A recent report has shed light on the distinct behaviors of Indian students when it comes to choosing and enrolling in higher education degrees. The CollegeDekho HEART report provides insights into how students in India navigate their choices, revealing a significant gap between the subjects they search for online and the degrees they ultimately enroll in.
According to the report, the most popular search stream among Indian students is Education, followed closely by Science and Engineering. However, when it comes to actual enrollments, the Arts lead the way, highlighting a divergence between students’ interests and their final decisions.
For enrollments facilitated digitally through CollegeDekho, Engineering emerged as the most popular choice, with Management also ranking highly. Management is well-known as a top choice for Indian students studying abroad. Science and Commerce followed as the second and third most common fields in overall enrollments.
The report raises an important question: “Is the dichotomy real?” It suggests that students with better guidance, stronger educational backgrounds at the 10+2 level, or greater access to digital resources tend to prefer career-oriented streams, while those without such advantages often choose more traditional options.
A notable example of this is Information Technology (IT), which ranks among the top four subjects for online searches but falls to eighth place in overall enrollments. This suggests that while IT is a popular field of interest, it may not be as frequently pursued in practice.
The report emphasizes that digitally active students are inclined to choose degrees with better career prospects. Pharmacy, for instance, is maintaining its position within the top ten for digitally enabled enrollments and has seen a 40% growth over the past two years.
The gap between digitally active students and those who follow more traditional paths due to a lack of guidance is a key issue highlighted in the report. It suggests that bridging this gap is essential to help students pursue degrees that focus on skill development and improved career outcomes.
In terms of degree types, MBAs are the most searched online, yet overall enrollments are highest for BA degrees. Interestingly, while BA degrees lead in overall enrollments, they rank among the bottom three in digitally enabled enrollments over the past three years, with BTechs overtaking MBAs in this category.
This report underscores the need for better guidance and digital empowerment to help Indian students make more informed decisions about their education and career paths, ensuring that their choices align with their aspirations and the demands of the job market.
