The survey found that 52 per cent of Cambridge graduates opted to study in their home country at the undergraduate level, a trend that was particularly visible among South Asian students in India and Bangladesh. Several schools in the region reported that most learners were choosing domestic universities for their undergraduate education, with international ambitions largely reserved for the postgraduate stage.

Why the Shift Toward Local Study

For years, the assumption in much of South Asia was that a foreign undergraduate degree offered the strongest launchpad for a global career. The latest findings suggest that assumption is shifting. A rising number of South Asian students appear to be weighing cost, familiarity, and the growing quality of domestic institutions against the traditional pull of studying abroad from age 18.

Choosing local undergraduate education allows families to significantly reduce the financial burden of a four-year foreign degree, while still keeping the door open for international exposure later, at the postgraduate level — when scholarships, assistantships, and targeted programs are often more accessible.

A Two-Stage Approach to Global Education

The survey's findings point to what appears to be an emerging two-stage strategy among South Asian students: build a strong academic foundation through undergraduate education at home, then use that base to compete for postgraduate seats and career opportunities abroad. This approach lets students test the waters of higher education in a familiar environment before making the more expensive, higher-stakes leap overseas.

Education counsellors have long noted that this staged approach can also improve outcomes for South Asian students, who often use their undergraduate years to build strong academic records, research experience, and standardized test scores that make them more competitive applicants for postgraduate programs at top global universities.

What It Means for Domestic Universities

The trend also reflects growing confidence in domestic higher education systems across India and Bangladesh. As local universities expand capacity, improve global rankings, and add more industry-linked programs, they are becoming a credible first step for South Asian students, rather than merely a fallback option for those who couldn't study abroad.

This shift could have long-term implications for how universities in the region position themselves — potentially prompting more investment in undergraduate infrastructure, research opportunities, and international exchange programs designed to prepare South Asian students for postgraduate study abroad down the line.

Looking Ahead

As the trend takes hold, it may reshape how education consultants, schools, and universities across South Asia advise students on timing their global ambitions. Rather than treating undergraduate study abroad as the default first step, more institutions may begin framing strong undergraduate education at home as a strategic foundation for global postgraduate success — a shift that could influence education planning across the region for years to come.