January intake
Classes begin January
Study in India
India combines globally ranked institutes with tuition and living costs far below what the same degree costs in the English-speaking world — and at postgraduate level almost everything is taught in English.
World-class institutes, English-taught degrees, a fraction of the cost
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01 Why this destination
Why study in India?
What sets India apart for international students, at a glance.
Top ranked universities
English-taught degrees
January intake available
Large graduate job market
Wide subject choice
Scholarship friendly
Low tuition fees
Budget friendly
Strong engineering and technology
Government scholarships available
Strong STEM institutions
02 Overview
About studying in India
India runs one of the largest higher education systems in the world, and for an international applicant it divides into three tiers.
The Institutes of National Importance — the IITs, IIMs, NITs, AIIMS and IISc — admit through national examinations and carry the most weight with employers anywhere. Central and state universities are far cheaper and far larger, and this is where most international students actually end up. Private universities cost the most and, in return, give you an admissions contact, a confirmed hostel place and a faster answer.
Instruction is in English across essentially all of engineering, medicine, management and the sciences, and across most postgraduate teaching in the humanities. That is why a language test is usually waived for anyone whose earlier study was in English: a medium-of-instruction certificate does the same job. Hindi and English are the official languages of the Union, and you will need neither to sit an examination — though a few words of the local language make daily life considerably easier.
Cost is the reason most people look here. A year at a state university can run under ₹50,000 in tuition, with a hostel place and food on top at ₹12,000 a month in a smaller city. The trade is administrative rather than academic: equivalence certificates, migration certificates and FRRO registration are all real work, and the student visa does not let you take a job during the course or stay on to look for one afterwards.
03 Study paths
Find your study path
Pick the route closest to where you are today. Entry rules, timelines and costs in India all change with it.
Undergraduate study, usually beginning straight after school.
- Typical duration
- 3–4 years
Architecture & Built EnvironmentAgriculture & Environmental SciencesBusiness & ManagementArts, Humanities & Social SciencesComputing & Information TechnologyEngineering
What you need to enter
- School leaving qualification
Durations and entry rules are typical for the level. Each programme sets its own, so check before you shortlist.
Postgraduate study after a bachelor's degree, taught or research-led, often ending in a thesis.
- Typical duration
- 1–2 years
Architecture & Built EnvironmentAgriculture & Environmental SciencesBusiness & ManagementArts, Humanities & Social SciencesComputing & Information TechnologyEngineering
What you need to enter
- Bachelor's degree
Durations and entry rules are typical for the level. Each programme sets its own, so check before you shortlist.
A postgraduate business degree, usually asking for work experience alongside a first degree.
- Typical duration
- 1–2 years
Architecture & Built EnvironmentAgriculture & Environmental SciencesBusiness & ManagementArts, Humanities & Social SciencesComputing & Information TechnologyEngineering
What you need to enter
- Bachelor's degree, often with experience
Durations and entry rules are typical for the level. Each programme sets its own, so check before you shortlist.
Doctoral research under supervision, leading to a thesis.
- Typical duration
- 3–5 years
Architecture & Built EnvironmentAgriculture & Environmental SciencesBusiness & ManagementArts, Humanities & Social SciencesComputing & Information TechnologyEngineering
What you need to enter
- Master's degree or equivalent
Durations and entry rules are typical for the level. Each programme sets its own, so check before you shortlist.
04 Find your field
Popular subjects to study in India
Explore the fields taught here, then see the courses and specializations inside each one.
Architecture & Built EnvironmentAgriculture & Environmental SciencesBusiness & ManagementArts, Humanities & Social SciencesComputing & Information TechnologyEngineeringEducation, PGCE & TeachingLawScienceCreative Arts, Design & CommunicationCommunication, Media & JournalismHealth, Medicine & Veterinary StudiesHospitality, Tourism & EventsSports & ExercisePsychology & Behavioural SciencesFashion & TextilesHospitality, Culinary & FoodAviation & AerospaceMaritime & ShippingMedia, Entertainment & GamingPublic Policy, Government & International StudiesEconomics & FinanceMathematics & StatisticsBiological & Life SciencesPharmaceutical & Pharmaceutical SciencesSocial Work & Community ServicesTransport & LogisticsEnergy, Oil & GasSecurity, Defence & Emergency ManagementEmerging & Interdisciplinary Subjects
05 Documents
Documents required to study in India
Get organised before you apply. Most delays come from translations and certification, not from the application itself.
