Algeria Education
Last published date:

Capital:  Algiers

Population:  42,972,878 (July 2020 est.)

GDP:  $630 billion (2017 est., Purchasing Power Parity)

Currency: Algerian Dinar (DZD)

Language: Arabic (official), French (lingua franca), Berber or Tamazight (official); dialects include Kabyle Berber (Taqbaylit), Shawiya Berber (Tacawit), Mzab Berber, Tuareg Berber (Tamahaq)

UNESCO Student Mobility Number:

Algeria has 29,718 students studying abroad according to UNESCO.

CIA World Factbook:

43.51% of the Algerian population is under 24 years of age.

OVERVIEW

Algeria has a large untapped international student market.  The combination of a relatively uncompetitive education system and a saturated domestic job market creates opportunities for international universities, as well as language study programs.  According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Algeria sent 25,700 students abroad in 2018.  This number pales in comparison to its popular neighbor, Morocco, which sent 51,100 students abroad during the same year.  Currently, Algeria’s international student numbers more closely resemble Tunisia, its neighbor to the East, who has just a quarter of Algeria’s respective population but sends a roughly comparable 22,400 students abroad.

Despite having fewer international students than Morocco, Algeria is currently undergoing a political transformation that may lead to a dramatic expansion of international student numbers in the coming years.  With higher per capita income levels, its Western neighbor, Algeria has the potential to match or even exceed Morocco to become the second largest contributor of international students in North Africa.  According to the World Bank, Algerians earn significantly higher wages than their Moroccan counterparts do with net national income per capita in 2010 constant dollars at $3,611 in 2017, compared to $2,952 in 2018 for Morocco-a difference of 22 percent.  With an untapped student market that boasts the second largest student population in North Africa after Egypt, Algeria’s market potential is large.

Today, the vast majority of Algeria’s international students (79.6 percent) choose to go to France.  Other destinations include Malaysia, Canada, and Saudi Arabia, which each respectively account for less than two percent of all Algerian study abroad students.  The United States takes eleventh place among study abroad destinations with 184 Algerian students, according to UNESCO.  Low enrollment numbers in the U.S. are likely due to the cost of education in the U.S., considering that the average monthly salary in Algeria was $338 in 2015 and that only about thirty-thousand

students received government­ backed scholarships. It is interesting to note, however, that

approximately a third of all government scholarship recipients chose to study outside of Algeria (Algerian Ministry of Higher Education). 

Despite low enrollment in the United States, the number of Algerian students studying in the U.S. has increased steadily over the last three academic years. During the 2012- 2013 academic year, 176 students from Algeria were enrolled in American schools and universities. The 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 academic years saw negligible changes in enrollment, with 173 and then 175 students, respectively. Student enrollment in the 2015-2016 academic year dropped by nearly ten percent to 158 students. Since the 2015-2016 academic year, enrollment has increased. Enrollment jumped by more than twenty percent to 192 students in the 2016-2017 academic year and by 10 percent to 238 students in the 2017-2018 academic year.

SUB-SECTORS

Academic Level

The majority of Algerian students studying in the U.S. are enrolled in bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.  During the 2016-2017 academic year, 50 percent of students were enrolled in bachelor’s programs, and 30 percent were enrolled in master’s programs, representing 80 percent of student s.  During the 2017-2018 academic year, 45 percent of students were enrolled in bachelor’s programs, and over one-third (36 percent) were enrolled in master’s programs, representing 82 percent of a11 students.

In the 2018-2019 academic year, 49 percent of students were enrolled in bachelor’s programs, and over one-third (35 percent) were enrolled in master’s programs, representing 84 percent of all students.

Prospective Algerian students are most interested in master’s (32 percent), bachelor’s (23 percent), doctorate degrees (16percent), and exchange programs (11 percent), and intensive English programs (10 percent).  Former study abroad students mostly studied in master’s degrees (36 percent), intensive English programs (15 percent), doctorate degrees (14 percent), undergraduate exchange programs (13 percent), and undergraduate degrees (12 percent).

Exchange programs across education levels (high school, undergraduate, graduate, post­ graduate) were remarkably less popular than direct enrollment programs.  Exchange programs were sought after by 11 percent of surveyed prospective students and are only semi-popular (32 percent) with teenage students from 15-18 years old, seeking to enroll in high school exchanges.  With former study abroad students, slightly more enrolled in exchange programs (13.3 percent).

Intensive English programs were about as popular with prospective Algerian students as exchange programs.

OPPORTUNITIES

For prospective students, university discipline and country of study are the two main primary selection criteria for the place of study.  When comparing schools, the most important factor for Algerian students is program quality, trailed by diversity, and cost. University ratings, location, and connections with institution staff are much less important.

RESOURCES

U.S. COMMERCIAL SERVICE CONTACT

Jugurtha Rabia, Commercial Specialist

U.S. Commercial Service – Algiers, Algeria

Email: Jugurtha.Rabie@trade.gov