Financing your studies in France

The French higher education system

France has a wide range of institutions offering tertiary education. The state operates the university system, but there are also private universities run by the churches, as well as several private international schools such as the American University of Paris.

State universities

• State universities are found in all the larger cities and towns. Because of a policy of equal access, there are no selective admission policies at state universities and they are open to all students holding a baccalauréat certificate from the lycées - the highest level of secondary education. Similar are the more specialised technical universities, which are chiefly engineering schools - for example the Arts et Métiers ParisTech.
• There are also more specialised technical universities such as: Instituts universitaires de technologie (IUT), which are university-level technology schools; Instituts universitaires professionnels (IUP), professional schools; Instituts universitaires de formation des maîtres (IUFM), teacher training institutes; and some other specialised schools. All these usually have a variety of further entrance requirements beyond the baccalauréat.

Grandes écoles

• The Grandes écoles are public universities with strict admission policies based on national rankings in competitive examinations (concours) set by the schools themselves. Some of these schools are the most famous and prestigious educational institutes in France.
• Grandes écoles are often small, with only a few hundred students, and many specialise in single fields of study. Almost all top civil servants and members of the political class in France are graduates of the various Grandes écoles.
• The normal route for entry into Grandes écoles is through Classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles (CPGE), though a small number take students directly from the baccalauréat.
• CPGE studies are usually for two years, but students may also use the first two years of a university degree programme as an equivalent.
• Entry into the Grandes écoles for a full programme further requires students to take the concours exams, which are held in spring. Non-EU students can obtain a special visa, the visa provisoire, once the school has accepted you for the entrance exam. This allows you to stay in France over the summer while waiting to be accepted, rather than having to return home. Only a very small number of students succeed in obtaining a place, as these schools accept just a few students each year.

Classes in French schools are held primarily in French. Many universities do offer one or two year programmes in French as a foreign language to bring students up to a level of fluency that will allow them to enter a degree or diploma programme.

French universities offer diplomas, while only the state itself awards degrees. There is a gradual move towards the more standard degree system, with the state expanding its field of degrees, but most institutions still offer a complex mix of diplomas depending on the field of study. Many diplomas still do not have equivalent degree recognition.

Licence or Bachelor's degree (first-cycle degrees)

• These are the basic degrees for standard subjects at entry level. They are also offered in medicine, midwifery, pharmacy, dentistry, architecture and military studies.

Diploma or Master's degree (second-cycle degrees)

• This is the more common degree in most fields, also offered for specialities in medicine, midwifery, pharmacy and dentistry.
• There is also a master's in accountancy.
• It is also the normal qualification from the specialised schools and Grandes écoles, which offer four or five-year diplomas, such as in architecture, engineering, art, music, military studies, political studies and for veterinarians.

Doctor's diploma or doctorate (third-cycle degrees)

These are offered in most fields, including art.

Work placement - le stage

The great majority of French programmes at all levels include a one-year relevant work placement, in France or overseas, called le stage. More prestigious institutions often work in conjunction with overseas universities to offer exchange programmes during le stage. So one way to spend a year studying in France at a top school is to enrol in such a programme at a university in your own country.

Recently added funding for your studies in France

See more

Cost of your studies

Tuition fees

Tuition fees in state universities are among the lowest in Europe. The regular fee for a first-level degree (Licence) is only €178 a year, but most universities add administrative charges on top of that. The final bill is still relatively inexpensive. Regular fees for second-level degrees (Master) are €254 a year, and for third-level degrees they are around €393. Specialised first-level degrees cost more: an engineering degree costs around €611, and medical degrees vary but average around €542 a year. Across subjects and study levels, regular state university fees fall in a band of roughly €170 to €650 a year.

Since April 2019, France has charged differentiated fees to most non-EU/EEA students. For 2025-2026 these are €2,895 a year for a Bachelor (Licence) and €3,941 a year for a Master, against the regular rates of €178 and €254. From the 2026-2027 academic year onwards, most non-EU students must pay these higher differentiated fees.

Health insurance costs of a little more than €200 are usually added to the basic fee.

The Grandes écoles have much higher fees, in the range of €5,000 to €10,000 a year, rising to €15,000 for engineering schools.

Private university fees are also higher, typically €1,500 to €6,000 a year. Fees at business schools, for example for MBA programmes, range from €4,500 to €7,000 a year.

Cost of living

Living costs in France are around the European average. As a guide, Campus France estimates a budget of €600 to €800 a month for international students studying outside Paris.

