Eying Indian campuses of foreign universities to save education costs? Pros and cons of this alternative explained

Indian branch foreign university campuses appear as one of the best alternatives for those vying admission in overseas institutions but cannot make it due expensive visa application and tuition fee, steep living costs, recurring airfares and other expenses that could add up to crores. While foreign university campuses bridge this gap and promise global degrees at a fraction of overseas costs, the real question about the degree’s validity in terms of market demand arises.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 closed the divide created between domestic and overseas degrees by allowing foreign universities to set up branch campuses in India. Regulated by education ministry’s University Grants Commission (UGC) and the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) GIFT City framework, the gateway restricts entry to institutions listed in the top 500 global rankings, such as QS World University Rankings, which vary from subject to subject.

Considering the curiosity among students to enrol in foreign campuses, the Gen Z Outlook Report 2026 published by online education company Emeritus this week suggests that 60% of pre-college students want to study abroad. Meanwhile, 69% of students currently enroled in or having completed their undergraduate degree and looking for a PG course expressed their interest in an India-based international programme mainly to avoid visa uncertainty.

Let’s learn whether higher cost of degrees than established domestic universities offer better learning, employability, international exposure, industry access, future mobility, alumni networks and more.

Pros of enroling in foreign branch universities

At a fraction of overseas costs, foreign university campuses offer global degrees awarded by the parent university. According to Emeritus co-founder and CEO Ashwin Damera, the financial appeal of an Indian branch campus lies in the significant reduction in expenditure without sacrificing degree legitimacy. Ashwin Damera highlighted that satellite campuses are mandated to teach a curriculum similar to that used at their home institutions, as reported by Mint.

Though students are open to access semester-abroad options and summer exchange programmes but limited placement data and early stages of establishment have raised concerns. Comparing cost of one-year postgraduate programme at the University of Liverpool’s home campus with that of master’s degree at its India campus, Damera said that the overall cost goes as high as ₹60 lakh for the former and costs anywhere between ₹14–15 lakh for the latter. This figure includes local living expenses and tuition fee.

Similarly, four-year bachelor’s programme at Illinois costs nearly ₹2 crore while at university’s Mumbai campus, it costs around ₹40–50 lakh, slashing costs to a quarter of the overseas price tag.

Cons

Independent education counsellor (IEC) Bakhtawar Krishnan asserted that though satellite campuses address external headwinds, such as US visa rejections, Canada’s international intake cuts and soaring Australian visa fees, but other unknowns and variables remain.

She added, “Outside the graduates of Deakin University in Gujarat, there is no long-term placement data to prove how international employers will value a degree completed at a satellite campus versus a main campus. The campus environment will consist almost entirely of domestic Indian students, removing the cross-cultural exposure that traditional study-abroad programs provide.”

CUSAT director of international relations and associate professor, Dr. Hareesh N Ramanathan warned against budding satellite campuses because of the perceptions of being ‘second-tier.’ He pointed out that there are currently no government-mandated regulations regarding student recruitment, faculty pay scales or mandatory flight frequencies for parent-institution professors.