Australia is steadily emerging as a favourite study abroad destination beckoning Indian students not just for the academic opportunities it offers but also the employability factor, which is a major plus point.

While earlier, most Indian students would seek opportunities abroad mainly for postgraduate studies, as of late, students are increasingly seeking out foreign pastures for undergraduate studies as well.

Gone is the US domination of the higher education space. Washington’s tougher immigration laws and work rights have taken away much of the sheen of studying in the US, and instead brought in a sense of insecurity among not just those planning to study there but even among Indian professionals based there.

Today, countries like Canada and Australia are dominating the landscape because of their welcoming attitude for overseas students and their quality education.

A major advantage with Australia is that it not only allows students to gain work experience but also legally earn money to finance their stay there.

This has positively impacted the perception of Indian students about Australia as a study destination. There is now increasing awareness of the high-quality teaching and research opportunities being offered by Australian varsities, including top notch ones like the Monash University, Griffith University and University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, which is ranked 45 in the QS rankings and offers cutting edge research facilities for those keen in pursuing science.

Many Indian families are now able to afford a foreign education for their children, and it has also become easier to avail bank loans for studying abroad. In this respect, studying in Australia holds a lot of promise for Indian students as the high employability factor makes it easier for students to pay back the bank loans.

The post-study work rights in Australia helps students to recover the expenses incurred on living costs and tuition fees within two years. Besides, the study and work experience also adds significant value to their CVs. Sydney is ranked among the top 10 cities to live in the world (and the best in Australia) by HR consultancy Mercer 2018 quality of living standards study.

Many Australian varsities, including UNSW Sydney, offer career counselling as a key component of their USP, which makes Australia a highly attractive study abroad destination.

Authored by Snigdha Moitra - assistant director - Marketing & Partnerships at UNSW Australia.