Recent favourable demographics highlight the benefits of accepting international students from Nepal.
Nepal’s population is projected to increase to 33.6 million by 2031, with nearly 55% of its population comprising university-aged youths.
Despite the strong and growing demand for tertiary education, less than 1% of Nepal’s universities are offering post-graduate degrees to students.
While the total number of Nepalese students studying abroad is smaller than that of major Asian countries, Nepal’s outbound mobility ratio is much higher.
More specifically, Nepal has clocked close to 18% outbound mobility ratio in the year 2017, whilst Vietnam reached just below 4% outbound mobility ratio. China’s outbound mobility ratio was a little above 2% in 2017, and India’s is at just 1%.
The identified three main drivers for a foreign tertiary experience for the Nepalese students are:
- Quality of overseas education. The general perception of studying at an overseas university is almost usually positive. This will make students more likely to engage with international study.
- Employment potential. The ease of securing employment in the host country post-graduation is another factor to consider. The promise of career opportunities may encourage and inspire Nepalese students to study abroad. However, job instability may deter students from pursuing international education. Individuals may want to avoid the financial strain that come with this.
- Desire to leave behind instability. Finally, students may choose to leave Nepal in order to leave the country’s political instability. Naturally, they will gravitate towards a country that has a much more secure political climate in comparison.
In Nepal, STEM majors are the most popular disciplines. Reports state that math, computer science, life sciences, and engineering receive the largest Nepalese student uptake.
Because this source market remains relatively price-sensitive, access to scholarships for international students and the ability to work part time over the duration of their education will also be key factors to consider when selecting a study destination.
The top destination markets for Nepalese students currently include Australia, Japan and the U.S.A.