Accommodation is the largest expense, with a small studio costing €350 a month in a smaller city and over €500 in Paris. Some universities have student housing, but this can be hard to get even though most French students live at home. If you can get it, such housing may cost around €250 a month, but don't rely on securing a place. A mobile phone will cost around €30 and internet services around the same per month.

Groceries can be expensive and basic food should cost €200 a month, with eating out costing much more. A take-out pizza is around €8, but a litre of wine can be less than €2. A plat du jour (a special meal at mid-day only) will be around €10, but university cafeterias may charge only €3 or €4 for a hot meal. Public transport should be around €25 a month with a student pass. Don't forget to budget something for entertainment. Beer or a glass of wine at a bar both cost €3 to €5, and a cinema ticket is around €8.

Funding for a semester or year abroad

See more

Financing your studies

Several programmes funded by the French government support students with tuition fees, living costs and housing. Some students are even state employees. Students who need to borrow the cost of their studies can apply for loans through a government-guaranteed scheme. With tuition fees already low, the majority of students receive significant support while studying.

Public support

The government offers support based on family income through the bourse d'enseignement supérieur sur critères sociaux, provided and administered by the national government through the Ministère de l'Education nationale. The current cut-off level is €33,100 annual family income. Students who are self-supporting due to family breakdown are also eligible.

This support is scaled over eight levels (0 to 7). At the lowest level (0), which is also open to some students above the family cut-off income, free tuition is provided but no stipend. For the other levels, in addition to free tuition, stipends begin at €1,000 a year and rise to €5,500 as family income falls. This is paid monthly over the ten months of the academic year. Students who study through the summer, or international students who cannot work over the summer vacation, receive extended payments over twelve months at the ten-month rate. Students must be legally and regularly resident in France for these grants, so international students on visas would not usually be eligible.

Students may also receive support with housing costs of up to around €100 per month through the Caisses d'Allocations Familiales (CAF).

At some of the Grandes écoles, students are considered civil servants and receive generous support. If eligible, they are automatically processed into the public service. French and EU students at such schools receive free housing in school-owned property and an after-tax monthly stipend of €1,350.

Eligibility for foreign students

To be eligible for the government grant programmes, students must be legal and regular residents of France. EU citizens planning to apply would therefore need to establish residence first, which is straightforward under the EU's freedom of movement provisions. Non-EU students would need to obtain residency, which may not be possible, so grants are difficult for non-EU students to obtain. Some international students can still qualify for the grant, and they may receive full support throughout the summer if their visas do not allow them to work. For international students who are ineligible for grants, there are government scholarships to effectively replace them, so study in France remains feasible for all international students.

Scholarships

International students wishing to study in France can apply for a variety of state scholarships. In all, there are almost 700 scholarships available at all levels of study. The majority are state funded, but some are funded privately by individuals or corporations.

The French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs offers €100 million in support through a large number of scholarship schemes. Among the largest are the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship, the Major Excellence Programme, the Erasmus Mundus Programme and the Ile-de-France Masters Scholarship.

Students from some non-EU countries (India and Russia are two examples) can apply for Cooperation Scholarships through the French Embassy in that country.

Several of the Grandes écoles also directly offer scholarships to international students.

Scholarships in France typically pay all tuition fees plus a monthly stipend (paid over ten months of the year) that ranges from €200 to €1,200, depending on the individual scholarship.

France also takes part in the EU's Erasmus+ programme, which funds study and traineeship periods abroad for Bachelor, Master and doctoral students. France sits in Erasmus+ country group 2, so students coming to France for a study period receive a monthly grant, and Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters offer fully funded places at consortia of European universities. You apply directly to your chosen Erasmus Mundus programme, not through a central portal. For the full rates, country groups and conditions, see our dedicated Erasmus+ guide.

Student loans

Banks give student loans through a government scheme, the Prêt étudiant garanti par l'État. Loans are for up to €15,000 at low interest rates, and parental guarantees are not required, as the state guarantees 70% of the loan. The actual funding is obtained by applying to one of the various banks in France. Such loans are available to French students and also to EU/EEA students, provided they will have spent five uninterrupted years in France by the end of the loan.

These loans run for ten years, and repayment is entirely at the discretion of the student: payments can be deferred in part or completely during that period, so no payments need be made during the study period. Interest rates are very low and may even be 0% in some cases.

Student jobs

EU and non-EU students have the right to work up to 964 hours a year to support their studies. Their university must be a participant in the national student health-care plan. Non-EU students must also hold a valid residency permit.

The French government helps students find summer jobs by linking them to various non-government and government positions for the summer. Work is often available in tourist regions at hotels, cafes, clubs and restaurants. Summer work in the agricultural sector is also possible.