France is not just a wonderful place to visit, but it’s also a great country for studying. After all, it has a lengthy tradition of academic excellence which is reflected by the historical and a lot of top-ranking universities in the country.
While France is more than open to international applicants, a lot are held back because of the thought of expensive tuition. So many believe that studying and living in an European country can be very expensive and so unaffordable, this is not completely true.
As long as the international student apply to any of these cheap universities in France, he/she can finish schooling without piling up unpayable student debt.
But before we go through the list of cheapest Universities in France for International Students, we’ll take a look at the basic requirements of studying in this French country and the unanswered question that bothers English speaking international students.
Cheapest Universities in France for International Students
France is an amazing country to study in, and it’s even better when you can find a cheap university to attend. If you’re an international student on a budget, check out this list of the 10 cheapest universities in France. You’ll be sure to find an affordable option that meets your needs.
1. Université Paris-Saclay
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: from EUR 170 ($206) per year.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: from EUR 243 ($295) per year.
Paris-Saclay University is a public research institution that is located in the heart of Paris. Having its heritage back to the University of Paris, which was founded in the year 1150.
As one of the most prestigious universities in France, it is really known for its Mathematics program. Aside that, it also offers degrees in the areas of Science, Law, Economics, Management, Pharmacy, Medicine, and Sports Science.
Université Paris-Saclay is also the cheapest university in France for International Students with a tuition fee of $206 a year.
To this day, Paris-Saclay has an enrollment rate of 28,000+ students, 16% of which are of international students.
2. Aix-Marseille Université
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: from EUR 170 ($206) per year.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: from EUR 243 ($295) per year.
It was founded in 1409 as the University of Provence, the Aix-Marseille Université (AMU) is located in the beautiful region of Southern France. This public university, as with many other institutions, is as the result of the merger between various schools.
Primarily based in Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, AMU also has branches or campuses in Lambesc, Gap, Avignon, and Arles.
Currently, this university in France offers studies in the fields of Law & Political Science, Economics & Management, Arts & Literature, Health, and Science & Technology. AMU has more than 68,000 in student population, with 13% of these are international students.
3. Université d’Orléans
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: from EUR 170 ($206) per year.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: from EUR 243 ($295) per year.
The University of Orleans is a public university having its campus in Orleans-la-Source, France. It was established in the year 1305 and it was re-founded in 1960.
With campuses in Orleans, Tours, Chartres, Bourges, Blois, Issoudun, and Châteauroux, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the following : the Arts, Languages, Economics, Humanities, Social Science, and Technology.
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: from EUR 170 ($206) per year.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: from EUR 243 ($295) per year.
The next school on this list of cheapest universities in France for international students is Toulouse 1 University Capitole, which is seated in a historical town center in Southwestern France. Being established in the year 1968, it is thought of as one of the successors of the University of Toulouse.
The university, which has its campuses located in three cities, offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in Law, Economics, Communications, Management, Political Science, and Information Technology.
To date, there are more than local and international 21,000 students enrolled in the UT1 main campus – as well as its satellite branches in Rodez and Montauban.
5. Université de Montpellier
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: from EUR 180 ($220) per year.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: from EUR 180 ($220) per year.
The University of Montpellier is a research institution planted in the heart of Southeastern France. Founded in the year 1220, it has a history as one of the oldest universities in the world.
At this cheap university in France, students can enroll in any of the faculties specializing in Physical Education, Dentistry, Economics, Education, Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, Management, Engineering, General Administration, Business Administration, and Technology.
As one of the ranked universities in France, the University of Montpellier enjoys a big population of more than 39,000 student population. Expectedly so, it has attracted many international students who occupies 15% of the total demographic.
6. University of Strasbourg
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: from EUR 184 ($225) per year.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: from EUR 256 ($310) per year.
The University of Strasbourg or Unistra is a public educational institution in Alsace, France. And it was founded in 1538 as a German-speaking institution, it is also as a result of the merger between three universities which are, the Universities of Louis Pasteur, Marc Bloch, and Robert Schuman.
The university is currently stratified into the departments of Arts & Language, Law & Economics, Social Science & Humanities, Science & Technology, and Health and under these bodies are several faculties and schools.
Unistra is one of the more diverse French universities, with 20% of its 47,700+ students coming from international communities.
7. Université de Paris
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: from EUR 261 ($310) per year.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: from EUR 334 ($405) per year.
Next on our list of cheapest universities in France for international students is the University of Paris, one of the institutions that trace its roots back to the 1150-founded University of Paris. After so many divisions and mergers, it was eventually finally re-established in the year 2017.
To this day, the University is divided into 3 faculties: that of Health, Science, and Humanities & Social Science.
Given its great history, the University of Paris is one of the most populated – having a total student population of more than 63,000.
It also has good international representation, with 18% of its population coming from various parts of the world.
8. University of Angers
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: from EUR 851.80 ($1000) per year.
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: from EUR 851.80 ($1000) per year.
By 1450, the university had colleges in Law, Theology, Arts and Medicine, which attracted local and international students from around the world. Sharing the fate of other universities, it was abolished during the French Revolution.
Angers remained an important place of intellectual and academic activity.
It is run by the following faculties: Faculty of Medicine which as of 1807, the school of medicine of Angers was created; in 1958: The University Centre for Sciences was founded which is also the faculty of Science. In 1966, the faculty of Technology was founded, one of the first three in France, the faculty of Law and Business Studies was established in 1968 and this was followed by the faculty of Humanities.
You can view program-specific information on their website here.
9. Nantes University
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: from EUR 184 ($217) per year
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: from EUR 212 ($249) yearly
Nantes University is a multi-campus university located in the city of Nantes, France and founded in 1460.
It has faculties in Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Psychology, Science and Technology, Law and Political Science. Student admission is usually close to 35,00. Nantes University boasts of a highly ethnically diverse environment.
Recently, it has been featured among the world’s top 500 universities, alongside a couple of other French universities. It is listed as one of the cheapest universities in France for International Students. You can visit the university’s website, here for more information.
10. Jean Monnet University
Tuition Fee For Undergraduate Programs: from EUR 500 ($688.92) per year
Tuition Fee for Graduate Programs: from EUR 750 ($1028.88) yearly
The last but not the least on our list is the Jean Monnet University is a French public university, based in Saint-Étienne.
It was established in the year 1969 and is under the Academy of Lyon and belongs to the recent administrative entity denominated the University of Lyon, which brings together different schools in Lyon and Saint-Étienne.
The main campus is located in Tréfilerie, in the city of Saint-Étienne. It has faculties in the arts, languages and letters courses, law, medicine, engineering, economics and management, human sciences, and the Maison de l’ Université (administrative building).
The faculty of Sciences and sports are studied in the Metare campus, that is situated in a less urbanized place in the city.
Jean Monnet University is one of the cheapest universities in France for international students. The University is ranked 59th among institutions in the country of France and 1810th in the world. For more information visit the school official website.
Is it Possible to Study in English in French Universities?
Yes! There are schools that offer this, such as the American University of Paris, where majority of the programs are taught in English.
Meanwhile, at the University of Bordeaux, international students may take English-taught courses – or get enrolled in English-taught Master’s programs.
Requirements of Studying in France
Apart from filling out the application form, aspiring international students should not forget to submit their high school/college diploma and transcript of records. Also depending on the program or university, some requirements such as essays or interviews may be required too. And if you’re planning to take an English based program, you will have to submit a proficiency exam result (IELTS or TOEFL) as well.