Passport
Machine-readable, and valid for at least six months beyond the end of the course.
More about Passport
The visa is stamped into it, so renewing the passport mid-course means transferring the visa into the new book through the FRRO.
Academic transcripts / marksheets
Year-by-year or semester-by-semester marksheets for everything after secondary school, in English or with a certified translation attached.
More about Academic transcripts / marksheets
Indian admissions committees read the marks themselves rather than a grade average, so send the full set instead of a summary.
Degree / qualification certificate
The final certificate for the qualification you are applying on.
More about Degree / qualification certificate
If it has not been issued yet, a provisional certificate from your university is normally accepted, with the original to follow at registration.
English language test result
Needed only if your earlier study was not in English.
More about English language test result
Where it is asked for, the score report goes in with the application — and for most institutes a medium-of-instruction certificate does the same job.
Statement of Purpose (SOP)
One to two pages on why this subject, why India, and why this institute.
More about Statement of Purpose (SOP)
Postgraduate programmes almost always ask for it; undergraduate admission usually does not. Name the department and the people you want to work with — generic letters read as generic.
Letter of Recommendation (LOR)
Two letters is the usual ask: on letterhead, signed, from people who taught or supervised you.
More about Letter of Recommendation (LOR)
Research programmes weigh them heavily, while taught undergraduate courses often do not ask at all.
CV / Resume
Wanted for postgraduate, MBA and research applications.
More about CV / Resume
Keep it to two pages, and put publications, projects and work experience ahead of hobbies.
Proof of funds / bank statement
Statements covering the last six months, in your name or a sponsor's, showing that a year of fees and living costs is available.
More about Proof of funds / bank statement
A sponsor's letter has to name you and state the relationship. Scholarship holders can submit the award letter instead.
Passport-size photographs
Recent colour photographs on a plain white background.
More about Passport-size photographs
The visa application specifies 2 x 2 inches; institutes usually want six to eight more at registration, for the library, the hostel and the identity card.
Visa / immigration documents
The printed online visa application, the admission letter it was granted against, and after arrival the FRRO registration certificate and residential permit.
More about Visa / immigration documents
Keep scans of all of them — you will be asked for them at every renewal.
Migration certificate
Issued by the board or university you last studied at, confirming you have left and are free to enrol elsewhere.
More about Migration certificate
Indian institutes ask for it at registration rather than at application, but it can take weeks to obtain, so request it early.
Equivalence certificate (Association of Indian Universities)
The AIU certifies that a foreign qualification is equivalent to the Indian degree it is being matched against.
More about Equivalence certificate (Association of Indian Universities)
Most central and state universities will not complete registration without it. It is applied for separately, at aiu.ac.in, once you hold your transcripts.
Medical fitness certificate
A recent certificate from a registered doctor.
More about Medical fitness certificate
Individual institutes set the tests — several ask for specific blood work and a chest X-ray as part of hostel admission — so wait for your institute's own form before paying for anything.
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06 Intakes
When can you apply to India?
India runs 4 intakes a year. Applications open well ahead of the month teaching begins.
JanJanuary: intake available
FebFebruary: intake available
MarMarch: no intake
AprApril: no intake
MayMay: no intake
JunJune: no intake
JulJuly: intake available
AugAugust: intake available
SepSeptember: no intake
OctOctober: no intake
NovNovember: no intake
DecDecember: no intake
February intake
Classes begin February
July intake
Classes begin July
August intake
Classes begin August
07 Cost
What does it cost to study in India?
Indicative ranges for international students, in Indian rupee. Treat every figure here as a starting point, not a quote.
Tuition
25,000 – 900,000per year
Living expenses
12,000 – 35,000per month
Application fee
500 – 3,000one time
Estimate your India budget
Estimated annual budget
₹198,800 – ₹613,600
Living ₹163,800 – ₹453,600Fees ₹35,000 – ₹160,000
An estimate for planning, not a quote. Costs vary by university, city and subject — confirm current figures with the university and the relevant official authority before you plan your finances.
