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Destination guide

France

Grandes Écoles, low public tuition, and a 5-year Talent Passport.

France hosts 3,500+ Grandes Écoles and public universities. Public tuition is heavily subsidised, and English-taught masters are common in business, engineering and luxury management.

Tuition
EUR 2,770 – 25,000 / year
Living cost
EUR 10,000 – 14,000 / year (Paris higher)
Intakes
September primary · January limited

Top universities

  • PSL
  • Sorbonne
  • École Polytechnique
  • HEC Paris
  • INSEAD
  • Sciences Po

Popular programmes

  • Master in Management
  • MSc Engineering
  • MSc Luxury Brand Management
  • MS Data Science

Long-Stay Student Visa (VLS-TS)

Application fee
EUR 99 + EUR 50 OFII fee
Processing time
2–6 weeks via Campus France
Work rights
964 hrs/year (~20 hrs/week)
Post-study
12-month APS (job-search) → Talent Passport

Application timeline

  1. 1Register on Campus France 'Études en France' portal
  2. 2Apply to up to 7 institutions via Parcoursup or direct
  3. 3Attend Campus France interview (academic + motivation)
  4. 4Show EUR 615/month proof of funds + CAF housing aid eligibility
  5. 5Apply for VLS-TS at VFS France
  6. 6Validate visa online within 3 months of arrival

Insider tips

  • Public uni tuition for non-EU = EUR 2,770 (Bachelors) / EUR 3,770 (Masters).
  • Eiffel Excellence Scholarship covers masters and PhD — apply by January.
  • Pre-master French course can boost selection chances at Grandes Écoles.
  • Use CROUS housing — much cheaper than private studios in Paris.

Tests accepted

IELTSTOEFLGMAT (business)GRE (some)DELF/DALF (French)

Official resources