Agent Perception Survey 2026
Insights from Indian Education Agents
Evolving Trends and Strategic Directions in International Student Mobility
International education is changing in important ways and the findings of this Agent Perception Survey 2026 reflects that clearly. Indian students and families are rethinking what value for money means when choosing where to study. University reputation and destination still matter, but they are no longer enough on their own. Students are now paying closer attention to the practical skills they will gain, their job prospects and their long-term career outcomes.
We see this as a positive development for the sector. A more informed, outcomes-focused market raises expectations, but it also gives universities a real opportunity to stand out by showing clear evidence of career outcomes and graduate success.
The data also points to an important geographic shift. Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities now make up more than half of India’s outbound student pipeline, making them central to recruitment planning. At the same time, policy changes in established study destinations are creating clear openings for alternative study destinations.
Universities that succeed in this environment will be the ones that act flexibly and quickly, especially since three-quarters of agents note that fast institutional response times are now a critical conversion asset. Success requires offering courses with clear career relevance, building genuine relationships across different regions of India and responding promptly to partners. Agents continue to be the most trusted source of guidance for students, which makes their feedback in this survey particularly valuable.
At Acumen, we are committed to supporting our university partners as they respond to these changes. We hope this report offers useful insight as you plan for the year ahead and we look forward to continuing to work together as the sector evolves.
Ritu Sharma Director, Partner Success UKI & ANZ & Head of Operations, South Asia Acumen (Part of Sannam S4 Group)
The international education sector is going through a clear shift. Decision-making is becoming more informed, value-conscious, and focused on outcomes beyond admission alone. While rankings and destination preference continue to matter, affordability, employability, post-study work opportunities, visa clarity, and long-term career value are now shaping choices more strongly. For institutions and recruitment partners, this means greater responsibility, transparent guidance, and stronger focus on student success. The organisations that lead this phase will be those that build trust, operate responsibly, and create pathways that connect education with real career outcomes.”
Dr Vikash Agarwal Chairman and Managing Director, Crizac Limited
Executive Summary & Strategic Realignment
The Structural Realignment of the Indian Corridor
The Indian outbound student corridor is undergoing a profound structural realignment. Data captured by Acumen in May 2026 across Indian education agents reveals that traditional study destinations are facing unprecedented headwinds driven by policy volatility, escalating cost barriers, and a fundamental shift in consumer psychology.
For Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) globally, this report serves as an explicit strategic directive: The international recruitment landscape has transitioned from destinationfirst selection to outcome-hedged decision-making. To protect and grow market share, institutions must immediately optimise their regional footprint, programme alignment, and value narratives.
The Macro Market Framework
The Situation: India’s outbound student demand remains fundamentally resilient. Driven by a dominant appetite for postgraduate studies (97% demand share), agents project a sustained, moderate increase in outbound student volume over the next three years.
The Complication: Aggressive, compounding regulatory interventions across anchor markets (e.g., UK Graduate Route uncertainty and dependent restrictions; Australia’s AUD $2,000 visa fee, Level 3 reclassification, and 35year age cap; Canada’s permit caps and a 106% hike in proof-of-funds) have severely eroded student confidence and application predictability.
The Market Response: To hedge against traditional market volatility, the outbound pipeline is rapidly diversifying. Alternative corridors, led by Germany and Continental Europe (83% agent citation) and Ireland (42% agent portfolio activity), are capturing price-and-policy-sensitive student segments.
Core Strategic Pillars
Pillar I: The Value Proposition Pivot (89% Top Driver)
For the first time in Acumen’s survey history, employment opportunities and long-term ROI (89%) have surpassed traditional considerations to rank as the top driver of student choice, equal with fees and scholarships. Indian families are managing risk by treating international education strictly as a careerplacement asset. Consequently, demand is heavily restricted to career-aligned disciplines: AI & Cybersecurity (75%), Business (73%), and Computer Science (62%).
Pillar II: The Decentralization of Geographic Demand (53% Non-Metro Share)
The student application engine has permanently decentralized away from primary metropolitan centers. Secondary and tertiary nodes have overtaken Tier-1 cities, with Tier-2 (39% share) and Tier-3/4 locations (14% share) combining for a 53% majority share of the total outbound pipeline. Traditional recruitment frameworks focused exclusively on Tier-1 metros (47%) now miss more than half of the active market.
