Morocco Leads as Top Source of International Students in France, New Data Shows

According to statistics from the French Agency for the Promotion of Higher Education (Campus France), the number of foreign students in France increased by 8% during the 2021-2022 academic year. In a press release, the agency indicates that this is "the strongest year-on-year growth since 2005," before specifying that "including higher education apprentices, the threshold of 400,000 foreign students in France has just been crossed (400,026)."

In total, six African countries, including three from North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco), are in the top 10 countries of origin of foreign students enrolled in French higher education in 2021-2022. With 46,371 students, an increase of 3%, Morocco takes the lead in this ranking. It is followed by Algeria with 31,032 enrolled students, an increase of 6%.

Next come China (27,479 students), Italy (19,185 students), Senegal (15,264), Tunisia (13,661) and Spain (11,256). Côte d’Ivoire (10,725), Lebanon (10,469) and Cameroon (19,037 enrolled) complete the podium.