American colleges and universities reported receiving more than $5.2 billion in foreign gifts and contracts last year across more than 8,300 transactions, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
The figures are now drawing renewed scrutiny as the Trump administration moves to expose foreign influence in higher education.
Federal law requires schools that receive government funding to disclose foreign gifts or contracts worth $250,000 or more each year under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act.
The newly released database compiles those disclosures and makes them publicly accessible through a transparency platform launched earlier this year.
Elite Universities Among Top Recipients
Carnegie Mellon University received nearly $1 billion in foreign funding last year, the highest total reported.
It was followed by:
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology — nearly $1 billion
• Stanford University — more than $775 million
• Harvard University — more than $324 million
The scale of foreign money flowing into America’s most influential academic institutions has intensified national-security concerns tied to research access, ideological influence, and intellectual property.
Qatar, China Among Largest Funding Sources
Qatar ranked as the largest foreign donor last year, providing more than $1 billion to U.S. schools. Other major contributors included:
• United Kingdom — more than $633 million
• China — more than $528 million
• Switzerland — more than $451 million
• Japan — more than $374 million
• Germany — more than $292 million
• Saudi Arabia — more than $285 million
Since Section 117 reporting began in 1986, $67.6 billion in foreign funding has flowed into 555 U.S. institutions.
Over that period:
• Qatar provided $7.7 billion
• China provided $6.4 billion
• Germany provided $4.7 billion
Harvard University received the most cumulative foreign funding at $4.2 billion, followed by Carnegie Mellon at $3.9 billion and MIT at $3.5 billion.
Harvard also led funding tied to countries of concern, including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, receiving $610 million, with MIT and New York University close behind.
Trump Administration Launches Transparency Push
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the new disclosure portal gives Americans unprecedented visibility into foreign financial influence inside U.S. higher education.
“Thanks to the Trump Administration’s new accountability portal, the American people have unprecedented visibility into the foreign dollars flowing into our colleges and universities—including funding from countries and entities that are involved in activities that threaten America’s national security,” McMahon said.
“This marks a new era of transparency for the American people and streamlined compliance for colleges and universities, making it easier than ever for institutions to meet their legal obligations.”
President Donald Trump signed a 2025 executive order directing aggressive enforcement of foreign-funding disclosure laws and targeting secrecy surrounding overseas influence.
“It is the policy of my Administration to end the secrecy surrounding foreign funds in American educational institutions, protect the marketplace of ideas from propaganda sponsored by foreign governments, and safeguard America’s students and research from foreign exploitation,” the order states.
Investigations, Lawsuits, and Funding Battles
The Department of Education has opened four Section 117 investigations into foreign-funding disclosures involving:
• Harvard University
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Michigan
• University of California, Berkeley
The Trump administration has also clashed with universities over antisemitism, admissions practices, and federal funding:
• $584 million in research funding withheld from UCLA in 2025 over antisemitism and discrimination concerns
• Lawsuits from university-affiliated groups led to a preliminary injunction blocking the cuts
• Harvard sued to restore $2.2 billion in frozen grants and contracts
• A federal judge reversed the freeze; the Justice Department appealed
Trump later announced plans to seek $1 billion in damages from Harvard, calling the university “strongly anti-Semitic.”
Growing Scrutiny of Foreign Influence
The newly disclosed figures underscore the vast scale of foreign money embedded in American higher education, particularly from geopolitical rivals and nations tied to national-security risks.
With transparency rules tightening and investigations expanding, the Trump administration’s crackdown signals a broader effort to expose foreign influence, protect U.S. research, and restore accountability inside elite universities that shape the country’s intellectual and technological future.
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