Karnataka tops the list of Indian states with high number of foreign students: Report

Most international students come to India from neighbouring Nepal, as more than 13,000 Nepal students are studying in India.

Karnataka has the highest number of international students than any other state in the country, said a report by The Times of India. The southern state has 6,004 foreign students studying in different colleges across universities.

Karnataka tops the list of Indian states with high number of foreign students(Shutterstock)

According to the report, Bengaluru turned out to be the favourite educational destination for those who want to study in India. After Karnataka, Punjab stood in second place with 5,971 international students. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh occupied third and fourth places with 4,856 and 4,323 students respectively.

Most international students come to India from neighbouring Nepal, as more than 13,000 Nepal students are studying in India. India is a visa-free country for the students of Nepal, which usually drives people of that country to move to India for better educational benefits and further opportunities.

The report further said that there are a total of 46,878 foreign students studying in India from 170 countries across the globe. Apart from Nepal, many students from Afghanistan, UAE, Tibet, Bangladesh, Iceland and Sri Lanka seek admission to Indian colleges.

Bengaluru has a wide range of private colleges offering multiple courses and many of these colleges also operate special international cells to address the concerns of international students. Apart from Bengaluru colleges, Universities in Mysuru, Manipal, Dharwad and Mangalore also consist of a good chunk of international students.