These UK university courses are most in demand from India

This year, study abroad consultant Fateh Education has witnessed a remarkable surge in students enrolling in Psychology courses.

The UK government's latest data show that Indians accounted for 81 percent of the overseas students studying master's last year.

The majority (81 percent) of Indian students came to the UK to study at masters level in the latest year. Chinese nationals are the second most common nationality granted sponsored study visas (107,236), accounting for 25 percent of the total, with a smaller proportion studying at masters level (59 percent) compared to Indian nationals.

Which are the courses most preferred by Indians?

Humanities, Climate Change

Professor Angelia Wilson, Associate Dean for Internationalisation, Faculty of Humanities at the University of Manchester, told Moneycontrol that, over the last few years, interest in humanities, in particular, has been growing.

Also, along with more traditional subjects, such as Law and Economics, the institute found more students applying for master’s programmes which focus on technological impact, such as Digital Media and Social Network Analysis, and environmental impact, such as Climate Change and Disaster Management.

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“We believe this growth is due to an increasing awareness of the many diverse career opportunities available to graduates from a humanities background,” said Wilson.

Over the past three years, the Faculty of Humanities has been developing new programmes in line with this market interest, she said. “We have seen success in programmes, such as MA Social Change, Environment and Sustainability, MSc Urban Studies, MA Digital Media, Culture and Society, among many others, in our diverse portfolio,” she added.

AI, Accounting and Business Management 

At the University of East London, the most notable enrolment increases include Accounting and Business Management (BSc Hons), with a 1,000 percent rise, Adult Nursing (BSc Hons) with a 617 percent increase, and Event Management (BA Hons), with a 271 percent increase.

Additionally, the new and highly in-demand course, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science with Industrial Placement (MSc), saw a steep 193.30 percent increase in enrolment.

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“The escalating demand for AI, data science, and nursing professionals underscores the growing recognition of technology and healthcare as key drivers of societal progress,” a spokesperson for the institute said.

Psychology, Sustainability

This year, study abroad consultant Fateh Education has witnessed a remarkable surge in students enrolling for psychology courses (60-70 percent) from major cities like Mumbai and Delhi, and a 25-30 percent rise in Hyderabad, driven by the expanding applications of the field beyond traditional roles, such as in business and law, alongside growing mental health awareness.

“Psychology's growth is impacted by a deeper understanding of mental health and its expanding role in various sectors like business and law, attracting students interested in addressing complex social and organisational challenges,” said Suneet Singh Kochar, CEO of Fateh Education.

Additionally, sustainability-related programmes are seeing a notable uptick in interest, reflecting a global shift towards environmental responsibility and the integration of sustainability principles across diverse sectors.

Business-related subjects

The Loughborough University was very popular with students from India because of its engineering programmes. But, over the past two decades, this has started to change and it has seen more students going into business-related programmes, with more representation from across India.

“As the global economy has diversified, so too has our provision to include areas such as entrepreneurship, innovation, sports business, analytics, circular economy, as well as more traditional fields such as banking, finance, economics and marketing,” the institute had said earlier.

Public Health

At the University of York, the most popular course was the Master of Public Health (comprising 44 percent Indian students) last year. The institute is introducing newer courses after seeing traction among students going for new-age job roles and industries.

They include MSc in Renewable Energy Technologies, MA in Sustainable Built Heritage, BA (Hons) in Business in Creative Industries, MSc in Artificial Intelligence for Creative Industries, and MA in Philosophy in Artificial Intelligence.