Studying abroad without leaving home: India's new foreign campus ecosystem takes shape

India's emerging ecosystem of foreign university campuses is rapidly taking shape, offering students an alternative to studying abroad at a time when rising costs and tighter visa policies are reshaping overseas education plans, according to a new report by DrEducation Research.

The report, Landscape of International University Campuses in India 2026, analyses the first batch of foreign universities operating in India under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and subsequent regulations issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).

The study examines 13 foreign universities that are already admitting students for the 2026-27 academic session and introduces 'UniGrid', a proprietary framework that classifies institutions based on two factors that matter most to students and parents—academic rankings and tuition fees.

However, Dr Rahul Choudaha, Managing Director of DrEducation Research and author of the report, said the emergence of foreign campuses should not be viewed as a replacement for overseas education.

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"Foreign university campuses in India cannot fully replace or replicate the immersive experience of studying abroad. They're more like a Tier-1 private university with the added value of earning a global degree," he told Firstpost.

Foreign campuses spread across five Indian cities

The report finds that the 13 universities have established campuses across just five Indian cities—Mumbai, Bengaluru, GIFT City, Delhi-NCR and Chennai. UK universities dominate the landscape with seven campuses, followed by five from Australia and one from the United States.

Among the cities, Mumbai hosts five campuses, while Bengaluru and GIFT City have three each. Chennai hosts one additional campus of the University of Western Australia.

The report notes that at least 20 universities ranked among the world's top 500 have expressed interest in setting up campuses in India, with 13 already operational for admissions this year.

Despite the growing interest, Choudaha said the sector remains at an early stage. "The report estimates that all 13 universities together are likely to enrol fewer than 3,000 students across 91 programmes in the 2026-27 academic year—a modest figure compared with the nearly 1.25 million Indian students pursuing higher education overseas, according to Ministry of External Affairs data," he said.

Global degrees at lower cost than studying abroad

One of the report's key findings is that foreign university campuses offer a middle ground between expensive overseas education and Indian private universities.

Based on an analysis of first-year undergraduate tuition fees, studying at an international university campus in India costs, on average, about 115 per cent more than a Tier-1 private university in India, but only around 36 per cent of the cost of studying at the parent campus abroad.

The comparison excludes overseas living and travel expenses, making studying abroad significantly more expensive.

Responding to concerns over higher fees as compared to Tier-1 private universities, Choudaha said cost should not be the only consideration. "One of the key messages from this report is that there are many factors that make a university a good fit for a student. Given the information gaps and high tuition fees, choosing the right foreign university campus in India is high-stakes," he said.

Across 91 programmes being offered for 2026-27, 53 are undergraduate and 38 postgraduate. The average annual tuition fee stands at about ₹13.3 lakh for undergraduate programmes and ₹17.2 lakh for postgraduate programmes.

The report also estimates that the 13 universities together could admit around 2,730 students this academic year.

UniGrid classifies campuses into four segments

To help students compare options, DrEducation Research has introduced 'UniGrid', which groups universities into four categories based on academic ranking and total tuition fee—Maximiser, Premier, Economiser and Explorer.

For undergraduate programmes, Liverpool, Southampton and York fall in the "Maximiser" category, indicating stronger rankings at relatively lower tuition fees, while Bristol, UNSW and the University of Western Australia are placed in the "Premier" segment, combining higher rankings with higher fees. Birkbeck, Victoria University and Wollongong are categorised as "Economiser" (lower ranked, lower tuition fee), while Aberdeen and Illinois Tech are classified as "Explorer" (lower ranked, higher tuition fee).

The report says the framework is intended to provide an objective and easy-to-understand comparison tool for students, parents and counsellors, while also helping policymakers, employers and universities understand the scale and composition of India's emerging international higher education market.

Summing up the report's message for families, Choudaha said 'UniGrid' is meant to help students make informed decisions instead of relying on perception alone.

"UniGrid can be used as a classification and comparison tool based on academic ranking and tuition fee, the two factors that matter most to students," he said.

The study argues that foreign university campuses have arrived at a time when Indian students are rethinking traditional destinations such as the US, UK, Australia and Canada because of stricter immigration policies, currency depreciation and rising education costs abroad, making global degrees available within India an increasingly attractive option.