Most Indian women want to study in the US, financial expenses biggest hurdle - MSM Unify Survey

New Delhi: To understand the ground reality and uncover trends regarding women’s education in India, leading study abroad platform MSM Unify conducted an elaborate survey among 1,256+ students and 250+ education consultants.

MSM Unify’s inaugural survey report sheds light on the significant strides and persistent obstacles in the path of female education in India. Among the total students who took part in the survey, 65% were women, and the remaining 35% were men. According to the survey, 71% women participants were exploring study abroad opportunities.

MSM Unify Women’s Day survey revealed that top five domains of interest for women were:

Science (21%)

Management (17%)

Arts (12%)

Technology (7%)

Languages (5%)

Most women respondents (41%) cited career enhancement as the top reason to explore global education. Answering another question, the women respondents said that finances could come in the way of their study abroad planning. This includes a lack of information about scholarships, grants, access to various monetary benefits, etc. The lengthy visa process and wait time (17%) were the second biggest challenge, as per the survey. What is striking is that 11% women respondents believed that personal safety can be a challenge when planning to study in another country. This concern stands out because, in 2024, when diversity and inclusion is a big agenda in most developed countries - personal safety concerns should ostensibly be lower.

20%-30% YoY rise in women seeking study abroad opportunities: When MSM Unify survey probed the education partners, 60% education consultants answered that there has been a considerable rise in the number of Indian women applying for study abroad programs. When asked about the chief reason for this tidal shift, most education consultants attributed it to the change in Indian families’ views (76% votes).

Raghwa Gopal, CEO, M Square Media said, “Today, women in India are realizing the need to build a strong career pathway. From the higher education industry point of view, most women respondents mentioned that online forums and webinars are their primary sources of information about study abroad prospects. Social media and direct information from education consultants followed the respondents’ preference.”

The key driver for women studying abroad is greater awareness of global educational opportunities, say education consultants. The top 10 study destinations for female respondents’ traditional favorites - the US and the UK - emerged among women's top study abroad destinations. While the demand for unconventional destinations is also on the rise. Top 10 study abroad destinations are:

1.US

2. UK

3. Canada

4. Australia

5. UAE

6. Germany

7. Finland

8. Saudi Arabia

9. New Zealand

10. Other European countries