Pillar III: Operational Responsiveness as a Conversion Asset (75% Priority)
In a highly fluid environment where students are simultaneously evaluating multi-destination portfolios to diversify their risk, operational turnaround speed has become a key differentiator. Three-quarters of agents (75%) identify faster university response times as their most critical institutional support priority. Delays in processing directly correlate with conversion leakage to more agile global competitors.
Macro Corridor Performance Outlook
Corridor Market Position & Agent Activity (2026)
United Kingdom
94% Agent Activity:
Resilient but heavily contested. 33% of agents now actively counsel students to evaluate the UK alongside alternative options rather than defaulting to it.
Graduate Route/Post-Study Work (PSW) policy uncertainty, graduate job market outcomes, rising tuition/ living costs, and spouse visa restrictions.
International students are no longer evaluating universities or the traditional “big four” destinations in the same way. Choices today are deeply personal - driven by conscious awareness of budget, family income, future return on investment, and the relevance of future-ready degrees.
Australia
83% Agent Activity: Remains strongly recommended, but student sentiment is increasingly cautious.
Germany & Europe
83% Agent Citation:
The fastest-emerging growth corridor, capturing significant volume due to low cost and access to the European labour market.
The AUD $2,000 visa fee barrier, Assessment Level 3 reclassification documentation delays, and the 35-year post-study work age cap.
Shifting the baseline market expectation around affordability and long-term return on investment.
With knowledge now freely accessible through AI, it is no longer the monopoly of institutions. What matters is skills!
The real winners will not be defined by country or brands, but the institutes that deliver practical, industry linked learning that builds real world professional capabilities.”
Sonya Singh Founder & CEO, SIEC Pty Ltd. Australia
Ireland
42% Agent Activity:
Strongly positioned as an English-speaking EU hub, but severely constrained by a visibility gap rather than a product flaw.
Canada 22% Agent Activity:
Experiencing a significant decline, with 42% of agents reporting a major drop in student interest.
United States
20% Agent Activity:
Retains high aspirational value for top-tier tracks, but faces an overall weakening in general market portfolios.
Familiarity Gap: 61% of agents cite limited awareness of Irish universities; 42% cite a lack of institutional marketing and pathway clarity.
Cumulative policy impact: 35% study permit cap reduction, stricter PGWP eligibility, and a CAD $20,635 proof-of-funds mandate.
Decreased student confidence driven by visa unpredictability, political climate headwinds, campus safety, and a lack of clear long-term pathways.
Destination
Primary Consumer & Operational Headwinds
Student Mobility Trends & Key Findings
The 2026 survey findings reflect a rapidly evolving international education landscape, with employability outcomes and long-term Return on Investment (ROI) emerging as the strongest drivers influencing student decision-making across destinations.
Postgraduate programmes continue to dominate outbound demand, particularly across high-growth and career-focused fields such as AI, Cyber Security, Data Analytics, Business Technology, and Computer Science. Agents also anticipate continued growth in outbound mobility over the next three years, despite ongoing policy and affordability concerns across traditional markets.
The findings further indicate a clear diversification in destination preferences. While the UK and Australia continue to maintain strong market positioning, Germany and wider European destinations are witnessing strong growth in student interest due to affordability, post-study work opportunities, and perceived long-term career outcomes. Ireland is also emerging as a strong alternative destination, particularly within the English-speaking European market. The survey additionally reinforces the growing importance of India’s citytier dynamics, with destination awareness, student demand patterns, and counselling trends increasingly differing across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 markets.
Postgraduate
Destinations
The survey findings highlight a clear diversification in destination interest beyond the traditional study markets. Germany and wider European destinations emerged as the strongest growth markets, each cited by 83% of agents, reflecting increasing student interest in affordability, employability outcomes, and access to the European labour market.
Dubai/UAE also demonstrated strong momentum, with 44% of agents reporting growing demand, driven by its geographic proximity, shorter study durations, and expanding higher education ecosystem. Meanwhile, Japan was identified by 28% of agents as an emerging destination of interest, reflecting growing awareness of alternative study pathways across Asia.
Collectively, the findings suggest that Indian students are becoming increasingly open to exploring non-traditional destinations, particularly where strong career outcomes, affordability, and long-term return on investment can be clearly demonstrated.