08 Language
Language requirements for India
Requirements are set per programme. Use these as the usual range, and confirm the exact score with each university.
| Test | Requirement | Usual minimum | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | Accepted | 6 | Most Indian universities that teach in English accept IELTS Academic from 6.0 overall. The older central universities and the competitive management and law programmes tend to ask for 6.5; engineering and science departments are often satisfied with 6.0 and no band below 5.5. IELTS is rarely the only route in — read the waiver note below before you book a test. |
| TOEFL iBT | Accepted | 79 | TOEFL iBT is accepted broadly, usually from 79 overall for taught postgraduate entry and a little lower for undergraduate courses. Where an institute publishes a section minimum as well, it is most often on writing. |
| PTE Academic | Accepted | 55 | PTE Academic is accepted by a growing number of private universities and by most institutes recruiting through Study in India, typically from 55 overall. It is named less often in the admission rules of state universities, so confirm with the department before you sit it. |
| Duolingo English Test | Accepted | 105 | The Duolingo English Test is accepted by a number of private universities and a few central ones, generally from 105. It is the least universally recognised of the four in India, so check the programme's own admission page rather than assuming it will be taken. |
India sets no national English requirement for international students. Each university, and often each department, sets its own, which is why every figure on this page is a band rather than a rule.
Two things follow. Apply with whatever evidence you already hold and ask what it will be accepted for. And if you are coming through Study in India or on an ICCR award, the scheme's own English condition sits on top of the institute's, so read both.
A waiver is the normal outcome here, not the exception. If your previous degree or school-leaving qualification was taught and examined in English, most Indian institutes accept a medium-of-instruction certificate from that school or university in place of a test score.
Applicants from countries where English is an official language of education are usually exempt outright. Ask the international admissions office for the exact wording they need — the certificate normally has to state both the language of instruction and the language of examination.
The scores above are the bands most commonly published by Indian institutes, collected as a planning guide. They are not set centrally and they are not a guarantee of admission. Confirm the requirement on the programme page or with the institute's international admissions office before booking a test.
09 Work & visa
Study, work and stay in India
The pathway from your first semester to work after graduation, and the visa conditions attached to each stage.
Route to residency
Studying in India does not put you on a path to permanent residence. There is no points-based route and no graduate settlement scheme; long stays are built out of renewed Employment or Research visas, each tied to a sponsor.
Overseas Citizen of India status is the exception, and it turns on ancestry rather than study — it is for former Indian nationals, their descendants, and spouses. If that describes you, apply on that basis rather than through a work route.
limited pathway
Visa overview
Student Visa (S-1)
Indian missions ask for evidence that a year of tuition and living costs is available: bank statements in your name, a sponsor's letter with their statements, or an award letter if you hold a scholarship. No single figure is fixed in law — the mission reads the amount against the fees on your admission letter plus everyday costs in the city you are moving to.
Holders of ICCR, Study in India or ITEC awards can usually submit the award letter in place of bank evidence, since those schemes cover tuition and pay a monthly stipend.
At a glance
- Processing time: 2 to 4 weeks
What to know
1. Accept an offer. No Indian mission will take a student visa application without a provisional or final admission letter from a recognised institution.
2. Apply online. Complete the student category form at indianvisaonline.gov.in and print it with its reference number.
3. Book an appointment at the Indian embassy, high commission or the outsourced visa centre that covers your country.
4. Attend in person with the printed form, a passport valid at least six months beyond the course, photographs to the stated size, the admission letter, evidence of funds, and the fee.
5. Collect the visa. A student visa is normally granted for the length of the course, up to five years, with multiple entry.
6. Register with the FRRO within 14 days of arrival if the visa runs longer than 180 days. Registration is done at indianfrro.gov.in and is a condition of the visa, not an optional step.
Visa categories, fees and registration rules are set by India's Ministry of Home Affairs and change without much notice. The student visa fee is reciprocal, so what you pay depends on your nationality rather than on a single published figure — that is why no amount is shown above.
Treat everything on this page as a planning guide. Confirm the current category, fee and document list on indianvisaonline.gov.in and with the Indian mission that covers your country before you pay anything or book travel.
10 By the numbers
Study in India by the numbers
The figures that shape a decision, taken from what is published on Universta.
46,878
International students
₹25,000
Tuition from, per year
4
Intakes per year
11 Interpretation
What these figures mean for you
A number on its own decides nothing. Open any figure to see how it changes your shortlist, your budget or your timeline in India.
The country's own published figure, recorded by an editor rather than counted by Universta. It says how used to international students the system is -- support services, English-taught provision, visa processing -- rather than anything about your own chances.
The lowest international rate published for India; the range runs to ₹900,000. Your own figure sits somewhere between the two and depends on the university and the programme, not on the destination alone.
