68 pc class 11 and 12 students prefer higher studies in home country: Survey

More than 6,600 students between grades 9 and 12 from 2,000 schools across India and South Asia responded to the survey titled Student Quest Survey Report. 

Overall this year, 25 per cent of the total students are planning to go abroad for higher studies, which is four percentage points lower than last year. 

The survey was conducted by Shiv Nadar University, Noida, and International Career and College Counseling (IC3) Institute, a volunteer organisation that provides support to high schools around the world through guidance and training resources for high school administrators, teachers and counsellors. 

Among grade 9 and 10 students, 49 per cent preferred to study in their home countries, while 24 per cent were undecided, said the report, highlighting the importance of counseling in early grades and making the right information available to students as they evaluate their options. 

According to the Student Quest Survey, students begin thinking about their career and related job prospects early -- in high school itself. “Seventy-one per cent of the students have already started thinking about their future employment,” the report said.