Emerging destinations gaining interest for international student recruitment
United Kingdom
The UK continues to remain one of the strongest destination markets among Indian students, supported by high institutional visibility and long-standing market presence. However, the findings indicate that the UK is no longer viewed as an automatic first-choice destination in the way it was in previous years.
Agents reported a more cautious student outlook toward the market, driven primarily by concerns around affordability, immigration policy changes, post-study work opportunities, and long-term ROI. As a result, students are increasingly evaluating the UK alongside alternative destinations rather than defaulting to it directly.
Despite these shifts, the UK continues to maintain strong demand across postgraduate and career-focused programmes due to its global reputation, academic recognition, and established presence within the India market.
Agent Sentiments Towards the United Kingdom
Considering the UK alongside other destinations — not as first choice
Interested, but seeking Graduate Route / PSW clarity before committing
Continued strong interest; UK remains a top destination
Demand declined; actively redirecting students to Ireland or Europe
Stable interest, with dependent visa caveat noted
Top Student Concerns: United Kingdom
Agents reported consistent student concerns across markets, with post-study work opportunities and graduate employment outcomes emerging as the dominant themes influencing UK demand in 2026.
The most frequently cited concerns included:
> Graduate Route and post-study work uncertainty
> Graduate job market and employability outcomes
> Rising tuition fees and cost of living
> Dependent and spouse visa restrictions
> Limited ability to offset costs through part-time work
Strategic Implication
The UK’s challenge in the India market is increasingly centred around student confidence rather than institutional reputation. Universities that provide clearer employability narratives, stronger career outcome visibility, and transparent guidance around post-study pathways are likely to maintain stronger market positioning.
Australia
Australia remains one of the strongest destination markets among Indian students, with 88% of agents continuing to actively recommend the destination in 2026. However, the market is increasingly characterised by cautious student sentiment.
Agents highlighted that recent policy changes that include higher visa costs, the Genuine Student (GS) requirement, and revisions to post-study work rights have created greater uncertainty around application planning and visa confidence. As a result, while underlying interest remains strong, students are becoming more measured in their decision-making.
Despite these shifts, Australia continues to maintain strong demand due to its academic reputation, employability outcomes, and established post-study work opportunities.
Sentiments Towards Australia
Demand softened but strong academic profiles still confidently applying Limited policy impact; Australia remains actively recommended Interest exists but students waiting for policy clarity before committing Cautious optimism; exploring Australia alongside other destinations Demand dropped; actively redirecting to UK, Ireland or Europe
Key Policy Impacts — Agent Assessment Policy Change Agent Assessment
AUD $2,000 student visa fee (from July 2025)
India reclassified to Assessment Level 3
Genuine Student (GS) requirement introduced
485 Post-Study Work age cap reduction (Graduate Visa age limit for most streams has been reduced from 50 to 35 years old or younger )
International student enrolment cap increased to 295,000
Perceived as a significant cost barrier, particularly against lower-cost European destinations.
Increased documentation requirements, longer processing timelines, and lower application confidence.
Ongoing concerns around interpretation consistency and application assessment across institutions.
Viewed as a disadvantage for mature postgraduate applicants and students applying after work experience.
Seen as a positive step toward greater planning visibility and longer-term policy certainty.
Key Factors Supporting Future Demand Recovery for Australia
Agents were largely aligned on the factors most likely to strengthen demand for Australia in the coming years. The feedback centred less on individual policy measures and more on restoring confidence through greater policy stability, transparency, and clarity for prospective students.
Key themes emerging from agent feedback included:
> Greater stability and consistency in student visa policy
> Improved confidence in visa outcomes for genuine applicants
> Clearer post-study work and long-term career pathways
> Reduced financial barriers associated with visa costs
> Faster and more transparent processing timelines
Canada
Canada recorded the most significant decline in agent sentiment among the major study destinations assessed in this survey, with 42% of agents reporting a significant drop in student interest and increasing diversion toward alternative markets.
Agents attributed this shift to the cumulative impact of recent policy changes, including the reduction in study permit allocations to approximately 360,000 for 2026, stricter post-graduation work eligibility requirements, and the increase in proof-of-funds requirements from CAD $10,000 to CAD $20,635.
While Canada continues to benefit from strong brand recognition and established student awareness, affordability concerns, policy uncertainty, and evolving post-study work settings have materially impacted its competitiveness within the India market.
