated with studying abroad: keeping a domestic option available.

About 72% of agents agreed that applicants are more likely than in previous years to have a backup plan to study in their home country, while 68% agreed that students are more likely to give up plans to study abroad because of affordability.

When Navitas asked agents about the factors behind students choosing to remain in their home country, affordability ranked first at 87%. Family or personal commitments followed at 63%, while 50% cited difficulty obtaining a visa for overseas study.

IDP also found a home-country element among students who had abandoned international study plans. About 14% of global decliner respondents said study options in their home country had become more appealing.

The Navitas survey also found 46% of agents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "Local universities in my country now provide a university education comparable to studying overseas." The same share agreed that foreign university branch campuses in their country offer comparable academic quality to studying abroad.

A foreign degree without going fully abroad?

IDP's research also points to growing interest in transnational education, which allows students to study programmes from overseas institutions through branch campuses, partnerships and other models.

Among prospective students surveyed, 52% said they were open to studying at an international university's branch campus, while 51% would consider articulation or twinning programmes. Exchange programmes attracted the highest interest at 58%.

Cost remains part of the appeal. Among prospective students considering transnational education, 49% cited reducing the overall cost as a motivation. However, improved employment opportunities abroad ranked slightly higher at 52%, while 46% cited pathways or transfer opportunities to study overseas later.

Students still have reservations about these alternatives. Some 54% were unsure whether the quality of transnational education would be as good as studying at an international university's main campus, while 47% worried about fewer opportunities to build connections or networks and 43% cited fewer work or migration opportunities.

Taken together, the IDP and Navitas surveys do not suggest that students have stopped seeing value in an overseas degree. Instead, they point to a more calculated decision.

For Indian students — who formed the largest source group in IDP's survey — the foreign-degree decision is taking place in a market where students are comparing more destinations, assessing career returns and post-study opportunities, and factoring visa requirements into their choices earlier.

The question is increasingly not simply whether to study abroad, but whether the cost, career prospects and visa pathway make the investment worthwhile.