Know Why Germany Has Emerged as a Top Destination for Indian Students

Berlin.

Germany has emerged as a top destination for Indian students seeking to go abroad for higher education. There has been a very sharp increase in recent years in the number of students opting for Germany to pursue higher academic programmes. Germany now has fifth largest Indian student groups on its campuses.

Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. Photographer Dguendel

Sharp rise in the number of Indian students opting for Germany

The German government is making serious efforts to attract Indian students to pursue their higher education in Germany. The policy is becoming successful as now a large number of science, engineering and technology students from India head towards Germany every year.

As per the data available from the regional office of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the number of Indian students who had enrolled for higher education in Germany in the year 2008-09 was 3516. Since then, there has been more than 100 percent rise in the number of students enrolling for courses in Germany.

The latest figures released by DAAD reveal that the number of Indian students who had enrolled for higher education in Germany in the year 2013-14 was 9619. Though the USA is still the top destination for Indian students, Germany is fast catching up to it.

Reasons behind Indian students heading for Germany

There are several reasons due to which Germany is proving to be a preferred destination for Indian students. Some of the primary reasons for which Indian students are making a line for German Student Visa are:

Germany has a large number of universities and educational institutions offering higher education programmes
German universities are globally regarded for their high standard of education
Public universities in Germany have waived off tuition fees for their undergraduate courses
International students have to pay only a nominal fee to cover administration and other miscellaneous charges per semester
Indian students can work for 120 full days or 240 half days in a year while pursuing a course in a German university
German universities have launched more than 1600 programmes in English in the last few years to attract international students
Germany has simplified its immigration norms to facilitate international students to stay back and look for employment after completing their academic course
Germany offers attractive grants for doctoral programmes that can be availed by Indian students studying there
The average cost required by an Indian student to stay in Germany is about EUR 700 (INR 49,551.22) per month, and this includes expenses for housing, food, clothing, study material and other expenses. This is much cheaper than the cost required by Indian students living in other countries.

With so many advantages, it is no wonder that Indian students are making a move towards Germany to attain their higher academic qualifications.