With more than 17,000 colleges, 400 universities, 13 institutes of national importance and various other vocational institutes, the higher education system in India is one of the largest in the world.

However, it is the fast integrating world economy and corresponding rise of students mobility that have made studying in India an attractive option. There are a large number of Indian as well as foreign students who apply every year to Indian universities and colleges. For all those who wish to study in India, it is very important to get prior and correct information about the courses that you would like to undertake, the university you want to apply to and how to go about the application procedure. For an international student, it is also important to know the accommodation facilities, weather conditions, food habits and cost of living in the city in which he or she intends to study.

Education in India
The education system in India has savored a special bond between the teacher and the pupil since time unknown. In fact, India was the country to have established what we know as the 'gurukul' system of education. However, with the coming of the Britishers, English has become a part and parcel of Indian education system. Today English is the third major medium of instruction in India after Hindi and Marathi.

Advantages of Studying in India
India is fast becoming a major economic power in the world today. And if its growth trend continues for some more years, it would soon be playing a major role in the world economy along with China. This itself has been a major cause of attraction for many international students. Moreover, India's successful stint with democracy (except the years between 1975-1977) has also been a major magnetic force for scholars around the world. However, apart from knowing India well, there are some other advantages that are attracting students to study in India. Some of these are -

> Low Cost: The cost of education in India is quite low as compared to many other countries of the world.

> Quality Education:Quality of education is not uniform throughout the length and breath of the country. However, there are some educational institutes in India that provide world class education.Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Management,Indian Institutes of Science, National Law Schools, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University are some such Institutes. The government of India is also speeding up the efforts to establish more such institutes that can offer quality education in India.

> Financial Assistance: Various scholarships, education loans and other financial aids are now available for studying in India today.

> Consultation Service: The governement of India provides consultation service to the interested international students through Education Consultants of India (Ed.CIL). Thus one can get all the information about the Indian education system, cost of education, duration, visa, accommodation facilities even before landing up in India.

> Unique Courses: One can also study some unique courses that were discovered and developed by the traditional knowledge system of India. Ayurveda, Sankrit, Yoga, Hindi are some such courses that enthuse many international students.

Apart from above mentioned advantages other things like accommodation, food, local and international calling, internet etc are also cheaper as compared to other countries.

source:indiaedu.com,accessed at 24 July 2011