Nearly 445,000 international students in France in 2024-2025
In 2024-2025, 443,500 foreign students were enrolled in French higher education institutions, a 3% increase over one year and a 17% increase over five years (source: Ministry of higher education and research and its statistical studies department). Foreign students still stand for about 15% of student numbers in France. This year, their number grow at the same pace in all types of institutions. Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe show the most buoyant increases.
About 15% of students in French higher education are foreign students
The number of foreign students registered in the French higher education system during the academic year 2024-2025 reached 443,500, including 10,800 foreign apprentices in advanced technician studies, a 3% increase over one year, and a 17% increase over five years (compared with 2019-2019) (Source: Ministry of higher education and research and its statistical studies department).
Nearly 15% of students in France are foreign students, a stable share compared with last year.
The change foreign students’ numbers in France continues its steady trend: in the wake of a sharp post-Covid pickup of mobilities (8%) in 2021-2023, increase rose to 3% in 2022-23 and 4.5% in 2023-2024.
Inward student flows are at cruising speed in an uncertain international context, declared Donatienne Hissard, Director-General of Campus France. Worldwide student flows reached a historical highest, but their destination differ: the range of destinations changed from a handful of competitors to a wider choice, with a current shrink in the US, first host country. The challenge for Europe and France is to take a position as the current best choice in this new background.
Where do international students in France come from?
In line with previous years, Morocco, Algeria, China, Italy and Senegal are the first countries of origin. Morrocco takes the lead, despite a decrease in number of Moroccan students (-3%). In second position, the number of Algerian students stays stable over one year (+1%) and increases by 18% over five years.
After a 6% post-pandemic pickup in 2023, China, third country of origin, experiments another decrease of numbers by 3%, while Italy and Spain experiment sharp increases, more than 35% over 5 years.
Mobility flows from Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and Asia are increasing
In 2024-2025, three regions in the world have sent more students in France than over the previous year: Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and Asia-Oceania. Sub-Saharan Africa stands out with the sharpest growth, a 7% increase compared with last year, an increase driven by Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Madagascar, Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Mobility flows from Europe registers a 5% increase driven by a highest number of students from Armenia, Romania, Turkey and Spain. In the context of war against Russia, Ukraine registers an increase of the number of students registered in France by 11% over one year, and by 141% over five years, reaching 4,200 students.
Trends from Asia-Oceania is moderate (+3%), but driven by a strong dynamics from India, now the 11th country of origin in 2025 (13th in 2024) with 9,100 students, a 17% increase over one year, which reflects the ambitious objectives of the Franco-Indian roadmap in terms of student mobility programmes.
The decrease registered in North Africa and the Middle East is due to the fall registered in Morrocco, but offset by increases in Algeria (+1%) and Tunisia (+5%). The Americas register a decrease (-3%), mainly due to a shrinking of numbers from North America (-5%) and Central America (-5%).
An increase in all institutions
The number of foreign students increases in all types of institutions, almost at the same pace, with a difference with the previous year. Universities still welcome the majority of foreign students (63%), and register a +3% over one year, the same trend as in business schools (15% of students, +3%), and schools of engineering (8%, +4%). Over five years, the business schools are the institutions experimenting the sharpest growth (+52%).
In the university, international students mainly focus on three groups of disciplines: fundamental sciences and health-medicine (43% of registered students), then literature, languages and humanities, followed by economics and management.
The trends of French institutions in the Shanghai ranking 2025
The academic prestige of France is also improved by the results of the Shanghai ranking 2025, which confirm the trend of our higher education institutions at international level. This year, 27 French institutions are present in the world ranking (+2% compared with 2024). The University of Paris-Saclay keeps its leading position in the World Top 15, with two new universities entering the ranking: the Jules Verne University of Picardie, and the University of Versailles – Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.
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