The report examines the impact of the National Education Policy 2020 and subsequent regulations introduced by the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) in GIFT City and the University Grants Commission (UGC), which permit foreign universities ranked among the world's top 500 to establish campuses in India. While at least 20 international universities have expressed interest in entering the Indian market, the report provides an in-depth analysis of the 13 universities that are already admitting students for the 2026–27 academic year. These institutions include Aberdeen, Birkbeck, Bristol, Deakin, Illinois Tech, Liverpool, Queen's Belfast, Southampton, UNSW, UWA, Victoria, Wollongong, and York.
Based on publicly available information collected from the official websites of these universities, the report reveals that the 13 international campuses operate across only five Indian cities. Universities from the United Kingdom dominate the sector with seven campuses, followed by five from Australia and one from the United States. Together, these institutions offer 91 academic programmes for the 2026–27 academic session, including 53 undergraduate programmes and 38 postgraduate programmes. The average annual tuition fee stands at Rs 13.3 lakh for undergraduate programmes and Rs 17.2 lakh for postgraduate programmes.
According to the report, international university campuses provide a comparatively affordable pathway for students seeking globally recognised degrees while remaining in India. DrEducation Research compared the average first-year undergraduate tuition fees at these foreign university campuses with those charged by a selected group of Tier-1 private universities in India, as well as the tuition fees at the corresponding parent campuses abroad. The analysis found that studying at an international university campus in India costs approximately 115 per cent more than studying at a Tier-1 private university in India, but only around 36 per cent of the cost of pursuing the same programme at the university's home campus overseas.
The report states that the emergence of foreign university campuses comes at a crucial time, as stricter visa and immigration policies, combined with rising overseas education costs caused by currency depreciation, have reduced the appeal of traditional study destinations such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada for Indian students.
Dr. Rahul Choudaha, Managing Director of DrEducation Research and the author of the report, said that comparing and selecting among international university campuses in India remains a significant challenge for students and families. He noted that there is currently no standard framework for evaluating these institutions and that available information is often incomplete, inconsistent, or presented from a single perspective. He explained that essential factors such as campus life, faculty quality, scholarship opportunities, and graduate employment outcomes are not yet available in a transparent or consistent manner because most of these campuses are newly established.
Dr. Choudaha further stated that prospective students and families are often left without an objective way to determine which campus best aligns with their academic goals and financial circumstances. He said the DrEducation UniGrid™ framework addresses this gap by providing a transparent and structured system that enables students, parents, and counsellors to compare campuses through a simple visual classification. He added that the framework also offers employers, universities, journalists, and policymakers a clear understanding of the scale, composition, and value of this emerging higher education segment.
The report introduces the proprietary DrEducation UniGrid™ framework, which evaluates international university campuses using two primary indicators: academic ranking and total tuition fee. Universities are classified into four categories. The "Maximiser" category represents institutions with stronger academic rankings and lower tuition fees, while "Premier" includes universities with stronger rankings and higher tuition costs. "Economiser" identifies institutions with lower rankings and lower tuition fees, whereas "Explorer" includes universities with lower rankings and higher tuition fees.
In addition to the report, DrEducation Research has developed an interactive visual dashboard accompanied by a best-fit assessment designed to help students identify their priorities, including tuition fees, location, field of study, programme duration, and university ranking. Based on these preferences, the assessment recommends international university campuses that align with individual academic and financial requirements.
The report also states that its findings and analysis can support foreign universities planning to establish campuses in India by helping them make informed decisions regarding programme selection, city preference, and tuition pricing.
Dr. Rahul Choudaha is the Managing Director of DrEducation Research and an internationally recognised higher education expert. Before returning to India, he lived and worked in the United States for 18 years, serving in leadership positions at global organisations in the higher education sector. He holds a doctorate from the University of Denver, has delivered presentations at nearly 200 conferences, and has been quoted more than 300 times by leading international and Indian media organisations, including BBC, Bloomberg, The Financial Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Times of India, The Economic Times, Business Standard, and Financial Express.
The report marks one of the most detailed examinations of India's emerging international university ecosystem and provides a structured reference for students, families, education counsellors, institutions, employers, journalists, and policymakers as foreign university campuses begin shaping the country's higher education landscape.
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