Key Takeaways:
- France’s efforts to continue welcoming international students during the pandemic have paid off
- 66% of international students in France during 2020/21 were enrolled in universities
- The top 5 countries of origin of international students to France were Morocco, Algeria, China, Italy, and Senegal
- 240,977 international students were enrolled in universities, 46,120 in business schools, and 27,429 in engineering schools.
France is the acknowledged home of history, art, and architecture. It is also the famous homeland of known philosophers including Descartes, Foucault, Voltaire, Jean-Paul Satre, and Simone de Beauvoir. On top of that, République Française ranked 8th as the top study destination worldwide, 5th in Europe, and 2nd globally for its culture and lifestyle–no wonder many international students are choosing France as their study destination for higher education.
After a drop in numbers following the pandemic, France’s international student enrollment is returning to its pre-pandemic level. The June 2022 Key Figures on Student Mobility Worldwide report released by Campus France, showed that a total of 364,756 international students pursued their education during the 2020/21 academic year in the country.
While France continues to welcome international students and researchers amidst the pandemic, the report said that the number of study visas provided by France fell by 17% in 2020 due to extreme circumstances. Hence, it reflected the 1% drop of international students between 2019 and 2020. However, if we look closely, the number of international students in France has continuously grown to nearly 13% over the past five years.
Furthermore, the report revealed that 240,977 or 66% of the international students were enrolled in universities while 46,120 or 13% went to business schools and 27,429 international students or 8% studied in engineering schools.
“That share, while large, has dropped in recent years: from 71% in 2016–17 to 66% in 2020–21. The share of foreign students in business schools has moved in the opposite direction, growing from 8% in 2016–17 to 13% in 2020–21,” the report added.
France’s international students and their countries of origin
Over the past five years, Morocco is consistently leading the sender of international students to France, with 44,933 or 12% of the whole student international population. It was followed by Algeria, China, Italy, and Senegal with 29,333, 27,950, 16,482, and 14,566 international students respectively.
In Asia, while Chinese students are among the top source of international students, it is still yet to recover. On the other hand, India had a significant 91% growth over the past five years, accumulating 5,774 students in France.
Further data suggested that even some of the top study destinations abroad, such as Spain, Germany, Russia, United States, were sending their students to France. Spain sent more than 9,000 students to France and saw a 31% growth over half a decade; while Germany sent 7,008; Russia sent 5,146 students, and the States sent 4,126 students in 2021.
With the international students’ daily consumption of goods and services to tuition fees and their patronage of other French businesses, the international education sector in France contributes billions of euros to the French economy. Thus, it is good to know that the rebound of international students is underway in France as in other top study destinations worldwide.
In turn, for us international education leaders and solutions providers, we must further strengthen our efforts to partner with institutions and education agents to make education accessible to students everywhere. (SUNEETHA QURESHI)
SUNEETHA QURESHI
MSM President
Suneetha has worked for 15 years in the international education sector and 25 years overall for her work for other industries. As president of MSM, she fortifies its business development outreach globally, particularly in the face of MSM’s foray into edtech-based recruitment via MSM Unify. She preserves the premium, value-adding services provided to each MSM partner institute, including dedicated teams on the ground, agent management, lead generation and inquiry management, application prescreening, and student and parent support through pioneering pre-departure briefing sessions.
She has an impeccable track record of successfully launching the representative offices in Asia and Africa of many North American and European higher education institutions. Her key strengths include hiring, training, and developing teams as evidenced by the successful results of the dedicated in-country college and university client teams.
Suneetha also has taken the lead in developing several initiatives at MSM, including building robust standard operating procedures, the Rise ‘n Shine team engagement platform, and the organization’s data analytics and audit segments.
Sources:
- 2022. Key Figures 2022: Student Mobility is Back. Campus France. Retrieved from https://www.campusfrance.org/en/key-figures-2022-student-mobility-is-back-with-changes
- 2022. 365,000 International Students Studied in France During 2020/21. Erudera News. Retrieved from https://erudera.com/news/365000-international-students-studied-in-france-during-202021/
- 2022. Foreign enrolment in France returns to pre-pandemic levels with 365,000 students in 2021. ICEF Monitor. Retrieved from https://monitor.icef.com/2022/06/foreign-enrolment-in-france-returns-to-pre-pandemic-levels-with-365000-students-in-2021/
- 2022. International Students Return to France in 2021 Following the Pandemic. Research Connect. Retrieved from https://www.myresearchconnect.com/international-students-return-to-france-in-2021-following-the-pandemic/
- 2022. Project Atlas. IIE. Retrieved from https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Project-Atlas/Explore-Data/France
- 2022. Top 10 Places in the World to Study Abroad – 2022. educations.com. Retrieved from https://www.educations.com/top-10-lists/top-10-places-to-study-abroad-global-18096