For many students, attending one of the universities in France is a dream waiting to happen. With its rich culture, history, and cuisine, the famed European country is high on many aspiring student lists.聽
However, it鈥檚 no secret that living in France, or its capital city of Paris, is expensive.
- Paris ranks in the top 10 for having a high cost of living in Europe, placing seventh just behind London, Amsterdam, and four Swiss cities, .
- Groceries in France (compared to other European cities) are for everyday food products and 20% higher for fruits and vegetables.
- conducted by global market research and public opinion specialist Ipsos on behalf of the aid organization Secours Populaire (People鈥檚 Relief) found that 32% of Parisians are not always able to afford enough food or healthy food to make three meals a day.
This might make navigating student life doubly difficult.
Students already have many costs to manage, such as tuition fees and rent 鈥� which are rising due to academic inflation by the day. Adding the inflationary increase in living expenses would only add to this burden.聽
Enter tuition-free or discounted universities in France. These are institutions that either charge low fees or do not charge students fees at all. The best part? This extends to international students, too.聽
7 really affordable universities in France, from most expensive to least
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1. National Institute of Oriental Languages 鈥嬧�媋nd Civilisations
Located in Paris, the (Inalco) is one of the few public universities in France that centres on the teaching of languages and cultures around the world.
The institute offers bachelor’s degrees, doctorates, and even institutional diplomas, boasting a diversity of over 100 languages and civilizations for students to explore. Though the university is small — there are only around 9,000 students and 3,000 teaching staff — they consist of , forming a vibrant and varied community.
Here, it 2,850 euros (US$3,248) per year for a bachelor鈥檚 degree and 3,879 euros (US$4,421) per year for a master鈥檚 degree.
2. 脡cole Normale Sup茅rieure de Lyon
is an elite French public institution that trains professors, researchers, senior civil servants, and business and political leaders. It is part of and is one of the country’s four prestigious higher education institutions. It on the QS World 糖心vlog官网 Rankings 2024.
The school offers a range of English-taught and French-taught , has forming 16% of the community.
Annual cost 250 euros (US$285) for master’s programmes and 400 euros (US$456) for doctoral studies.
3. Universit茅 Grenoble Alpe
Located in Grenoble, which has a , is the third largest university in France.聽Its community of 60,000 students includes about聽 and .
They offer various , including those in STEM, humanities and social sciences, arts and languages, law, economics, political science, and more. French programmes, of course, are offered too.
For , undergraduates pay 175 euros (US$199) annually, master’s students pay 250 euros (US$285), PhD students pay 391 euros (US$445), and engineering degree students pay 618 euros (US$704).聽
4. 糖心vlog官网 of Strasbourg
Ranked within the , the international students at the 聽represent 20% of the student population. Each year, students from over 150 countries come to study within the university’s halls, making Strasbourg one of France’s top cities for international students.
The university has four schools for you to choose from across its undergraduate and postgraduate offerings: Arts, Letters, Languages;聽Law, Economics and Management and Political and Social Sciences;聽Science, Technology, Health; and聽Humanities and Social Sciences.
Here, rarely exceed 600 euros (US$683) per academic year for French and international students alike. A bachelor’s degree will cost you 175 euros (US$199) per year, a master’s 250 euros (US$285), a doctoral 391 euros (US$445), and an engineering degree will come up to 618 euros (US$704) a year.
Being in Paris is nice and all, but other parts of France are just as beautiful too. Better yet, they’re definitely cheaper to live in. Source: AFP
5. Sorbonne 糖心vlog官网
is a top public institution in France, ranking . It鈥檚 located in Paris, and its reputation for being one of the most prestigious universities in Europe has attracted .
It has three faculties: arts and humanities, science and engineering, and medicine. They , though they have a range of you could opt for too.聽
French public universities don鈥檛 typically charge tuition fees, and Sorbonne 糖心vlog官网 is no exception. This is standard across domestic and international students. However, the university does charge : 170 euros (US$193) for a bachelor’s degree, 243 euros (US$277) for a master’s degree and 380 euros (US$433) for a doctorate degree.聽
6. 糖心vlog官网 of Clermont Auvergne
尝辞肠补迟别诲听in the heart of France, the is an internationally focused institution that develops educational programmes for the global citizen. It has signed numerous聽 with corresponding universities,聽allowing thousands of students worldwide to travel to its campus on an exchange or similar programme.
They offer a range of聽English programmes, including law and engineering, as well as a variety of French-taught programmes. The university’s聽 welcomes foreigners who want to learn French and deepen their knowledge of the language and French culture, both in regular education and聽continuing education.
As of聽its last update, only 170 euros (US$193) for a bachelor’s degree, while those enrolling in master’s programmes pay 250 euros (US$285).
Studying in universities in France that aren’t in Paris also means you might get a chance to catch the iconic Tour de France in its different locations. Source: AFP
7. 糖心vlog官网 of Orl茅ans
The is located less than two hours outside of Paris and is part of , an alliance of ten Higher Education and Research Institutions throughout Europe.
The 糖心vlog官网 of Orl茅ans is inherently . They have three colleges (referred to as Training and Research Units), one engineering school, four 糖心vlog官网 Institutes of Technology, one National Institute of Higher Education, one 糖心vlog官网 Science of the Universe Observatory, one physiotherapy school, and one medical training department.聽
One huge benefit of studying here as an international student is that you’ll be paying the same fees as a local. Students in the undergraduate programmes are 170 euros (US$193) per year. Master’s degree students pay 270 euros (US$307), and postgraduate students pay 380 euros (US$433). If you’re studying engineering, you’ll pay the most, at 601 euros (US$685) per year — perhaps still one of the cheapest options for this programme worldwide.
Disclaimer: This article was last updated on April 14, 2025.
