Universities in Kerala draw more foreign interest
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala has, it seems, become a revolving door for college students. At a time when an increasing number of Malayali students are moving abroad for their studies, universities in the state are witnessing an influx of applications from foreign countries.
International applicants to Kerala University (KU), MG University (MGU), Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), and Calicut University (CU) have increased manifold in the last four years. Moreover, while students migrating from Kerala prefer to settle abroad, foreign students come here for courses that will help them land better jobs in their home countries.
The number of foreign applicants to KU increased by 138% from 1,100 in 2021-22 to 2,620 in 2025-26, while MGU registered a 95.61% jump, from 502 to 982 over the same period. Cusat witnessed the biggest rise, with applications rising to 1,700 this academic year from 603 four years ago.
However, only around 10% of these applications result in admissions. Though it’s primarily students from African countries, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka who apply, there are applications received from countries such as New Zealand, Thailand, Oman, Egypt, and France, too.
