France positions itself as US alternative as int’l enrolments rise
According to data released by Campus France, 443,500 international students were enrolled in French higher education in the past year, a 17% increase over five years, as per figures from the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research.
The figure makes France’s goal of attracting half a million international students by 2027 appear more realistic, with international students now accounting for nearly 15% of the country’s student body.
“Student mobility to France has found its cruising speed in an uncertain international context,” stated Donatienne Hissard, director general, Campus France.
“There have never been so many mobile students worldwide, but their destination choices are diversifying: we have gone from a handful of competitors to a broader range, with a decline underway in the United States, the leading host country.”
According to Hissard, the challenge for France and Europe now is to “position themselves as an alternative in this unprecedented landscape”.
In recent months, French institutions, primarily business schools, have been fast-tracking or extending application deadlines for US-bound international students affected by the Trump administration’s increasing restrictions on non-immigrant visas.
Back in May, Fouziya Bouzerda, head of Grenoble School of Management, released a statement welcoming international students affected by the suspension of US visa interviews, especially those already admitted to US business schools.
Meanwhile, Léon Laulusa, director of ESCP Business School in Paris, told the Financial Times that 100 French universities and top-tier grandes écoles were discussing “coordinated steps” to assist international students already in or headed to the US, should the Trump administration confirm it cannot accommodate them.
“We already have managed to bring some of the most renowned researchers repelled by the recent changes in higher education policies in the US,” Maud LE Bars, South Asia area manager, Omnes Education, one of the largest private higher education institutions in France, told The PIE News.
“We will continue to promote what all France has to offer, including the benefits offered to international students and develop opportunities for those young profiles in France, Europe or back in their country of origin, as French companies have strong presences around the world.”
The rise in international students in France over the past year has come mainly from five countries of origin, Morocco, Algeria, China, Italy, and Senegal.
More than 42,000 international students in France came from Morocco, accounting for over 10% of the total but marking a 3% decline in the past year, while Algeria, the second-largest source with nearly 34,800 students, remained stable with a modest 1% increase.
Meanwhile, after a 6% post-pandemic rebound in 2023, China, the third-largest source country, is now experiencing a 3% decline in student numbers. By contrast, Italy and Senegal each recorded 5% growth in the past year and a 30% increase over the past five years.
In the past year, three regions, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and Asia-Oceania, sent more students to France than the year before, with Sub-Saharan Africa showing the strongest growth at 7%, driven by countries such as Senegal, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Madagascar, Guinea, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A rise in students from Armenia, Romania, Turkey, and Spain, which now has over 13,000 students in France after an 8% increase in the past year, has driven a 5% overall growth in student mobility from Europe to France.
At the same time, the war with Russia has led many Ukrainian students to enroll in French institutions, with numbers increasing by 11% in the past year and 141% over five years, reaching 4,200.
On the other hand, while student numbers from the Americas declined, particularly North America (-5%) and Central America (-5%), Asia-Oceania saw significant growth, not only due to China remaining a top source country but also because of strong gains from India.
India rose to 11th place among countries of origin in 2025 (up from 13th in 2024), with 9,100 students, a 17% increase in one year, aligning with the French government’s goal of welcoming 30,000 Indian students by 2030.
The growth strategy, which is part of the Franco-Indian roadmap to make “science, technological innovation and university cooperation vectors of progress and independence” between both the countries, is key for France which aimed to have 20,000 Indian students in France by 2025.
Progress has been steady so far, and the plan also seeks to promote India as an exchange destination for French students.
“Among our strengths, the visa process, though thorough, only takes about one and a half months overall, with an average of just 10 days after the VFS step,” stated LE Bars.
“Our goal is not to create a brain drain but to maintain a sustainable exchange between our youths, as we also promote studies in India for French students. This stands in contrast to the lakhs who once went to the US without any attempt at reciprocity.”
The only change I’ve seen in the recent past is awareness of courses in fields in which France leads, ie luxury, aeronautics, oenology and nuclear energy
Geetanjali Shrivastava, Ask Setu
According to Le Bars, achieving the goal of 30,000 Indian students in France by 2030 will require raising “greater awareness of the French education system among all education stakeholders and intensifying France’s presence on campuses and in high schools”.
With universities, engineering schools, and business schools across France recording significant growth in international enrolments, the next step of gaining work experience in France is emerging as a key attraction for international students, especially Indians.
“The biggest motivation factor for the Indian student is to get quality education outside India and live (and work abroad). It’s the same mindset that draws them to France as well,” stated Geetanjali Shrivastava, co-founder, Ask Setu, an AI-powered guide to higher education and jobs in France.
“The only change I’ve seen in the recent past is awareness of courses in fields in which France leads, i.e luxury, aeronautics, oenology and nuclear energy. There is definitely more interest in those courses in the last few years.”
While initiatives like Classes Internationales help international students integrate into the French education system at an undergraduate level with language classes, the real problem with language and other cultural issues begins for international students aiming for their master’s, according to Shrivastava.
“A culture mismatch, along with a skills mismatch is the bigger problem. France doesn’t need as many MBA graduates as it needs people skilled in technology and science, and very few Indians are going to France for those courses,” stated Shrivastava.
“Schools provide French classes but a lot of students also sign up for online classes. Some also pick up the language by joining activity clubs. Running and trekking clubs in particular are increasing in popularity among Indian students who want to build a local network. In my experience, students who have made an effort to assimilate culturally, and learn French definitely stand a better chance at landing a job.”
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