Global Study Link

What Global Study Link does

Global Study Link is a privately held overseas education consultancy founded in 2008 and headquartered in Kochi (Cochin), Kerala, with operations also in London, United Kingdom since 2011. The company serves Indian students seeking higher-education placements in eight destination markets — the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and Ireland — through a portfolio of sixteen service modules covering the full student journey: free initial counseling, course and university shortlisting, test preparation (IELTS, TOEFL, GMAT), application handling and document preparation, scholarship and financial assistance, visa counseling, pre-departure briefings, accommodation assistance, meet-and-greet, medical/NHS support, PhD and research assistance, boarding-school admission, career counseling, and dedicated services for home and EU students.

Its core product is the GSL Course Finder, a proprietary searchable portal indexing 10,000+ programs across 100+ partner universities, including Russell Group institutions such as Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, Imperial, and Durham. The platform supports self-service discovery and shortlisting, while conversion is driven by human counselors in a sales-led motion — direct phone, WhatsApp, in-branch consultation, and structured webinars co-hosted with individual UK universities. The company is multi-channel across physical branches in four Kerala cities and a Canary Wharf corporate office in London.

Global Study Link operates on an affiliate/referral revenue model. All counseling, application handling, and visa services are provided free of charge to students; revenue is generated through per-placement commissions paid by partner universities when admitted students are routed through GSL's counseling and application services. This makes universities the paying customers while students are the end-users, creating a two-sided ecosystem anchored by the GSL Course Finder discovery layer and a long-standing network of partner-university relationships built over 16+ years.

Name

Global Study Link

Legal name

Global Study Link

Website

https://globalstudylink.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Global Study Link is a private overseas education consultancy founded in 2008 in Kochi, India, that helps Indian students gain admission to universities across eight countries via free counseling, application handling, and visa support, monetizing through referral fees from 100+ partner universities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Overseas Education Consulting

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Direct Enrollment & Third-Party University Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hybrid, Multi-Location & Multi-Country Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAE), Academic Support, Tutoring & Language Support for Enrolled Overseas Secondary Students (EDAIAHAK)

Keywords

• Overseas education consulting
• Study abroad services
• University admission consulting
• Test preparation services
• Visa counseling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kochi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. University Referral/Finder Fees: Global Study Link provides free counseling services to students. The company generates revenue through referral arrangements with partner universities and educational institutions. When students are admitted through GSL's counseling and application services, the partner institutions compensate GSL for student placement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Global Study Link is an overseas education consultancy that provides free counseling, university admission support, test preparation, and visa counseling to international students (primarily from India) seeking to study in 8 countries including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and Ireland. The company generates revenue through referral fees paid by 100+ partner universities for student placements.

Product overview

Global Study Link operates as an overseas education consulting firm offering a digital platform and comprehensive advisory services. The core product is the GSL Course Finder, a searchable database of 10,000+ programs from partner universities. This is supported by a portfolio of 16 service modules covering the full student journey: initial counseling (100% Free Counselling), test preparation (IELTS, TOEFL, GMAT), university admission services, personalized application handling, scholarship and financial assistance, visa counselling, and post-arrival support including accommodation, meet-and-greet, medical assistance, and career counselling. Additional specialized services include PhD and research assistance, boarding school admission, and EU student services. The company was established in 2008 with headquarters in India and UK operations starting in 2011.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GSL Course Finder: A course search platform provided by Global Study Link allowing students to search for courses across partner universities in the UK and other destinations.

Products and services

• 100% Free Counselling Offers free expert counseling services to help students identify courses, countries, and universities for studying abroad.
• University Admission Service Assists students in receiving offers from universities of their choice by providing guidance on the admission process.
• Personalized Applications Services Provides customized application support tailored to individual student needs and target universities.
• Test Preparation Prepares students for international tests required for university admissions such as IELTS, TOEFL, and GMAT.
• Application Handling + Documents Preparation Manages application processing and prepares necessary documentation for educational institutions abroad.
• Scholarship Support Provides assistance in finding and applying for scholarships for students planning to study abroad.
• Financial Assistance Offers guidance on financial matters including student loans and funding options for international education.
• Visa Counselling Provides advice and support for visa application procedures for studying abroad.
• Pre-Departure Brief Prepares students for their transition abroad with pre-departure guidance and information.
• Accommodation Assistance Helps students find suitable housing options at their study destination.
• Meet and Greet Provides airport pickup and initial orientation services for arriving international students.
• PhD and Research Assistance Supports students pursuing doctoral and research programs with guidance on applications and research proposals.
• Career Counselling Provides career guidance and planning services for students' educational and professional development.
• GSL Course Finder A digital platform allowing students to search and discover over 10,000 programs from 100+ partner universities across multiple countries including the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and Ireland.

