Every year a few thousand families in Bihar make the same decision you are thinking about now. Most of them begin with high hopes and real concerns in equal measure. This guide sets out the facts so the decision becomes easier.
Where Bihar students actually go
Reporting by ETV Bharat in January 2026 estimated that between 3,000 and 5,000 students from Bihar go abroad for higher study each year. The same report traced the rise before the pandemic: 2,352 students in 2016, 3,345 in 2017, 4,399 in 2018 and 4,888 in 2019.
The destinations are not what the glossy adverts suggest. Medicine leads, and it leads eastwards.
| Destination | Bihar students a year (estimate, January 2026) | What they mostly study |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | 800 to 1,000 | Medicine, engineering |
| Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan | 600 to 800 | Mostly medicine |
| Canada | 500 to 700 | Management, IT, diplomas |
| UK and USA together | 400 to 500 | Master’s degrees, mainly |
| Australia | 300 to 400 | Business, IT, health courses |
Two trends sit behind this table. First, the national picture has cooled. Education Ministry data placed before Parliament showed Indian students going abroad fell from about 9.08 lakh in 2023 to about 6.26 lakh in 2025, a drop of more than 30 per cent, as the USA, Canada and Australia tightened visa rules. Second, Europe is gaining. ETV Bharat reported in June 2026 that Indian students are giving more preference to Germany, Ireland, France, Italy and the Netherlands, where public universities charge little or no tuition.
What this means for you: the crowd is thinning and choosing more carefully. That is good news for a well-prepared applicant.
The seven-step route
We call the path from your first enquiry to your first weeks on campus your journey. It has seven stages. Each one has a job to do, and the first six each end in a document.
1. Tell us your plans
Start with the honest version. Which subject makes you lose track of time? What does your family earn, and what can it spare? Do you want to come back to India, and when? Write these down before you look at a single university. A clear starting point saves lakhs later.
2. Shortlist
Match your marks, budget and subject to real courses. A good shortlist has three layers: one or two courses you would be thrilled by, three or four you are well placed for, and one or two safe choices. Check every course on the official university website, not on a brochure. For medicine, check the National Medical Commission’s rules before you check anything else.
3. Documents
Gather marksheets, passport, English test scores, a statement of purpose, references and financial papers. Most delays happen here, usually because a passport was applied for late or a bank statement did not cover the required period. Start the passport now if you do not have one.
4. Applied
Submit the applications yourself, from your own email address, with your own login. Keep every confirmation. Apply early in the window; many universities fill competitive courses before the stated deadline.
5. Offer
You will usually get a conditional offer first. Read the conditions, meet them, and only then pay the deposit, directly to the university’s own bank account. Then ask for the document your visa needs: a CAS for the UK, a letter of acceptance for Canada, an I-20 for the USA, an admission letter for Germany.
6. Visa and departure
Hold the required money for the required period, take any medical test, book the biometrics appointment and apply. For the UK, you can apply up to six months before the course starts and most decisions come within three weeks, as of November 2026. Book flights only after the visa is granted.
7. Settling in
The stage nobody plans for. In your first weeks you will register with the university, open a bank account, sort a phone number, and work out how rent, bills and the local transport card actually work. Read your visa’s work conditions before you take any job; the hours you are allowed are a condition of the visa, not a guideline. Ask early rather than late. Most of the trouble students run into abroad starts as a small question nobody asked.
Timelines by intake
Work backwards from the start date. The table shows a comfortable plan; it can be compressed, but each squeeze adds risk.
| Intake | Start shortlisting | Apply to universities | Tests and loans done | Visa application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK, September | September to November the year before | November to March | April to May | June to August |
| UK, January | January to March | April to August | August to September | October to December |
| Canada, September | September to November the year before | November to February | March to April | April to June |
| Germany, October (winter semester) | October to December the year before | Most deadlines close 15 July; APS certificate first | April to June | July to September |
| Germany, April (summer semester) | April to June the year before | Most deadlines close 15 January | October to November | December to February |
| Russia and Central Asia, September (MBBS) | After NEET results | June to August | NEET qualification is required | July to September |
Two notes. German applications need an APS certificate, which has no fixed processing time, so start it three to four months before the university deadline. For medicine abroad, you must have qualified NEET-UG before you leave India; the NMC’s information desk sets out the rules.
What parents should ask first
Parents carry most of the money and much of the worry. These seven questions settle both.
- What is the full cost for the whole course, in rupees, including living? Not the first year. The whole course, with a margin for the exchange rate.
- Who receives each payment? Tuition goes to the university’s account. Visa fees go to the government. Nobody else should hold your money.
- Is the course recognised for the career my child wants? For medicine, that means the NMC’s regulations. For the UK, the university must be a licensed student sponsor. For Canada, a designated learning institution.
- What happens if the visa is refused? Ask for the refund terms in writing before paying a deposit.
- What will we pay, to whom, and when? Get the answer in writing before anything starts. Honest guidance should not cost you anything up front, and any optional extra should come with a price before you say yes.
- Can my child work part time, and does the budget depend on it? Part-time work should be a cushion, never the plan.
- Where will my child live in the first month? University accommodation booked before departure removes the most stressful week of the year.
A word on marks and money
Students from Bihar often assume their board percentage shuts doors. It rarely does. Universities abroad read the whole file: marks, subject fit, the statement, and references. A 70 per cent student with a clear statement and a sensible course choice gets offers every year. The genuine barrier is usually money, and money has routes too: education loans, scholarships, low-fee countries such as Germany, and choosing a city outside London or Toronto.
Be realistic in one direction only. Never promise a lender, a visa officer or yourself income you have not got.
What to do next
Bihar Scholars is a free guidance service for students from Bihar and across India, run from Southampton in the UK. If you would like help turning this guide into a plan for your family, Start your application.