1 student out of 8 in France is an international student

Researcher, Institutions

International student mobility in France is one of the topics of the 2018 edition of the State of higher education and research published by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. Among the 50 chapters in the publication, there is a special focus with figures directed towards foreign students in French higher education.

From 2000 to 2016, the number of international students in France grew by 86%, from 174,600 to 323,900. The annual assessment of higher education stresses that the growth rate of foreign students is higher than the growth rate of French students.

Since 2000, the share of international students grew from 8 to 12%. And more specifically:

the growth was sharper in business schools (+8 points), the share of international students reached 17% in 2016;
in schools of engineering, the share of international students more than doubled (14% in 2016);
In universities, even though the trend is smoother, 14% of students registered in a university are international students today.

About 3/4 of international students (71%) attend universities (for 61% of French students).

In relation with geographical areas and countries of origin, an assessment of higher education reveals that:

African students account for 46% of international (sharp decline);
Asian students now account for 22% of this population (with a strong growth from Chinese students);
European students and students from the Americas respectively account for 23% and 9% of international students in France (stable).