Best Universities for Indian Students Abroad

There are numerous prestigious international universities from which Indian students seeking higher education abroad might select. Universities like Harvard, Oxford and Stanford are popular choices for aspirational Indian students as they provide outstanding academic programmes, a variety of cultural experiences and possibilities for international networking

Let’s take a look at the best universities around the globe for Indian students. 

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology | The United States of America

QS World Ranking: 1 

Popular Programmes:  

• Computer Science 

• Mechanical Engineering 

• Mathematics, General 

• Physics, General 

• Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering 

• Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 

• Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 

• Electrical and Electronics Engineering 

• Biology/Biological Sciences 

• Mathematics and Computer Science 

Medium of Instruction: English 

Average Tuition Fees: USD 57,986 

Popular Scholarships:  

• Aga Khan Foundation's International Scholarship 

• Global Citizenship Scholarship 

• The Fulbright-Nehru scholarship  

• TS Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi Scholarship 

2. University of Cambridge | The United Kingdom

QS World Ranking: 2 

Popular Programmes: 

• Business & Economics 

• Engineering & technology 

• Arts & Humanities 

• Education 

• Physical sciences 

• Clinical, pre-clinical & health 

• Psychology 

• Computer science 

• Law 

Medium of Instruction: English 

Average Tuition Fees: GBP 24,507 to GBP 63,990 

Popular Scholarships:  

• Cambridge Trust Scholarship (Undergraduate) 

• Manmohan Singh Scholarship (Undergraduate) 

• Cambridge International Scholarship 

• Cambridge Trust Scholarship (postgraduate) 

• Inlaks Cambridge Scholarships 

• Peter Kishor Chand Anand Cambridge Scholarship  

• Charter Cambridge International Scholarship 

• Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Scholarship 

• Narotam Sekhsaria Cambridge Scholarship  

• Pratibha M Singh Cambridge Scholarship 

3. Stanford University | The United States of America

QS World Ranking: 3 

Popular Programmes: 

• Computer Science  

• Human Biology 

• Electrical Engineering 

• Mathematics 

• Game Theory 

• Machine Learning  

• Cryptography  

• International Relations 

• Organisational Analysis 

• Economics  

Medium of Instruction: English 

Average Tuition Fees: USD 54,315 to USD 57,861  

Popular Scholarships: 

• Stanford Scholarships 

• Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Program 

• Knight Hennessy Scholarship 

• TOEFL Scholarship Programme 

• Stanford-reliance Dhirubai Fellowship 

4. The University of Oxford | The United Kingdom

QS World Ranking: 4 

Popular Programmes: 

• Philosophy 

• Modern Languages 

• Geography 

• English Language & Literature 

• Mathematics 

• Linguistics 

• History 

• Medicine 

• Biomedical Sciences 

• Natural Sciences 

• Electrical & Electronics Engineering 

• Archaeology and Anthropology 

• Computer Science & Information Systems 

• Law & Legal Studies 

Medium of Instruction: English 

Average Tuition Fees: GBP 28,950 to GBP 44,240 

Popular Scholarships: 

• Chevening Scholarships 

• Commonwealth Scholarship & Fellowship Plan 

• Oxford & Cambridge Society of India 

• Felix Scholarships 

• The RHODES Scholarships 

• Reach Oxford Scholarship 

• Oxford Weidenfeld & Hoffmann Scholarships 

5. Harvard University | The United States of America

QS World Ranking: 5  

Popular Programmes: 

• Social Sciences 

• Biology 

• Mathematics 

• Computer 

• History 

• Physical Science 

• History 

• English 

• Psychology 
  

Medium of Instruction: English 

Average Tuition Fees: USD 30,000 to USD 75,000 

Popular Scholarships: 

• Horace W. Goldsmith Fellowship 

• Boustany MBA Harvard Scholarship 

• The Robert S. Kaplan Life Sciences Fellowship 

• HGSE Financial Aid 

• IGLP Residential Fellowship Program, Harvard Law School, USA 

• John H. Coatsworth Latin American History Fellowship 

• Pforzheimer Fellowships  

• Harvard University Restricted Scholarship  

• James Bryant Conant Fellowship  

• Urban Scholars Award 

• Saul Zaentz Fellowships  

• Leadership in Education Award 

• Zuckerman Fellowship 

• English Teaching Assistant Awards  

• Open Study/ Research Awards  

• Harvard University Traveling Fellowships  

• Need-Based Fellowships 

6. Imperial College London | The United Kingdom

QS World Ranking: 6 

Popular Programmes: 

• Engineering & Technology. Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. Electrical & Electronic Engineering. 

