African countries are well represented among foreign students in France. According to Campus France data for the 2021-2022 school year, more than 400,000 students in French universities came from abroad, including the European Union. Among them, more than 100,000, more than a quarter, came from the African continent.
There are six African countries in the top 10 of the nations most represented on the benches of universities in France. The Maghreb monopolizes the first places, led by Morocco: Moroccan students were more than 40,000 in higher education last year, representing alone more than 10% of all foreign students in France.
Algeria follows behind, with 31,000 representatives. Senegal ranks fifth, followed by Tunisia. Then come Côte d’Ivoire, in eighth place, and Cameroon, which closes this top 10.
For all these countries, these figures have risen sharply since 2016. If the increase had slowed down during the Covid-19 crisis in 2020she has since resumed her progress.
The current year should not change the trend. The 2022-2023 academic year has recorded a record number of applications from foreign students.
Souleymane Sangaré is president of the association of African students in Toulouse (south-west of France). After passing through Political Science, he is currently doing a master’s degree in law and since his arrival in France, he has guided students from the continent who wish to come to France or who are already in French faculties. Whether their difficulties are manySouleymane Sangaré welcomes the increase in the number of students who come to continue their studies in France.
The growing number of African students in France “is a positive sign that the French education system is attractive”, explains the president of the association of African students in Toulouse Souleymane Sangaré
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