Spain Experiences Surge In European Neighbours Enrolling As International Students
Spain News
Published: 24 July 2023 16:10 CET
Spain's allure as an international education hub has reached new heights, with neighbouring European nations sending an unprecedented number of students to the country, outpacing those coming from South American countries.
According to data released by Spain's ministry of universities for the academic year 2021/22, the total number of international students hosted by Spain surged to an impressive 224,080, marking a remarkable increase of nearly 50,000 students from the previous year's enrollment of 175,382.
Among the European nations, Italy and France emerged as the leading contributors to Spain's international student community, claiming the first and second positions, respectively. Italy, for the first time, sent more than 22,000 students, 22,688 to be precise, while France closely followed with 19,519 students. Germany also demonstrated significant growth, with its numbers soaring from 5,496 to just over 10,000 year-on-year.
Despite being dethroned from its first-place position in 2020/21, when it sent 16,535 students, Colombia secured the third spot on the table for 2021/22, with 19,351 students pursuing education in Spain. Meanwhile, Ecuador, holding the fourth position, sent 17,854 students, which was still a thousand more students than the previous academic year.
The surge in interest from European nations is particularly noteworthy, considering the ease of movement that was reinstated during the 2021/22 academic year following the pandemic.
On the other hand, Peru maintained stable numbers at 7,377 students, securing tenth place. Notably, both Mexico and Chile dropped out of the top 10 list, making way for the United States.
In a stunning resurgence, the United States climbed to 7,717 students, marking a staggering increase of over 190 percent year-on-year, reclaiming its place among the top-sending countries. On the other hand, UK student numbers remained around 3,000, but a new agreement signed by the UK's ambassador to Spain and the minister of universities aims to foster access and collaboration, potentially boosting UK student enrollment in the future.
China, known for producing one of the largest cohorts of international students globally, maintained steady numbers with a modest increase of around 700 year-on-year, sending 12,525 students to Spain and remaining the fifth most popular source country.
As for specific destinations within Spain, Madrid continued to hold its position as the most sought-after city for international students, hosting a record-breaking 46,223 students at its universities, surpassing its previous record of 44,000 set in 2018/19. Cataluña secured the second spot, attracting 43,787 overseas students, while Andalucía experienced a commendable rebound from pandemic numbers, accommodating 25,472 students in 2021/22, compared to 18,954 in the previous year.
Source: https://thepienews.com/news/european-interest-spain/
