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

Better career prospects top reason for Indian women to choose global education

For financials – Lack of information about scholarships & financial barrier biggest roadblocks for Indian women to consider global education 

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 on International Women’s Day 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.

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:

The complete report is available here