MUMBAI: The overseas dream is getting a reality check. India’s Gen Z is not giving up on international education, but it is increasingly questioning whether crossing borders is worth the cost, visa uncertainty and changing post-study work rules.
That is among the key findings of Emeritus’ “India Gen Z Outlook 2026 – The No Cap Generation”, based on primary research involving 1,010 respondents aged 15-28 across three stages: pre-college, transitioning to higher education and early career, in major Indian metros.
Nearly 48 per cent of respondents who would consider studying abroad said their interest had declined over the past year. Cost pressures, visa requirements and uncertainty over post-study work opportunities are among the factors driving the rethink, with the US recording the sharpest fall in preference, according to the report.
But this is less a rejection of global education than a change of route.
As many as 87 per cent of pre-college respondents and 92 per cent of those transitioning to higher education said they would be likely or extremely likely to enrol in a programme offered by an internationally ranked university in India.
Among transitioning students, 69 per cent would actively choose an India-based international programme over studying overseas, specifically to sidestep visa uncertainty.
The hybrid model is gaining traction too. Interest in programmes that combine India-based study with overseas exposure, such as a semester exchange or partial home-campus experience, rises from 27 per cent among pre-college respondents to 39 per cent among transitioning students, a 12-percentage-point jump.
The rethink is not limited to where young Indians study. It is also changing how they learn.
82 per cent of respondents use AI or GenAI tools at least weekly to learn or develop new skills. Yet the technology has not made formal education less relevant; instead, it appears to have raised the bar for what students expect from it.
Among early-career respondents, 65 per cent believe a degree on its own is no longer sufficient to succeed in the job market.
That creates another pressure point: 60 per cent say they feel burned out by the need to keep upskilling, even as 75 per cent believe acquiring the right skills is essential to staying competitive.
In other words, Gen Z wants education to do more than hand over a certificate, it needs to keep pace with a workplace that is changing almost as quickly as the technology powering it.
Career ambition is also being rewritten.
74 per cent of respondents prioritise work-life balance over formal leadership positions, while 65 per cent agree that a successful career does not necessarily mean becoming an executive leader.
Purpose is also making its way into the career equation. 79 per cent want their careers to make a positive contribution to the environment.
Taken together, the findings point to a generation recalibrating rather than abandoning traditional ideas about education and success. International exposure still has currency, but Indian Gen Z appears increasingly interested in getting the global experience without necessarily paying the full price of going global.
For universities and employers, the message is becoming harder to ignore: the next generation wants education to be international, skills to be practical, careers to be balanced and the route to all three to make financial sense.