A deep dive into state efforts to attract more international students: The government is working to increase the number of international students enrolled in Egyptian universities as part of its efforts to boost educational tourism. So where do things currently stand and what makes Egyptian education appealing to foreigners?

An ambitious goal: The government wants to see 200k international students enrolled in Egyptian universities in 2030, a move which will help it reach its goal of attracting USD 2 bn in education tourism revenues by then, a source at the Higher Education Ministry told Enterprise.

In numbers: Egypt is expected to host 30k international students during the current academic year up from 26k last year, the source said. The number has been rising in recent years, jumping from 8.3k in the 2018-2019 academic year to 12.6k in 2019-2020 and to 18k the following year.

Why the increase? International student enrollment in Egyptian universities has seen a notable increase over the past few years. This comes as the government pushes to improve university rankings, set up more private and national universities, host branches of international universities, and form partnerships with major international universities across various specializations.

And more to come: The country has seen a boom in applicants registering on the government’s university admission portal Study in Egypt.

What universities are international students after? Cairo University is the most attractive university for international students, our source said, adding that Mansoura University, Alexandria University, Ain Shams University, and Assiut University come next on the list in terms of undergrad and grad programs.

Why this specific bunch? Education ministries in several Gulf and Arab countries only recognize certificates from Cairo, Alexandria, Mansoura, Assiut, and Ain Shams universities, Badr University President Mustafa Kamal told Enterprise. Study in Egypt helps students looking to enroll in public universities, while those seeking private and international universities go to these universities’ admission points directly.

There’s no limit to how many international students can join local universities, one government source told Enterprise, adding that all applicants who have completed their applications are accepted and distributed among the country’s public and national universities.

SOUND SMART: While both state and national universities are public universities operating under the supervision of the Supreme Council of Universities, state universities typically have higher admission thresholds and larger student bodies, while national universities offer smaller class sizes and more modern curricula. National universities also tend to have higher tuition fees and pricier accommodation compared to the more affordable, traditional housing at state universities.

Show me the money: Tuition fees for foreign students have increased significantly this academic year, according to data from the Study in Egypt platform. Fess vary greatly depending on the area of studies and university chosen, with medicine being the priciest area of studies going for USD 8k at Cairo, Mansoura, Alexandria, and Ain Shams universities. The figure has seen a major jump over the past few years, rising from USD 2.1k in the 2021-2022 academic year.

And on top of that: Foreign students pay an additional USD 1.5k registration fee during their first year of undergraduate studies.

High demand for Cairo University: The second oldest institution of higher education in the country is highly in demand by those coming in from abroad, seeing a 300% increase in the number foreign students enrolled over the past seven years. The university saw the international students count rising from a little under 8k students in 2016-2017 academic year to 24.6k students in 2023-2024, according to official data.

Where are these students coming from? Egypt attracts students from 100 countries, including the US, the UK, Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, France, Canada, and Hungary, along with GCC nationals from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain.

Work is underway to attract more foreign students: The government is taking advantage of its cultural offices abroad to attract more international students into Egyptian universities, namely those from Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, and China, sources told Enterprise.

What does this mean for Egyptian students? The available number of seats at universities for Thanaweya Amma graduates dipped this year, prompting the government to raise the acceptance score for public university enrollment (tansik) in the first phase, despite a decline in the average total compared to last year, a source told Enterprise. There has been a 30-60% decrease in the number of Egyptian students accepted in state universities this academic year.

The numbers tell the story: The minimum acceptance score for universities has jumped from 89.02% last year to 90.48% this academic year. The number of seats dedicated to international students at state universities goes between 10-15% of their total seats, head of Future University Abada Sarhan told Enterprise. He emphasized that the presence of students from other countries allows Egyptian students to learn about other cultures.

Fierce competition: While Egypt has made great strides in diversifying education offerings and raising its efficiency, there is still strong competition from British, American, and European universities, Sarhan noted. Therefore, despite Egyptian universities opening their doors to international students, more needs to be done to promote private universities in Arab countries, whose citizens prefer to study in public universities due to their accreditation.

Looking ahead: Egypt seeks to use its cultural offices to hold exhibitions and work on accrediting more of its universities by different countries, according to sources who spoke with Enterprise.

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