What does it cost to study in France?

Tuition (annual)

EUR 2,770/year for a bachelor's and EUR 3,770/year for a master's at public universities (non-EU rate, introduced in 2019). Private business schools are a different market: INSEAD and HEC Paris run EUR 80,000+ for a full MBA.

Living costs (annual)

EUR 10,000-14,000/year outside Paris; EUR 12,000-18,000/year in Paris. A total annual budget of EUR 12,000-18,000 is among the lowest in Europe.

CROUS subsidised student accommodation is well below market rent. Apply as soon as you accept your offer, because allocation is by application date rather than need.

Student visa for France

Student visa via the CampusFrance procedure (VLS-TS)

• CampusFrance is the standard pathway for Indian applicants to French universities, and for many it includes an interview.
• Processing takes 2-8 weeks depending on the consulate.
• Credential recognition runs through the diplôme d'équivalence process. Allow 2-3 months before the visa stage.
• Graduates get a 12-month job-search residence permit, extended to 24 months after some master's programs.

Entry requirements

English proficiency

English-taught master's programs are widely available and admission is in English. French at A2-B1 is not an admission requirement but matters for part-time work and for staying on after graduation.

Academic baseline

Public-university master's programs accept a second-class bachelor's, roughly 55-65%+. Top business schools and the grandes écoles are considerably more competitive.

Counselling matters more here than for the English-speaking destinations: the procedure, the credential assessment and the school-by-school selectivity all differ from what Indian applicants expect.

Scholarships available

• France Excellence Eiffel Scholarship (French government) - EUR 1,200/month for master's students and EUR 2,000/month for PhD from January 2026, plus tuition at eligible public institutions, return flights and health insurance
• France Excellence Charpak Master's Scholarship (Indian applicants only) - EUR 860/month for one to two years, plus a visa-fee waiver, Campus France procedure-fee exemption, priority CROUS housing and EUR 1 university meals. Travel is not covered
• Emile Boutmy Scholarship (Sciences Po, non-EU students) - EUR 18,500 off tuition in each of the two master's years; at bachelor's level a full exemption or EUR 9,500. A fee exemption, not a stipend

Post-study work options

A 12-month job-search residence permit after graduation, 24 months after some master's programs. Paris has a substantial tech and finance recruiting ecosystem hiring at master's level, and EU Blue Card eligibility begins around EUR 45,000-50,000, which leads to permanent residence after 21-33 months depending on French proficiency.

What is the CampusFrance procedure, and why does it matter?

CampusFrance is the pre-application process Indian students go through before a French university can enrol them, and for many programs it includes an interview about your study plan and your reasons for choosing France. It runs alongside, not instead of, the university's own admission. It is the single biggest procedural difference between applying to France and applying to the UK or Australia, and it is where most avoidable delays happen.

How does France compare with Germany for an Indian student?

Both are low-tuition public systems. Germany's public universities charge no tuition but the application-support route KC runs there carries a fee, and German-taught programs still dominate outside a set of English master's. France charges a small national fee, has a broader English-taught master's offering at that price, and adds CampusFrance as a procedural step Germany does not have. Which fits depends on your subject and your language plans more than on cost.