U.S. Education Department Posts 2025 Foreign funding Data for Colleges, Citing $5.2B in Gifts and Contracts
Washington, D.C. — Families weighing college choices and educators watching campus research ties have new information to review after the U.S. Department of Education released its latest foreign funding disclosures for federally funded colleges and universities.
The department said Wednesday it published 2025 reporting data required under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, documenting more than 8,300 transactions worth over $5.2 billion in reportable foreign gifts and contracts. The disclosures cover foreign-source gifts and contracts of $250,000 or more in a year for institutions receiving federal aid, and the department said the information is now available for public inspection on a new foreign funding reporting portal.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the portal is meant to expand transparency about foreign dollars flowing to U.S. campuses, including funding tied to parties flagged by federal agencies. The department said the upgraded dashboard adds new data elements and visualization tools.
In 2025, the department said Qatar accounted for more than $1.1 billion in reportable funding, followed by the United Kingdom, China, Switzerland, Japan, Germany and Saudi Arabia. It also listed Carnegie Mellon University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology among the top recipients, alongside Stanford and Harvard.
For parents, the database can be a starting point for questions during campus visits: Who are a school’s largest overseas partners? Are gifts tied to specific labs, programs, or satellite campuses? What oversight governs contracts and research security?
The department said additional disclosures filed during the transition period will be added by Feb. 28, and families can monitor updates through the federal portal and their institution’s compliance office.
