US Dept. of Education Reveals Universities Received $1.1 Billion from Qatar, Harvard Tops List of Funding From ‘Countries of Concern’
The US Department of Education on Wednesday released new transparency data showing that American colleges and universities reported accepting more than $1.1 billion in foreign funding from Qatar, making it the single largest disclosed foreign source of gifts and contracts to US higher education institutions.
The disclosures, covering the most recent filings through 2025, place Qatar well ahead of other major contributors. Institutions also reported substantial foreign funding from the United Kingdom, at more than $633 million, followed by China with over $528 million, Switzerland with more than $451 million, Japan at over $374 million, Germany at more than $292 million, and Saudi Arabia with over $285 million.
The data also identified a small group of universities receiving the largest cumulative sums. Carnegie Mellon University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology each reported close to $1 billion in foreign gifts and contracts. Stanford University disclosed more than $775 million, while Harvard University reported over $324 million during the same reporting periods.
Harvard disclosed the highest volume of funding from counterparties located in countries of concern, totaling over $610 million. MIT, New York University, Stanford, and Yale followed, each reporting more than $400 million or close to it from those jurisdictions.
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“Countries of concern” refers to nations officially designated by the US as engaging in actions detrimental to national security, foreign policy, human rights, and religious freedom.
Beyond the totals, the department said compliance failures remain widespread. Between February 28 and December 16, 2025, universities reported more than $2 billion in foreign gifts and contracts after statutory deadlines, a direct violation of federal disclosure requirements.
“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,” US Secretary of Education Linda 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,” she added.
McMahon added that under President Donald Trump’s leadership, the administration remains committed to enforcing disclosure laws to protect both academic integrity and national security.
Dr. Charles Small, chief executive of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), told Ynet that Qatar’s approach includes a soft-power strategy aimed at shaping discourse through large-scale investments in universities, research centers, and civil society.
ISGAP research found that educational materials supported by such funding gradually moved away from a balanced account of the Middle East, instead adopting positions that challenged Israel’s legitimacy, excluded key historical agreements, and weakened recognition of Jewish ties to the land, including Jerusalem’s status.
