Costs
Tuition
Public universities: €243/year (master's), €170/year (bachelor's). Grandes Écoles and business schools: €8,000–45,000/year. Engineering schools: €2,500–15,000/year.
Living Costs
Paris: €1,000–1,400/month. Other cities: €700–900/month. CAF housing allowance: €100–250/month (most students eligible). CROUS student restaurants: €3.30/meal.
Total Annual Cost
€10,000–18,000/year (public university outside Paris). Paris significantly more.
Part-Time Work
964 hours/year (approximately 20 hours/week). Student autoentrepreneur status available. Average earnings: €500–800/month.
Post-Study & Immigration
Post-Study Work Visa
APS (Autorisation Provisoire de Séjour): 2 years (doubled in 2025). Can work full-time. Leads to Talent Passport for master's graduates who find qualifying employment.
Path to Permanent Residency
Talent Passport (Passeport Talent) for master's graduates with a job offer. 4-year renewable residence permit. 5 years → Permanent residence (carte de résident). Naturalisation possible after 5 years.
Language Requirements
Many master's programmes taught in English (especially business schools and engineering). Bachelor's mostly in French. DELF/DALF for French-taught. No English test required for some English-taught programmes.
Visa Processing
2–6 weeks. Apply through Campus France in your country. Études en France platform for application management. VFS Global handles visa appointments in most countries.
Top Universities
| University | QS 2025 | Tuition (Int'l) | Known For |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSL University (incl. ENS, Dauphine) | #24 | €243–15,000 | Sciences, Economics, Arts, Humanities |
| Sorbonne University | #59 | €243 | Sciences, Medicine, Humanities, Law |
| École Polytechnique | #46 | €15,000 (non-EU) | Engineering, Applied Mathematics, CS |
| HEC Paris | Top 5 MBA globally | €45,000/year MBA | Business, Management, Finance |
| Sciences Po | Top 3 political science | €0–14,500 (income-based) | Political Science, IR, Economics |
Scholarships
Eiffel Scholarship
Award: €1,181/month + housing + flights + insurance
Eligibility: Non-French · Deadline: January
Government scholarship. Nominated by French universities — can't apply directly. STEM, economics, law.
Eligibility: Non-French · Deadline: January
Government scholarship. Nominated by French universities — can't apply directly. STEM, economics, law.
Erasmus Mundus
Award: €1,400/month + tuition + travel
Eligibility: All nationalities · Deadline: Oct–Jan
EU-funded. Study in 2–3 countries including France.
Eligibility: All nationalities · Deadline: Oct–Jan
EU-funded. Study in 2–3 countries including France.
Île-de-France Master's Scholarship
Award: €8,000–12,000
Eligibility: All nationalities · Deadline: Varies
For master's students in Paris region universities.
Eligibility: All nationalities · Deadline: Varies
For master's students in Paris region universities.
CROUS Bursary
Award: €100–567/month
Eligibility: Based on income · Deadline: Ongoing
French social criteria grants. Non-EU students eligible after 2 years in France.
Eligibility: Based on income · Deadline: Ongoing
French social criteria grants. Non-EU students eligible after 2 years in France.
Campus France country-specific
Award: Varies
Eligibility: Specific nationalities · Deadline: Varies
Many bilateral scholarship agreements (especially francophone Africa, Latin America, Asia).
Eligibility: Specific nationalities · Deadline: Varies
Many bilateral scholarship agreements (especially francophone Africa, Latin America, Asia).
2026 Policy Updates
What changed: APS extended to 2 years (from 1 year) — major improvement. Campus France reports 52% growth in business/tech school enrolment. CVEC contribution: €103/year (student life contribution). Immigration law reforms ongoing — multi-year residence permits being simplified.
Best For
Budget-conscious students wanting a prestigious European degree. Business school candidates (HEC, INSEAD, ESSEC). Francophone African students (strong scholarship ecosystem). Art, culture, and humanities students. Students wanting affordable European base with good post-study options.
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