France

Tuition

At public universities, EU/EEA/Swiss students pay the same low national fees as French students. For the 2026-2027 academic year these are EUR 178 per year for a Licence (Bachelor's), EUR 255 for a Master's and EUR 397 for a Doctorate. Since a 2019 reform, non-EU/EEA students newly enrolling in a Licence or Master's generally pay higher 'differentiated' fees instead: EUR 2,902 per year for a Licence and EUR 3,950 for a Master's; doctoral studies are not subject to differentiated fees and cost EUR 398 for everyone. Students who were already enrolled before differentiated fees applied to their degree level generally stay exempt until they finish it, and individual universities can grant further exemptions (for example for scholarship holders or under bilateral agreements), so many non-EU students in practice pay less than the headline rate. Private schools and Grandes Écoles set their own tuition, which is typically much higher and outside this public-sector scale. ^{[1] [2]}

Visa

Long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS), category 'étudiant' (student); validated online within three months of arrival and later renewed as a multi-year student residence permit at the local prefecture — 964 hours per year (about 60% of full-time annual working hours, roughly equivalent to 20 hours/week on average; can be concentrated flexibly, e.g. full-time during holidays). ^{[3] [4]}

Applications

Deadlines depend on the pathway and shift slightly each year. Parcoursup, used mainly for the first year of a Licence (Bachelor's), opens in mid-December with applications due in March (2026 cycle: platform opened 17 December 2025, applications 19 January-12 March 2026). Mon Master, the national platform for Master's admission, opens in early February with applications due mid-March (2026 cycle: opened 2 February, applications until 16 March 2026). Non-EU/EEA applicants from the countries covered by the mandatory 'Études en France' procedure must apply through Campus France, which bundles the study application with the visa process and should be started several months before the intended start of studies. Always check the exact current-year dates on the relevant portal or institution's own page. ^{[5] [6]}

Application portals

• Études en France (via Campus France)
• Parcoursup
• Mon Master

Language

Français. French is the official and main language of instruction, but the range of English-taught programmes has grown substantially: Campus France's dedicated catalogue lists more than 1,600 programmes taught wholly or partly in English, spanning Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral level as well as short and summer programmes. French proficiency is not always required for these specific programmes, but is generally useful for everyday life, internships, and the many Bachelor's-level courses still taught only in French. ^[7]

Health insurance

Health insurance is compulsory for all students in France. EU/EEA students and Swiss nationals with a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) generally do not need to register separately with French student social security, provided the card remains valid for the whole academic year. Non-EU/EEA students must register free of charge with French social security via the etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr portal after enrolling; the public scheme then reimburses medical costs at a standard rate (around 60% for many treatments), so most students are strongly advised to also take out complementary private insurance ('mutuelle'). This is general information, not individual legal or insurance advice. ^{[8] [9]}

Universities

• Sorbonne Université, Paris ^[13]
• Sciences Po (Institut d'études politiques de Paris), Paris ^[14]
• Université PSL (Paris Sciences et Lettres), Paris ^[15]
• Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette ^[16]
• École Polytechnique ^[17]

Scholarships

• France Excellence Eiffel — Scholarship programme of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, run by Campus France, that helps French higher education institutions attract high-potential international students into Master's and PhD programmes. Institutions nominate candidates on the students' behalf; individual students cannot apply directly. For the 2026 round, the call for applications opened 1 October 2025, closed 8 January 2026, with results published from 30 March 2026. ^[18]
• Erasmus+ — EU programme funding study periods (and traineeships) at higher education institutions in other Programme Countries, including France, for students already enrolled at Bachelor's, Master's or Doctoral level at a participating institution. Mobility is arranged through the home institution's Erasmus+ coordinator; exact grant amounts are set nationally or institutionally and are not published centrally. ^[19]