Agent Sentiments Towards Canada
Demand has declined significantly
Students remain interested but seek greater visa certainty
Canada evaluated alongside competing destinations
Demand remains largely stable
Decline concentrated at undergraduate level
Key Policy Impacts — Agent Assessment
Study permit cap reduced to 360,000 for 2026 (35% below 2023 levels)
Cost-of-living requirement increased to CAD $20,635 (from CAD $10,000)
Changes to PGWP eligibility for curriculum licensing programmes
Three-year PGWP retained for eligible Master’s graduates
Open work permit pathway retained for eligible spouses of Master’s students
Reduced market confidence and increased perception of application risk.
Significantly increased affordability barriers for prospective students.
Reduced attractiveness of certain programme pathways and institutions.
Continues to support Canada’s appeal among postgraduate applicants.
Remains a positive factor for students considering long-term settlement and family pathways.
The fastest win for Canada over the next 2–3 years: programmes under 16 months in AI, cybersecurity, data, and healthcare at colleges with strong industry ties. Mandatory co-op placements with high-employability outcomes create a compelling value proposition. Avoid generic business admin and hospitality — IRCC and provinces are filtering for labour market relevance.”
Senior Counselor Mumbai — 2026 Survey
Strategic Growth Opportunities for Canada
Despite softer demand, agents continue to identify specific areas where Canada retains a strong competitive advantage. Feedback was largely concentrated around career-focused programmes with clear employability outcomes and post-study opportunities.
Key growth areas identified by agents included:
> Healthcare and Nursing programmes
> AI, Data Science, and Cyber Security programmes with integrated co-op opportunities
> Skilled trades and technical education pathways
> Regional study options, particularly across Alberta and Atlantic Canada
> STEM programmes with strong employability outcomes and clear PGWP pathways
United States
The United States (US) continues to hold strong aspirational value among Indian students, particularly for highly ranked universities and specialised programmes. However, the findings indicate that it remains a more selective consideration within agent portfolios compared to other major destination markets.
Agents reported that student interest in the US is increasingly influenced by concerns around visa predictability, political climate, campus safety, and the absence of a clear long-term post-study pathway. While demand remains resilient among academically strong applicants, students are becoming more cautious in assessing the overall risk-to-reward proposition.
Despite these challenges, the US continues to benefit from its global academic reputation, research excellence, and leadership across STEM, technology, and innovation-focused disciplines.
Market Positioning of the USA
Key Factors Supporting Future Demand in US
Agent feedback suggests that strengthening confidence in the US will depend less on cost competitiveness and more on greater clarity around outcomes and long-term opportunities.
Key themes emerging from agent feedback included:
> Greater visibility of graduate employment outcomes and programme-level ROI
> Clearer and more predictable post-study work pathways
> Stronger institutional messaging around student support and campus environment
> Increased scholarship opportunities and experiential learning pathways, including internships and co-ops
> Greater consistency and transparency around F-1 visa processing and interview availability
Ireland
Ireland continues to strengthen its position within the Indian outbound student market, supported by a combination of English-language education, access to the European labour market, and strong post-study work opportunities.
Agents increasingly view Ireland as a credible alternative to traditional destinations, particularly among students seeking employability outcomes within the European Union (EU) while retaining the familiarity of an Englishspeaking study environment. This positioning remains largely unique among major destination markets and is contributing to growing consideration across agent portfolios.
Ireland Destination Ratings
Ireland received broadly positive ratings across all dimensions assessed, with responses concentrated primarily between 3 and 4 on the five-point scale. Quality and range of universities emerged as the strongest-rated attribute, while affordability, employability outcomes, and post-study work opportunities also recorded favourable sentiment.
Notably, the distribution of responses suggests a market characterised more by moderate awareness than strong conviction. While relatively few agents rated Ireland poorly, only a small proportion awarded the destination the highest rating across any category. This indicates that Ireland’s growth opportunity lies less in strengthening its proposition and more in increasing market visibility, institutional awareness, and understanding of its post-study and employment advantages.
The findings reinforce a consistent theme throughout the survey: Ireland’s challenge in the India market is not perception, but familiarity.
Students still see the US as number one for quality, innovation, and earning potential. But they are picking Germany and the UK for predictability. The US does not need to be cheaper — it needs to feel less risky. A stable government, reliable visa processes, and clear employment data is all it would take for us to confidently recommend it again.”
