Odisha among India’s top 10 states attracting foreign students: NITI Aayog report

Odisha has emerged as one of the top ten Indian states, attracting foreign students, surpassing several traditionally preferred higher education hubs, according to a report released by NITI Aayog on the internationalisation of higher education in India.

The report, titled ‘Internationalisation of Higher Education in India’ states Odisha as a key destination for overseas students, alongside Haryana, noting that both states have been able to attract foreign enrolments despite competition from established academic centres such as Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Telangana.

Over 2,300 Foreign Students In Odisha

As per the findings, 2,362 foreign students are currently pursuing higher education in Odisha across various institutions. Of these, the largest share of 2,221 students is enrolled in BTech programmes.

The data further show that during the 2021–22 academic year, 2,320 foreign students came to Odisha to pursue higher studies. These students enrolled in undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD programmes across different universities and professional institutions.

Engineering Programmes Draw Maximum Enrolment

The NITI Aayog report attributes that Engineering courses continue to dominate foreign student enrolment in Odisha, with BTech programmes accounting for the overwhelming majority of international admissions.

It notes that this trend is due to the availability of technical institutions, the relatively lower cost of education, and the improving academic infrastructure in the state. Foreign students are also enrolled across multiple disciplines, including science, technology, management and research programmes.

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The findings are based on official enrolment data compiled as part of NITI Aayog’s assessment of higher education internationalisation. The report examines trends in student mobility, institutional capacity and regional distribution of foreign students across India.