• Physical sciences. Mathematics & Statistics 

• Clinical, pre-clinical & health. Medicine & Dentistry 

• Computer science. Computer Science 

• Life sciences. Biological Sciences 

Medium of Instruction: English 

Average Tuition Fees: USD 30,000 to USD 75,000 

Popular Scholarships: 

• Horace W. Goldsmith Fellowship 

• Boustany MBA Harvard Scholarship 

• The Robert S. Kaplan Life Sciences Fellowship 

• HGSE Financial Aid 

• IGLP Residential Fellowship Program, Harvard Law School, USA 

• John H. Coatsworth Latin American History Fellowship 

• Pforzheimer Fellowships  

• Harvard University Restricted Scholarship  

• James Bryant Conant Fellowship  

• Urban Scholars Award 

• Saul Zaentz Fellowships  

• Leadership in Education Award 

• Zuckerman Fellowship 

• English Teaching Assistant Awards  

• Open Study/ Research Awards  

• Harvard University Traveling Fellowships  

• Need-Based Fellowships 

7. California Institute of Technology, Caltech | The United States of America

QS World Ranking: 7 

Popular Programmes: 

• Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services 

• Engineering 

• Physical Sciences 

• Mathematics and Statistics 

• Biological and Biomedical Sciences 

• Social Sciences. 

Medium of Instruction: English 

Average Tuition Fees: USD 58,680 

Popular Scholarships: 

Caltech grants and scholarships are based on need. The Institute doesn't have merit aid Programmes. Students who submit a financial aid application to Caltech or the federal government will automatically be considered for grants and scholarships. However, grants are also available from the state governments and the application process is different for each state. 

8. University College London | The United Kingdom

QS World Ranking: 8 

Popular Programmes: 

• Education Studies 

• Social Sciences 

• Architecture 

• Engineering 

• Ancient History 

• Ancient Languages 

• Anthropology 

• Audiology 

• Linguistics 

• Psychology 

• Management Studies 

• Medical Physics 

Medium of Instruction: English 

Average Tuition Fees: GBP 9,250  

Popular Scholarships: 

• Denys Holland Scholarship 

• UPC Progression Scholarships 

• UCL Hong Kong Scholarships Fund 

• UPCE Progression Scholarship 

9. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, ETHZ | Switzerland

QS World Ranking: 9 

Popular Programmes: 

• Arts & Humanities  

• Architecture/Built Environment  

• Engineering & Technology (overall)  

• Computer Science & Information Systems 

• Life Sciences & Medicine (overall)  

• Agriculture & Forestry 

• Anatomy & Physiology 

• Biological Sciences 

• Medicine  

• Pharmacy & Pharmacology 

• Natural Sciences (overall) 

• Chemistry 

• Earth & Marine Sciences  

• Environmental Sciences 

• Geology 

• Geophysics 

• Materials Science  

• Mathematics 

• Physics & Astronomy 

• Social Sciences & Management (overall) 

• Accounting & Finance  

• Economics & Econometrics 

• Law 

• Politics & International Studies 

• Social Policy & Administration  

• Sports-related Subjects 

• Statistics & Operational Research  

Medium of Instruction: English 

Average Tuition Fees: CHF 1,598 

Popular Scholarships:  

• Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) 

• Swiss Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS) 

10 . The University of Chicago | The United States of America

QS World Ranking: 10 

Popular Programmes: 

• Social Sciences  

• Mathematics and Statistics 

• Biological and Biomedical Sciences 

• Physical Sciences 

• Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services  

• Psychology 

• Public Administration and Social Service Professions 

• Foreign Languages 

• Literatures and Linguistics  

• English Language and Literature 

• Visual and Performing Arts 

Medium of Instruction: English  

Average Tuition Fees: USD 62,241 

Popular Scholarships:  

• Education Future International Scholarship 

• Rapid Formations Entrepreneur Scholarship Programme  

• University Aviation Association (UAA) Joseph Frasca Excellence in Aviation Scholarship 

• University Aviation Association (UAA) Eugene S. Kropf Scholarship   

• Fulbright Hungary Postgraduate Student Scholarships  

• EFWA Women in Transition Scholarships  

• International Society of Nephrology (ISN) Fellowships 

• Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral Research Fellowships   

• Lady Meherbai D Tata Education Trust Scholarship 

11. National University of Singapore | Singapore

QS World Ranking: 11  

Popular Programmes:   

