Study in France: universities, tuition fees and admission

Our catalogue has 1,174 universities and colleges in France offering 5,718 undergraduate programmes in 411 cities. 4,745 of the programmes are at public institutions and 973 at private ones.

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.

How admission works

Applications go through Parcoursup. Non-selective bachelor's degrees (licence) admit everyone while places last, then by ranking; selective programmes (BUT, schools, health tracks) assess the application file. There is no cutoff score: the card shows the 2025 access rate — the share of applicants who received an offer. Non-EU citizens living abroad usually apply through the 'Études en France' / DAP procedure instead of Parcoursup and need French at B2 level.

• Selection: application file
• Main exam or platform: Parcoursup
• Language certificate most often required: Français B2 (TCF / DELF / DALF)

Tuition fees in France

At public universities an EU student typically pays €178 a year, and a student from outside the EU €2,902 a year. All amounts are per year in euros; fees charged per credit or per semester are converted to a full year (60 ECTS credits or two semesters).

Where the fee depends on family income, the typical figure is the full fee and the range starts at the lowest one.

Good to know about fees

• At public institutions the national registration fee for a bachelor's degree (licence, BUT) is €178 per year in 2026/27, plus the €105 student life contribution (CVEC). Non-EU citizens who come to study pay a differentiated fee of €2,902 per year unless the university exempts them (universities may exempt part of their foreign students). Engineering and business schools and private institutions set their own fees.

Language of instruction

French: 5,718 programmes.

Where to study: cities

All 1,174 universities in France by city

What you can study

• Languages and Literature 687
• Industrial Engineering 612
• Business Administration 345
• Nursing 342
• Translation and Languages 324
• Law 313
• Medicine 287
• Mathematics 192
• Computer Science 164
• Biology 163
• Economics 162
• Physics 157
• History 154
• Sport Sciences 131
• Chemistry 97
• Political Science 87
• Marketing 85
• Geography 78
• Sociology 74
• Pedagogy 70
• Psychology 70
• Public Administration 66
• Industrial Electronics and Automation 63
• Biomedical Sciences 63
• English Studies 63
• Philosophy 62
• Mechanical Engineering 54
• International Business 53
• Journalism 51
• Fine Arts 47
• Logistics 45
• Art History 38
• Civil Engineering 37
• Performing Arts 37
• Music and Musicology 35
• Multimedia and Video Games 33
• Advertising and Public Relations 33
• Telecommunications Engineering 30
• Geology 28
• Social Education 25
• Food Science and Technology 24
• Architecture 23
• Social Work 22
• Biomedical Laboratory Science 19
• Energy Engineering 19
• Environmental Engineering 17
• Environmental Sciences 17
• Data Science 15
• Solicitor Studies 14
• Materials Engineering 14
• Chemical Engineering 12
• Agronomy 12
• Human Nutrition and Dietetics 11
• Audiovisual Communication 9
• Anthropology 8
• International Relations 8
• Tourism 7
• Veterinary Medicine 6
• Landscape Architecture 4

Guides

• How to Get Into a University in France as an International Student
• How Much Does It Cost to Study in France? Fees, CVEC and Student Housing