Senior Counselor Mumbai — 2026 Survey
Irish universities need to increase their visibility and awareness in the Indian market through stronger marketing, regular agent training, and a clear narrative around post-study employment outcomes. The product is good. The story is not being told.”
What Is Holding Students Back from Ireland?
The findings suggest that Ireland’s primary challenge is awareness rather than proposition. Limited awareness of Irish universities emerged as the most significant barrier, cited by 61% of agents, followed by a preference for more established destinations such as the UK, Australia, and Canada (47%).
Awareness-related barriers featured consistently throughout the survey, with 42% of agents citing limited understanding of Ireland’s graduate visa and poststudy work pathways, while a further 42% highlighted insufficient visibility and marketing activity from Irish institutions.
By comparison, affordability (17%) and scholarship availability (17%) were cited far less frequently, reinforcing that Ireland’s growth opportunity lies in increasing visibility, familiarity, and understanding within the India market.
Counselor – Vadodara India — 2026 Survey
Ireland’s Market Positioning
The findings suggest that Ireland occupies a distinct position within the international education landscape. As students increasingly prioritise employability and post-study opportunities, Ireland’s combination of Englishlanguage education and access to the European labour market is becoming a stronger differentiator.
While Germany and other European destinations continue to gain traction, agents highlighted language as a key consideration for many Indian students. Ireland’s ability to combine an English-speaking study environment with EU employment access positions it favourably within the evolving destination mix. The opportunity for Ireland is no longer a proposition, but awareness. Expanding visibility and understanding of this positioning remains the key driver of future growth.
Areas of Support for Agents
Agent feedback indicates a high degree of consistency around the support required from universities and in-country representatives. Across destinations and market segments, agents continue to prioritise responsiveness, training, and access to timely market intelligence as the most valuable forms of institutional support.
The findings reflect a recruitment environment where students are evaluating a wider range of destinations, comparing return on investment more closely, and making decisions faster than in previous cycles. In this context, agents increasingly rely on university partners to provide clear information, rapid turnaround times, and regular market engagement.
Subject Area Demand
AI & Cyber Security, Business, and Computer Science emerged as the strongest areas of student demand in 2026, reflecting a continued shift toward careerfocused and high-employability programmes. Agents also reported growing interest in adjacent fields such as Data Analytics, Business Technology, and Psychology across major destination markets.
Key Drivers Influencing Student Decision-Making
Employment outcomes and long-term return on investment emerged as the strongest factors influencing student decision-making in 2026, cited by 89% of agents surveyed. This marks a notable shift from the trends observed in the Acumen 2024 survey, where tuition fees and scholarships were identified as the leading driver.
The findings suggest that students and families are increasingly evaluating destinations through the lens of employability, career progression, and poststudy outcomes, ahead of traditional considerations such as cost, rankings, and visa policies.
The findings highlight the increasing importance of India’s multi-tier recruitment landscape. While Tier 1 cities continue to generate the highest volume of international student applications, Tier 2 cities are now firmly established as a key source of demand.
At the same time, Tier 3 and regional markets continue to expand, reflecting growing awareness and aspirations for international education beyond traditional metropolitan centres. The data reinforces the need for institutions to adopt differentiated recruitment strategies that address the distinct characteristics of each market segment.
Key Takeaways
Speed remains the strongest operational differentiator. Three-quarters of agents identified faster response times as their most valuable form of support, reflecting the direct impact of turnaround times on conversion outcomes.
Knowledge drives confidence. Nearly two-thirds of agents cited training and destination updates as critical, highlighting the growing importance of employability data, policy changes, poststudy work pathways, and programmelevel differentiation in student counselling conversations.
Engagement remains important, but must be purposeful. Agents increasingly value interactions that provide actionable insights, market intelligence, and student-facing support rather than purely promotional engagement.
The findings suggest that universities seeking to strengthen agent partnerships in India should focus on three areas: operational responsiveness, continuous training, and consistent market intelligence. Together, these remain the strongest enablers of agent confidence and student conversion.
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Since our story began in 2008, Acumen, part of the Sannam S4 Group, has offered deep in-market insights, a peoplefirst approach, and fully compliant international services across multiple markets in India and beyond. We currently support x globally ambitions universities in India with their recruitment and partnerships work, with x In-Country Representatives working across the country.
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