Morocco Strengthens Role as Regional Hub in Global Student Mobility
Marrakech, The Gulf Observer: Morocco has emerged as one of the leading countries in international student mobility, both as a country of origin and as a host nation, according to a recent Campus France report.
The North African kingdom now serves as a key regional hub for hosting international students within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Citing UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) data, the report notes that Morocco hosted 22,000 foreign students in 2022, ranking among the region’s main host countries after Saudi Arabia (64,000), Jordan (39,000), Egypt (24,000), and Iran (23,000). These figures exclude approximately 220,000 students in the United Arab Emirates — the ninth-largest global destination — due to the absence of data submitted to UIS.
The Campus France report also highlights Morocco’s prominence in student mobility to France. For the 2023–2024 academic year, Morocco remained the top country of origin for foreign nationality students in France, with 43,354 nationals — accounting for 10% of the total foreign student population. It was followed by Algeria (34,269, 8%), China (27,123, 6%), Italy (21,037, 5%), and Senegal (16,955, 4%).
Despite a 4% year-on-year decrease in Moroccan students in France — marking the second consecutive annual decline — Morocco has maintained its leading position. In contrast, Algeria recorded a sharp 23% drop in study visas issued in 2024 compared to 2023, signaling a likely fall in Algerian enrollments for the 2024–2025 academic year.
Moroccan students are particularly well-represented in certain disciplines. In French business schools, where 15% of foreign students were enrolled in 2023–2024, Morocco ranked second with 8,403 students (13% of the total), just behind China (9,130, 15%). In engineering schools, the Moroccan presence is even stronger, with 6,035 students — nearly one in five foreign enrollees — representing 19% of the total, far ahead of China (8%) and Cameroon (6%).
Moroccan doctoral students also rank among the top five foreign nationalities in France. In 2023–2024, 1,229 Moroccans pursued doctoral studies, placing them fourth behind China (1,806), Italy (1,622), and Lebanon (1,534), and ahead of Algeria (1,090).
Globally, Morocco’s role in international education continues to grow. With 74,289 nationals studying abroad in 2022, the country ranked 18th worldwide, rising from 21st place in 2017. At the African level, it placed second behind Nigeria (112,416 students, 8th globally) and ahead of Egypt (69,371 students, 19th globally).
