UK top PG destination for Indian students; AI, cybersecurity, nursing most sought-after: Govt report

Around 1.8 lakh Indian students preferred United Kingdom-based higher educational institutions to pursue post graduate programmes, according to the government data from 2024. The main attraction lies in the UK's one year PG courses, along with flexible visa options that allow students to gain valuable work experience.

The “graduate route” allows international students to remain in the UK for up to two years after completing their degree or up to three years for doctoral graduates, the report said.

The United Kingdom’s post graduate visa extension attracted around 1.3 million Indian students in 2024 to pursue PG programmes, the report added.

“In the UK, most postgraduate programmes are designed to be completed within one year, offering a time- and cost-efficient route to advanced qualifications. This structure enables students to gain quicker ROI and enter the job market, allowing them to apply their new skills and knowledge at an early stage,” the report says.

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Why are Indian students opting for PG courses in the UK?

The one-year PG programme for international students in the UK reduces tuition and living expenses. It also boosts career progression, making UK master’s degrees an attractive option for ambitious professionals.

Moreover, the country also offers several ‘sandwich’ courses, which contains a combination of academic learning and practical work. Through this, students earn while they study.

Further, in the QS World University Rankings 2026, four UK-based universities secured 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 9th place in the top 10 best universities. These include Imperial College London, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and UCL.

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Top 5 High Paying Courses in UK

An IDP education report listed out five PG courses offered by UK universities that are preferred by Indian students.

Business Analytics

• There is a rising demand for professionals who can interpret and act on complex datasets to extract meaningful information.
• The annual salary for the initial position of a business analyst in the UK is estimated to be around Rs 53 lakh annually (£45,000), as per the IDP education report.

Financial Technology

• Artificial intelligence-driven, the course prepared students to work in banking, investment, and insurance sectors.
• It has modules on financial systems, cybersecurity, algorithmic trading, and innovation management.
• This can land them in a role profile of product managers, FinTech analysts, and blockchain developers. As per the data, average salary for the position starts from Rs 83 lakh (approx £70,000) annually.

Nursing

• The MSc in nursing course helps students build advanced clinical skills and prepares them for roles in specialised care, leadership, or research.
• “According to NHS data, the UK will need an additional 260,000–360,000 healthcare workers by 2036–37 due to an ageing population and increased care demands,” the report said.
• With the growing demand for healthcare professionals, the annual salary ranges from Rs 23 lakh to Rs 31 lakh.

Artificial Intelligence

• Major industries adopting AI in healthcare and finance to manufacturing and retail, this course enables students to gain skills in machine learning, natural language processing, robotics, and neural networks.
• Graduates as AI engineers, machine learning specialists, or research scientists are eligible to earn an average annual pay of Rs 83 lakh (£70,000).

Cybersecurity

• A postgraduate degree in cybersecurity trains students in areas such as ethical hacking, information assurance, digital forensics, and network security.
• Cybersecurity analyst, and information security officer among other job profile are offered to the PG students specialised in cybersecurity.
• With an annual salary between Rs 59 lakh (£50,000) and Rs 95 lakh (£80,000) in the UK, there are growing prospects for advancement in this course.

Corporate Law

• Legal aspects to run a business is paramount.
• Corporate Law plays an important role within top-tier law firms, financial institutions, consultancy firms, and multinational corporations.
• To apply for this course, students should have a prior law degree or previous work experience with a law firm to pursue this specialisation.
  In the UK, barristers in commercial law typically start with an earnings of around Rs 53 lakh (£45,000) and progress to Rs 1.7 crore (£150,000) annually.