Senegalese students in France: the largest sub-Saharan contingent, the SGEE and associations

Information checked on 6 October 2026.

Senegal sends more students to France than any other sub-Saharan African country, and France alone hosts nearly two thirds of the Senegalese studying abroad. Senegalese students in France also have rare support: a service of their embassy devoted to students, the SGEE, which among other things negotiates reserved housing. This article sums up the official figures, what the SGEE does, the associations we were able to check, 4 April and how to find your compatriots before you even arrive. For the admission procedure, start with our Campus France Senegal guide.

Senegalese students in France: the fifth country of origin

Campus France (the French public agency for international students) publishes two series of figures, both drawn from SIES, the statistics department of the French Ministry of Higher Education:

Three takeaways:

University first: the profile of Senegalese students

Unlike Moroccan or Cameroonian students, who are strongly present in grandes écoles, the Senegalese mainly go through university:

Nearly three quarters are enrolled at university, against 63% of all foreign students. At university, the licence (the French bachelor's) clearly dominates: 7,838 students (61%), up 41% in five years, ahead of the master's (4,725, 37%) and the doctorate (380, 3%). As for subjects, sciences and health account for 5,622 students, ahead of arts, languages and humanities (3,948), economics and AES (2,025) and law (1,348).

This profile has a practical consequence: many Senegalese students arrive in the first year of a public university, where Crous housing (the French student services body) and the first formalities weigh heavily. Our guide to Crous housing for international students details the application calendar.

The SGEE, an embassy service for students

The Service de gestion des étudiants sénégalais à l'étranger (SGEE, the service managing Senegalese students abroad) reports to the Embassy of Senegal in France, at 14 avenue Robert-Schuman in Paris. According to the embassy's presentation, it:

Two recent agreements give a concrete idea of this housing strand:

The number of places in Île-de-France was not made public in the reports we consulted. If you are aiming for Paris, Dijon or Besançon, write to the SGEE before you leave to find out which places remain and on what conditions.

Senegalese student associations

The Senegalese associative network includes local structures and a federation. Two checked examples:

In other cities, search for « étudiants sénégalais » in the Journal officiel des associations (the French official register of associations), limited to your city's département. Our guide to African student associations in France explains how to make sure an association is still alive, and how to create one if nothing exists.

4 April, Independence Day in the diaspora

On 4 April, Senegal celebrates its independence, gained in 1960. The date falls in the second semester, a few weeks before exams: it is often the last big gathering of the academic year, organised by student associations and communities. Korité and Tabaski (Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha) also mark the year, with shared meals that bring students and settled families closer.

On Compatri, the Senegal Independence Day page gathers the celebrations published in the diaspora by members and associations. If nothing is planned in your city, propose one to your community.

Mutual aid between Senegalese students, day to day

Before you leave: three reflexes

Finding your compatriots with Compatri

This is exactly what Compatri is for: finding people from your country of origin in the city where you live. According to the UN (International Migrant Stock 2024), the Senegalese diaspora in France counts 176,632 people born in Senegal, not including their children born locally. The Senegalese community in your future city brings together students, young professionals and settled families, who post meetups and welcome newcomers. You will find it from the Senegalese diaspora in France page, and you can join it even before you leave, as our guide on how to join your community before you leave explains. The « Étudiants africains » (African students) group, open beyond a single city, completes this network for questions on grants, housing and mutual aid between campuses.

Compatri is not a service of Campus France, of the French State or of the Embassy of Senegal, and does not replace the official source: for your formalities, refer to Campus France Senegal, France-Visas, the SGEE and service-public.gouv.fr.

Official sources

• Campus France: Chiffres clés 2025 press release, annex on countries of origin (PDF)
• Campus France: Senegal mobility sheet, October 2025 (PDF)
• Embassy of Senegal in France: the Service de gestion des étudiants sénégalais à l'étranger
• Toulouse Métropole: Association des stagiaires et étudiants sénégalais de Toulouse
• UN DESA: International Migrant Stock 2024