Qatar and China revealed as top foreign spenders on American universities

Published February 11, 2026 4:04pm ET



The Department of Education released data on Wednesday detailing foreign funding to higher education in the United States, revealing that Qatar and China are the highest donors to domestic colleges and universities.

In 2025, over $5.2 billion in reportable foreign gifts and contracts were sent to Ivy League institutions, including Columbia, Georgetown, and Yale universities, according to the government’s analysis of mandatory foreign funding disclosures.

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