Rural and Urban Divide in Aspirations to Study Abroad: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

Many Indian High school students want to study abroad, but this aim is hampered by information, resource and support gaps between rural and urban areas. This study compares rural and urban students' awareness, financial resources, academic preparedness and social and cultural support using data from the Indian government and current research. We see that although the overall number of Indian students studying overseas has increased (to over 750,000 in 2023) there are still more hindrances for young people in rural areas. For example, just above 50% of Indian teenagers finish secondary school and children in rural areas do worse on English language tests than their urban counterparts. Villages now have more access to the internet (95.2% of Indian villages have mobile data), which can help close gaps. In fact, according to recent studies, over 55% of India's internet users now live in rural areas. This improved access to information, however, does not fully address the disparities in educational infrastructure and the quality of schooling, which remain significant challenges for rural students aspiring to pursue higher education abroad. Additionally, while mobile data penetration is high, the effective utilization of online resources for academic preparation and university applications still requires guidance and support is often less available in rural settings.