January, February, July and August. Applications usually open several months ahead of each one, so the intake you are aiming at decides when your documents have to be ready -- not when the course starts.
12 Funding
Scholarships that pay for India
Four routes carry most international students through an Indian degree. Three are public, one is not, and they are not mutually exclusive.
ICCR General Scholarship Scheme
Study in India
ITEC and bilateral schemes
Institute merit waivers
Most private universities run their own waivers for international applicants, decided on your marks and attached to the offer. They are rarely advertised. Ask the international admissions office what the offer can be improved to before you accept it.
13 Where students go
The cities that take the most international students
Six metros hold most of the seats kept for international students, so in practice the institute chooses the city rather than the other way round.
Delhi NCRDelhi University, JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia, IIT Delhi, AIIMS
MumbaiIIT Bombay, TISS, University of Mumbai, NMIMS
BengaluruIISc, Christ University, RV College, PES University
PuneSavitribai Phule Pune University, Symbiosis, COEP
HyderabadUniversity of Hyderabad, IIT Hyderabad, ISB, BITS Pilani Hyderabad
ChennaiIIT Madras, Anna University, SRM, VIT at Vellore nearby
14 Timing
How the application year runs
The July intake is the one almost every institute runs. This calendar works backwards from it.
October to December — shortlist
January to March — apply
March to May — offers
May to June — visa
July — arrive and register
Term starts in July at most institutes. Register with the FRRO within 14 days of landing, open a bank account, and hand your migration and equivalence certificates to the registrar.
15 After you arrive
Your first month in India
Three pieces of paperwork, in this order, and the rest of the year gets a great deal easier.
A local SIM needs the same documents plus a photograph, and the operator will call to verify the number before it activates. Hostel allocation, library access and the institute identity card all run off the same paperwork, so carry several photocopies of each document from the start.
16 How we help
Need help choosing your path?
Routes into the same assessment. Pick the one that matches where you are today.
Public or private: which suits you
A state university at ₹40,000 a year and a private campus at ₹6,00,000 are both the right answer for somebody. Which one is right for you comes down to the subject, the equivalence paperwork and how much help you will need on arrival.
Applying for an ICCR scholarship
The ICCR award covers tuition, pays a stipend and a rent allowance, and closes months before the institutes do. Most applications fail on timing and on the nomination, not on marks.
Student visa and FRRO paperwork
Two to four weeks for the visa, then 14 days from landing to register with the FRRO. Neither deadline is flexible, and the second one catches people out.
17 Questions
Straight answers about India.
The questions students ask before they commit. If yours is not here, the assessment is the fastest way to a specific answer.
Usually not. If your school or degree was taught and examined in English, most institutes accept a medium-of-instruction certificate in place of a test score. A test is asked for when your earlier study was in another language, and the score that satisfies most institutes is IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 79.
No. The student visa does not permit paid employment off campus, and taking it puts the visa itself at risk. On-campus assistantships and internships that form part of your course are allowed — have the international students' office record them before you start.
Tuition runs from around ₹25,000 a year at a state university to ₹9,00,000 at the most expensive private programmes. Living costs sit between ₹12,000 and ₹35,000 a month, depending on the city and on whether you take a hostel place. A hostel room in a smaller university town is the cheapest way to study in India; a flat of your own in Mumbai or Delhi is the dearest.
No. India has no graduate work permit. To stay on, you need an Indian employer to sponsor an Employment Visa — applied for as a fresh category, usually from outside India — or a Research Visa if you are continuing into funded research. Start either process months before the student visa expires.
It is the compulsory registration of your stay with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office, done online at indianfrro.gov.in. If your visa runs longer than 180 days you have 14 days from arrival to complete it. The residential permit it produces is what banks, hostels and mobile operators will ask to see.
Degrees from institutions recognised by the University Grants Commission and the AICTE are widely accepted, and the IITs, IIMs and IISc are known to employers and graduate schools everywhere. Check that your institute appears on the UGC list before applying: a handful of private providers are not recognised, and their qualifications are hard to use anywhere.
July or August. That is when almost every institute starts its year, and when the widest choice of programmes and scholarships is open. A smaller January intake runs at many universities, mostly for postgraduate and diploma courses — treat it as the option if you miss the main cycle rather than as a second full round.
For a foreign qualification, most central and state universities require one from the Association of Indian Universities before they will complete your registration. It is a separate application at aiu.ac.in, made once you hold your transcripts, and it takes time — start it when the offer arrives rather than after you land.
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