How Many Indian Students Are Currently Pursuing Higher Education in Canada?

 

How Many Indian Students Are Currently Pursuing Higher Education in Canada?: A Complete Guide

Canada has always been a very popular destination for Indian students who desire internationally recognized qualification, job prospects, and experience of a multicultural society. There have been hundreds and thousands of Indian students who have opted for Canada each year because of its good education system, future prospects after study, and diversified societies. Reliable transportation services like Taxi Glasgow will be a great help for the Indian students traveling to Scotland or other places before or after completing their studies.

How Many Indian Students Are Studying in Canada?

The most recent official numbers issued by the Canadian government state that 188,465 Indian nationals had study permits in 2024, accounting for about 36.5% of the total number of people with study permits in Canada's Study Permit Program's top country list for study permits. India was still the top country with respect to the number of study permit applicants, above China, Nigeria, the Philippines, and France.

It should be noted that the above number does not always correspond to the actual number of Indian students who attend universities. There are different situations for study permits, and, therefore, there is no single official statistic that tells exactly how many Indian students study in Canada right now.

There were quite some changes in Canada's international student population in recent years as well. IRCC reported 516,275 study permit holders in 2024 compared to 682,889 in 2023.

Indian Students Remain a Major Part of Canada's International Education System

Despite the recent change in the Canadian government’s approach to international education, Indian students remain an important group in the country's student demographics. Traditionally, India has always occupied the first position in terms of the number of international students in Canada.

The statistics provided by the government illustrates the significant growth in the number of Indian students before the implementation of recent immigration reforms in Canada. Thus, in 2023, India comprised 40% of all study permits holders according to one IRCC profile.

Recently, the situation has started changing. The Canadian government adopted policies which aimed to control the growth of the number of international students, among which there was a limitation on study-permits applications. As a result, significantly fewer study permits were issued.

According to Canada’s Auditor General, in 2024, 149,559 new study permits were issued, as against 456,690 in 2023. Up to September 2025, 50,370 new study permits had been issued, even though the process of issuing was still ongoing.

Why Do Indian Students Choose Canada for Higher Education?

There are several reasons Canada has traditionally been attractive to Indian students.

1. Internationally Recognised Qualifications

Canadian universities and colleges offer qualifications that are recognised internationally. Students can select from undergraduate degrees, postgraduate programmes, diplomas, certificates and specialised professional courses.

2. Wide Range of Courses

Indian students can choose programmes in areas such as:

• Business and management

• Information technology

• Engineering

• Healthcare

• Finance

• Data science

• Artificial intelligence

• Hospitality and tourism

• Supply-chain management

• Environmental studies

This wide range allows students to select programmes according to their academic background and long-term career goals.

3. Multicultural Environment

Canada is known for its multicultural population. Large Indian communities in cities such as Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg can make the transition easier for newcomers.

Indian students can find cultural organisations, restaurants, community groups and social networks that help them maintain connections with their culture while experiencing life in Canada.

4. Career and Work Opportunities

Another main attraction has been the prospect of acquiring Canadian work experience after completing studies. Yet potential students are advised to scrutinize the new eligibility requirements, as the immigration and work policy of Canada has seen some major changes.

Canada's International Student Numbers Are Changing

Currently, the education market in Canada is undergoing a drastic transformation. The government has made efforts to minimize the inflow of new international students into the country.

According to the report by the Auditor General, the number of post-secondary international students Glasgow Airport Transfers  who had study permits in Canada was 675,070 by September 2025. This data shows that despite the policy changes, there is a considerable number of international students in Canada.

However, the total number of people with study permits in the country continued to decrease. The official statistics of Canada indicate that 632,535 people had a study permit in Canada by June 30, 2026, but the latter includes both international and native students of various specialties.

This does not indicate that Canada does not want international students anymore; on the contrary, the country just wants to regulate its flow.

What Has Changed for Indian Students?

Applying for studies in Canada has become more challenging compared to what it used to be several years ago. This is because applicants must be more keen on admissions requirements, financial support requirements, and study permit regulations as well as provincial requirements.

A significant recent change includes the abolishing of Canada’s Student Direct Stream in November 2024. According to the Auditor General, Indians were overwhelmingly the biggest group that received approvals through the program in its last years.

The new conditions require students not to rely on information available from old social media postings or unauthorized websites as these requirements may be subject to change very fast. It is advisable for interested students to get information from the Canadian government official websites.

Also read: Living in Scotland: Pros and Cons for Expats and Tourists

Which Canadian Cities Attract Indian Students?

The Indian students have dispersed themselves all over the Canadian provinces with the leading provinces being Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec.

In addition, Toronto and surroundings are of great importance due to having big universities, job market, and Indian communities. Vancouver is also a popular city among others like Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal, and Winnipeg.

The factors that determine the city of preference include tuition cost, accommodation cost, availability of programs, employment opportunities, weather, and lifestyle.

Is Canada Still a Good Choice for Indian Students?

For students who carefully analyze the available options, Canada can still provide them with some excellent opportunities to study. The point here is that the choice must be based on a realistic perspective rather than the assumption that being a student in Canada guarantees permanent residence there. 

The main aspects that must be taken into account include the full cost of tuition and accommodation, the university’s reputation, programme quality, employment prospects and the existing migration laws.

Recent data indicates that the situation in Canada’s international education system has changed considerably compared to 2022-2023. Nonetheless, Indian students continue to represent a considerable proportion of Canada’s international student population.

Final Thoughts: How Many Indian Students Are in Canada?

And how many Indian students are actually studying in Canada right now? One of the latest useful official numbers specific for this particular country is 188,465 Indians with study permits in 2024, while the newest official data from Canada proves that the overall number of international students keeps falling after major changes in policies.

As Canada does not offer one updated number representing only Indians enrolled in universities and colleges, it would be unfair to provide you with one exact number as 2026 enrolment.

One thing is obvious – India is still one of the key countries sending international students to Canada. While the number of those arriving in Canada has fallen greatly, Indian students are still crucial for the education sector in the country. So those who want to study in Canada should look at current official data and immigration requirements, and not rely on outdated figures.

For those Indian students who want to study in Canada, it would be wise to compare colleges, understand financial commitment, check current study-permit requirements and select a valuable course.