• Architecture / Built Environment 

• Chemistry 

• Computer Science & Information Systems 

• Engineering  

• Environmental Sciences  

• Geography & Area Studies 

• Materials Science 

• Pharmacy & Pharmacology 

• Social Policy & Administration 

• Statistics & Operational Research 

Medium of Instruction: English 

Average Tuition Fees: USD 50,000 

Popular Scholarships: 

• Singapore International Graduate Award 

• Singapore International Pre-Graduate Award 

• SIA Youth Scholarship 

• GIIS Singapore Global Citizen Scholarship 

• INSEAD Syngenta Endowed Scholarship(s) for Emerging Country Leadership  

• Science & Technology Undergraduate Scholarship  

• Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship 

• Amity Global Institute Merit Scholarship 

• President's Graduate Fellowship 

• Singapore Millennium Foundation (SMF) Research Grant Programme 

12. Peking University | China

QS World Ranking: 12 

Popular Programmes:   

• Clinical, pre-clinical & health 

• Physical sciences. 

• Physics & Astronomy 

• Business & economics. 

• Business & Management  

• Psychology

• Education 

• Life sciences 

• Social sciences. 

• Communication & Media Studies

• Arts & Humanities

Medium of Instruction: Chinese  

Average Tuition Fees: USD 4,220 

Popular Scholarships:   

• Peking University Scholarships for International Students. 

• Peking University Scholarship (PKUS) 

• Chinese Government Scholarship (CGS) for Peking University. 

• Beijing Government Scholarship (BGS) for Peking University.  

• Peking University Scholarships for International Students. 

• Peking University Scholarship (PKUS) 

13. The University of Pennsylvania | The United States of America

QS World Ranking: 13 

Popular Programmes:   

• Education 

• Engineering and Applied Science 

• Law 

• School of Medicine 

• Design   

• Dental Medicine 

Medium of Instruction: English 

Average Tuition Fees: USD 28,510 to USD 57,000 

Popular Scholarships: 

• Dean's Scholarship 

• The Foreign Fulbright Student Program 

• Federal Pell Grant  

• Named Scholarships 

• International Student Financial Aid 

14. Tsinghua University | China

QS World Ranking: 14 

Popular Programmes:  

• Science  

• Engineering 

• Literature 

• History 

• Philosophy  

• Economics 

• Management 

• Law 

• Medicine   

• Arts 

Medium of Instruction: Chinese and English 

Average Tuition Fees: USD 4,695 

Popular Scholarships: 

• Chinese Government Scholarship (CGS) 

• Beijing Government Scholarship (BGS) 

• Chinese Government Scholarship (CGS)  

• Tuition Scholarship. 

• Schwarzman Scholarship. 

15. The University of Edinburgh | Scotland

QS World Ranking: 15 

Popular Programmes:  

• Accounting & Finance. 

• Architecture. 

• Business & Management Studies. 

• Economics. 

• Education. 

Medium of Instruction: English 

Average Tuition Fees: GBP 29,000 

Popular Scholarships: 

• MBA Leadership Scholarship  

• Engineering International Masters Scholarships 

• John Fisher High-Performance Scholarship 

• Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarships 

• The Kenneth Denbigh Scholarship 

• Choose your Course: Find your passion, your strengths, and your shortcomings, and then choose a course that speaks to you. For information on the course's duration, modules, electives, relevance, and topic matter, review the curriculum.
  
• Cost of Education: While living expenses may be inexpensive in some countries but costly at some universities, or vice versa. When selecting a university overseas, it's crucial to take both living costs and tuition fees into account.
• Education Prospects: Make thorough inquiries about the country's and the course's educational possibilities before selecting a university overseas. Additionally, look for rankings and reviews of universities and subjects.
• Rules of Immigration: You should research the country's immigration policies before selecting an institution there. Check the regulations on part-time employment and post-study work visas for international students.
  
• Reliability of Information: The best way to choose wisely is to take advice from knowledgeable sources and experts. For information on courses, visit university websites, and student forums can provide a wider range of information.
• University Feedback: Examine the university's on and off-campus amenities, such as housing, a library, labs, etc., before choosing it. Look at the topics of study and employment of its alumni for further perspectives on university life.
• General Adaptability: Intercultural dialogue and a cultural transition are required when relocating to another nation. Examine your ability to acclimatise to the new environment before selecting a university overseas.
• The world of education welcomes Indian students who travel overseas to pursue their dreams. The choices are boundless, from elite Ivy League institutions to renowned European universities. Indian students have a wide range of possibilities that allow them to discover the most excellent international universities, experience new cultures, and pave the way for a prosperous future.