Education Department Data Shows Foreign Contracts, Gifts to US Colleges Topped $5B in 2025

The dashboard reveals four South Carolina colleges received nearly $175 million in foreign funding.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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American colleges and universities received over $5.2 billion in gifts and contracts from foreign entities in 2025, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Education. The agency also published a transparency dashboard with 40 years of data on foreign investment in U.S. higher education. The dashboard shows four colleges in South Carolina received a total of nearly $175 million in foreign funding, including the Medical University of South Carolina, Clemson University, University of South Carolina, and Winthrop University.

Why it matters

The disclosure of foreign gifts and contracts to U.S. colleges is mandated by a 1986 law aimed at addressing concerns about "malign actors" trying to use educational platforms to promote agendas or gain influence. While the dashboard is meant to increase transparency, some higher education groups have expressed concerns about the limitations of the data presentation, which does not allow the public to easily spot funding trends or understand the context around certain foreign entities of concern.

The details

The Education Department's new dashboard compiles data on foreign gifts and contracts to U.S. colleges and universities since 1986. In 2025 alone, American institutions received over $5.2 billion from foreign sources, with Qatar, the UK, China, Switzerland, Japan, Germany, and Saudi Arabia being the largest contributors. The four South Carolina colleges that received the most foreign funding were the Medical University of South Carolina ($81.8 million), Clemson University ($41.3 million), University of South Carolina ($38.2 million), and Winthrop University ($13.3 million).

  • The dashboard covers foreign funding disclosures to U.S. colleges and universities since 1986.
  • The latest data is from 2025.

The players

U.S. Department of Education

The federal agency that released the new transparency dashboard on foreign gifts and contracts to American colleges and universities.

Medical University of South Carolina

A college in South Carolina that received $81.8 million in foreign funding according to the dashboard.

Clemson University

A college in South Carolina that received $41.3 million in foreign funding according to the dashboard.

University of South Carolina

The Columbia campus of the University of South Carolina received $38.2 million in foreign funding according to the dashboard.

Winthrop University

A college in South Carolina that received $13.3 million in foreign funding according to the dashboard.

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What they’re saying

“The dashboard demonstrates that our schools are complying with Section 117 and they are meeting their reporting obligations.”

— Sarah Spreitzer, Vice President and Chief of Staff for Government Relations, American Council on Education (States Newsroom)

“I hope that people are not making broad assumptions based on how the data is presented right now.”

— Sarah Spreitzer, Vice President and Chief of Staff for Government Relations, American Council on Education (States Newsroom)

What’s next

The Education Department says it will partner with the State Department to help manage the foreign funding reporting portal and review compliance with the law.

The takeaway

The new transparency dashboard on foreign gifts and contracts to U.S. colleges highlights the ongoing concerns about foreign influence in American higher education, but some higher ed groups say the data presentation lacks important context that could lead to misunderstandings.