Studying in France is cool!
France is still in the top 3 for foreign students according to UNESCO latest statistics (2014). UNESCO reveals which countries attract overseas students most.
Studying abroad has become more and more accessible. In 2014, over 4 million students chose to study overseas, therefore 2 million more than back in 2000.
First choices for foreign students are
– USA (740 482)
– UK (427 686)
– France (271 399).
In this world of Globe-Trotters, some nationalities are more represented than others. It comes as no surprise that China is the biggest provider of foreign students : 694 365 of its citizens are studying overseas. Next comes India, followed by South Korea, Germany and Saudi Arabia.
Inside Europe, Erasmus 2014-2015 statistics show that spanish students are the first to cross the border, followed by the Germans, still inside Europe. The Erasmus programme is also very popular among Italians and French students. These 4 countries rank first both in terms of foreign students providers and destination. Only one country remains an exception: the UK. Despite being the fourth favourite destination in Europe, behind Germany, France and Spain, British students show very little haste to cross the Channel. Less than 10 000 of them use Erasmus each year, fewer than the Poles and the Turks.
The number of foreign students in France remains stable (0.9% increase over a year), with a 5.5% increase over 5 years. Students come first and foremost from Maghreb and China : 35 199 Marocco, 21 279 Algeria, 11 573 Tunisia. However according to French government’s statistics, the number of students originating from Algeria and Tunisia decreased between 2010 and 2014.
On the contrary some nationalities are more and more attracted to France :
– italians (+39.7% between 2010 and 2014)
– spanish students (+ 25.56%)
– americans (+19.5%)
– Ivory Coast students (+31.7%)
Finally, Campus France studies highlight the most cosmopolitan cities in France, based on the number of foreign students they host : Paris comes first (with Créteil and Versailles). Last come Limoges, Caen and Corsica.
Source: Eric Nunès, Le Monde 19/02/2016