Cameroonian students abroad: where do they go? (and how much you need in your account)

Around 34,000 Cameroonian students are studying abroad, according to UNESCO. The instinct is to assume they all go to France. Wrong: France is only second.

The UNESCO ranking (2023 figures)

Senegal, ahead of Russia and the UK

Seventh, with about 1,100 students, just behind the United States: Senegal attracts more Cameroonians than Russia or the United Kingdom. An African, French-speaking destination in the top 7, ahead of two major host countries.

Italy, the surprise

Italy has five times as many Cameroonian students as in 2020. Its main draw is cost: at public universities, fees depend on family income, and many programmes are taught in English.

Canada tightened the rules

Canada rose sharply… then capped study permits from 2024. The result: fewer places for international students, and a tougher application.

France: second… or first?

For UNESCO, France hosts about 6,900 internationally mobile Cameroonian students. But if you count all Cameroonians enrolled in French higher education (including those who already lived there), Campus France counts more than 12,000 in 2024-2025.

Germany, number 1

About 7,700 Cameroonian students: Germany is the top destination. There, nearly one in three students from sub-Saharan Africa is Cameroonian.

How much you need in your account for a student visa

To get a student visa, you have to prove your financial means: the money you will have each month (blocked account, scholarship, sponsor…). The amounts for the 2026-2027 academic year:

Belgium is the most demanding of the five, Spain the least demanding (100% of the IPREM, Spain's reference income indicator).

The steps, country by country

Admission, visa, documents, fees, timeline: it's all free on Travora Student, corridor by corridor. From Cameroon:

• Cameroon → Germany
• Cameroon → France
• Cameroon → Belgium
• Cameroon → Italy
• Cameroon → Spain

To understand how Travora Student works, also read our introduction.