The ambition of Indian students to study abroad and gain global degrees, along with pursuing exciting career opportunities, has been a driving force behind the international education movement. Today, the key question is no longer just “Where should I study?” but also “What should I study to thrive in the future economy?”
Nowadays, students are cognisant enough that they are selecting the right course and right destination in alignment with their goal to prosper in the future economy. With AI at the centre of conversation across major fields, it is important to see how students can align their future with prospective employers, while having the necessary creative, technical, and soft skills, and choose their course accordingly, be it STEM, Business, or Liberal Arts.
For Indian students eyeing the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand, the decision is not about one course or country being better than another — it is about understanding how each country aligns with evolving skill demands and long-term career opportunities.
Read More | Canada, US, UK: Top picks for Indian students heading abroad – NITI Aayog
The STEM advantage: Powering the digital future
STEM courses have been popular for years among prospective Indian students. The US is a key study abroad market that sees one of the highest segments of Indian students wanting to pursue STEM education. More than 3.63 lakh Indian students are studying in the country, according to the US Open Doors 2025 report.
Global demand for STEM graduates is surging across multiple sectors — not only in digital technology but also in engineering, environmental sciences, biotechnology, healthcare, and data research. Furthermore, Engineers Australia, Australia’s national body for engineering, stated that the demand in science, technology, engineering and mathematics occupations is predicted to increase by over 12% in the coming years.
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For those employed in maths occupations in the US, it is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations from 2024 to 2034. About 37,700 openings are projected each year, on average, in these occupations due to employment growth and the need to replace workers who leave the occupations permanently.
This shows that STEM graduates are in great demand, and how it fuels both economic growth and innovation. For students who want to stay sustainable in the long term in the growing job market, STEM offers pathways not just into traditional roles but also into emerging industries such as cybersecurity, data science, and climate-tech.
Business and Management: The global career passport
Business education continues to be one of the most sought-after fields worldwide. In the UK, Business and Management was the most popular subject in 2023-24, accounting for 21 per cent of all student enrolments.
Moreover, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that employment in business and finance occupations is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2033, adding approximately 942,500 new jobs each year.
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As globalisation expands, management degrees provide students with the versatility to work across industries, from finance and consulting to entrepreneurship and technology. Business graduates are increasingly required to understand data analytics, sustainability, and cross-cultural management, reflecting the convergence of business with digital and human-centred disciplines.
Liberal Arts: Building the human skills economy
Liberal Arts has been around for a long time, shaping civilisations, and now, equipping students with the necessary cognitive and creative skills. The demand for a Liberal Arts degree is growing, and it is a good career to pursue to contribute to the economy. For example, in the UK, the creative industries are worth around £100 billion and employ some 2.4 million people, with roughly one in eight UK businesses part of this ecosystem. Additionally, the sector provides 2.4 million jobs – 66% of them outside of London. Other countries where the course is gaining popularity are the Netherlands and Germany, where students are exposed to a blend of humanities with technical studies, resulting in an interdisciplinary education.
At the same time, employers are increasingly emphasising the need for human-centric, adaptive skills. A recent report by the World Economic Forum shows that analytical thinking remains the most sought-after skill, followed closely by resilience, flexibility and agility, leadership, and social influence, all of which point to the importance of human strengths alongside technical acumen.
Moreover, some of the world’s top-ranked universities (according to the QS World University Rankings 2025) offer a degree in Arts & Humanities, such as Harvard University (ranked #1), followed by the University of Oxford (#2) and the University of Cambridge (#3) globally.
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The Future Economy: Blurring boundaries between disciplines
Today’s global economy values graduates who can connect technical expertise with strategic thinking and human insight. Reports such as the QS World Future Skills Index rank the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and Ireland as top countries where university education is closely aligned with employer demand for integrated, future-ready skillsets combining technical depth, analytical capability, and digital literacy. For instance, a data scientist with a knack for business acumen is highly valued in finance and consulting. On the other hand, engineers with a foothold in sustainability and social sciences play a central role in shaping climate policy and green energy solutions. Similarly, entrepreneurs with strong communication and cultural literacy skills often outperform purely technical founders.
Destinations such as the US, with its flexible major-minor structures, and New Zealand, with its interdisciplinary undergraduate programmes, allow students to select the courses of their choice, so that they can increase their chances of gaining these skills and prepare themselves for the jobs of the future.
As the global economy transforms, no single field holds a monopoly on opportunity. Whether in STEM, Business, or Liberal Arts, the smartest decision is to select a programme that balances long-term employability with personal passion. The destinations that Indian students choose—the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand – each offer unique strengths across these disciplines.
(The author is the regional director, South Asia, Canada and LATAM, IDP Education)