Named customers12 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UK Universities (Multiple)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2008Global Study Link partners with 100+ UK universities including Russell Group institutions for student referrals. Universities compensate GSL for each student placed through their counseling and application services. Partner universities include Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, Imperial, Durham, and many others across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
• US UniversitiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2008Partnership with universities in the United States for international student placements. The US offers the highest standard of education with globally recognized degrees.
• Canadian UniversitiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2008Partnership with Canadian universities. Canada is described as one of the most cost-effective education destinations with internationally recognized degrees.
• Australian UniversitiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2008Partnership with Australian universities for international student placements. Australia offers high-quality education with easier admissions compared to US or UK.
• New Zealand UniversitiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2008Partnership with New Zealand universities and institutions. NZ offers high-quality education with employment opportunities and lower costs compared to Europe or US.
• German UniversitiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2008Partnership with German universities for international student placements. Germany is known for excellence in scientific fields and technical institutions.
• Irish UniversitiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2008Partnership with Irish universities. Ireland offers rapidly growing economy with top-notch research institutes and EU membership benefits.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Career Launcher: Career Launcher is an Indian education and test-preparation company offering coaching for GMAT, GRE, SAT, IELTS, and overseas admissions counseling. It provides comparable services to GSL's test-prep and admissions modules and serves overlapping Indian student segments.

Broad incumbents

• ApplyBoard: ApplyBoard is a Canada-based technology company that connects international students with educational institutions through a digital marketplace used by recruitment partners worldwide. It serves as both a partner platform and an indirect competitor to GSL by enabling partner universities to recruit students at scale, potentially disintermediating traditional consultancies like GSL.
• IDP Education: IDP Education is a global publicly-listed study abroad and English-language testing company operating IELTS centers and student placement services worldwide. It directly overlaps with GSL's international student placement business and test preparation services (IELTS), and is the dominant scaled incumbent in the same market category.

Direct peers

• Manya Education: Manya Education (Princeton Review partner in India) is an Indian test prep and overseas admissions consultancy serving students preparing for GRE, GMAT, SAT, IELTS, and TOEFL. It overlaps with GSL's test preparation and admissions services and addresses the same Indian student segment.
• Leverage Edu: Leverage Edu is an India-headquartered AI-driven study abroad platform helping Indian students apply to universities in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and other destinations. It is one of the most well-funded direct competitors to GSL, offering the same end-to-end admissions, test prep, and visa counseling services with a digital-first model.
• Edvoy: Edvoy (formerly Gostudy) is a UK-based international student recruitment platform founded by Indian-origin entrepreneurs, focused on placing students into UK, US, Canada, and Australian universities. It competes directly with GSL on the same Indian-to-UK destination corridor and operates a similar referral-driven model with partner universities.
• Jamboree Education: Jamboree Education is an India-based education company offering test preparation (GMAT, GRE, SAT, IELTS, TOEFL) and overseas admissions counseling. It directly competes with GSL on the test-preparation and admissions-counseling services offered to Indian students applying abroad.
• KC Overseas Education: KC Overseas Education is an India-based overseas education consultancy with multiple branch offices and partnerships with foreign universities for student placements. It offers near-identical services to GSL (counseling, applications, visa, test prep) and competes in the same Indian source market.
• Yocket: Yocket is an India-focused online study abroad platform that helps students with university shortlisting, applications, test prep, and visa processes for US, UK, Canada, and other destinations. It targets the same Indian outbound student segment as GSL with a more digital, community-led approach.
• SI-UK (Study International UK): SI-UK is a UK-headquartered international student consultancy with offices in India and multiple other source markets that helps students gain admission to UK universities. It directly competes with GSL on the India-to-UK placement corridor with a comparable referral-based model and in-person counseling offices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/globalstudylink

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Global Study Link