11 Cheap Universities in France for International Students

If you have ever thought of studying abroad, a compiled list of cheap universities in France for international students has been discussed in this post. This will give you a broad option of schools to consider and also facilitate your admission.

France is a popular country in Europe, it is famous for its haute couture and haute cuisine, wine, historical buildings and monuments like the Louvre and Eiffel Tower, classical art museums, and beautiful beaches. The beauty and attraction of France cannot be stressed enough. It is one of those places where foreigners seek to go for a vacation.

Whenever you think about France you immediately think of this rich French culture of exotic wine and quality clothes. But that isn’t all there is to France…

Aside from tourists who frequent the country all year round, France is also one of the top hubs for international students. The country offers a multicultural study experience that attracts students from all over the world to gain world-class education, learn the language, and take a dive into its cultural perspective.

France is home to some of the best universities in Europe and in the world at large which is also part of what attracts students to earn a degree that is recognized by organizations anywhere in the world. Another reason why students choose here is because of its safety. Europe is considered to be the safest region in the world and France is just one of the safest study abroad destinations for international students.

As a prospective international student coming to pursue an academic degree in France, you must be proficient in English, French, or both. You don’t need to worry about learning the French language before coming over. About 39% of the population can speak English.

Also, in a bid to attract more international students, the universities in France offer a wide range of programs completely taught in the English language. However, being able to speak French will make your stay here more exciting because you can easily engage in conversations with the locals and better understand the culture.

France is not just limited to a place to visit but has also proven to be a great place to study and open to applicants from all over the world.

Now, due to the exotic nature of France, many students believe that the tuition fee and living cost should be on the high side, that is, very expensive. While this is not completely true, the thought has held many students back from going to study in France and missed out on some opportunities.

Today, we have published this article to clear that confusion and help you understand that there are cheap universities in France for international students. Aside from helping you clear this confusion, we have also gathered research and created a list of these cheap universities in France for international students.

Each of these schools has been discussed highlighting the programs they offer, the tuition fee for undergraduate and graduate programs, and respective links provided for you to learn more about the school that piques your interest and maybe begin your application.

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Requirements for Studying in France as an International Student

The requirements to study in France as an international student varies by the degree program you want to pursue, the universities, and your country of origin. However, we can provide you with the general application requirements then when you see any of the schools you like, you can click on the link to learn more about further requirements related to your specific field of study.

The typical requirements are;

  1. Possess a student visa or study permit, without one of these you will not be granted entry to the country to study.
  2. Submit your academic transcripts from previous schools attended.
  3. Essays and interviews may be required depending on the university or program
  4. Take an English or French language proficiency test. If you are going for a program taught in English then you need to take the TOEFL or IELTS. And if you are going for a program taught in French, you need to take the TFI, DILF, DELF, or DALF.
  5. Other documents such as reference letters, statement of purpose, CV or resume, ID card, etc. may be required.

How to Find Cheap Universities in France for International Students

The internet is a database for all kinds of resources and including for finding cheap universities in France for international students, so make use of it. If you are in college or high school, you may want to talk to your professors, lecturers, or teachers about finding a cheap university in France for international students and your interest to apply to one of them.

Further below, we have given a thorough detail to each of the 11 cheap universities in France for international students. So you may want to stop stressing and read through this one which we are sure would be of great help.

Average Tuition Fees in France for International Students

The tuition fees in France for international students vary for degree programs and universities. However, we have given an average range of tuition for undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. programs.

The average tuition fee for international students in France is €2,770 per year for bachelor’s degree programs, €3,770 per year for master’s programs, and €380 per year for Ph.D. programs.

Some universities in France are cheap for international students and there are scholarships that you can luckily get your hands on to further reduce the cost of your education in France. Without any further ado, let’s get into the 11 cheap universities in France for international students.

Cheap Universities in France for International Students

Here are the low tuition universities in France for international students:

  • The University of Paris
  • University de Montpelier
  • Université d’Orléans
  • The University of Strasbourg
  • École Normale Superieure (ENS Paris)
  • Aix-Marseille University
  • The University of Burgundy
  • École Centrale de Lyon
  • The University of Angers
  • Jean Monnet University
  • Nantes University

1.      The University of Paris

The University of Paris is on our first list of cheap universities in France for international students. It is located in Paris, France, and established in 1150, and is one of the oldest universities in France, Europe, and the world. The university enforces international education and throws its doors wide open to students from all over the world willing to study here.

The university is well prepared to accept international students and upon arrival provides students with all the resources, services, and practical tips they need to enjoy their stay in Paris. During your studies here, you will have access to free healthcare and financial aids, and scholarships to assist your tuition cost.

There are over 63,000 students at the University of Paris from diverse cultural backgrounds pursuing programs in bachelor, master, and doctoral levels of study. Undergraduate tuition fee for international students starts from €170 per year, tuition fee for master’s programs starts from €243 per year, and €380 per year for the Ph.D. program.

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2.      University de Montpelier

The University of Montpelier is a public internationally-recognized research-intensive university in Montpelier, south-east of France. It is one of the cheap universities in France for international students founded in 1220 and recognized as one of the world’s oldest universities. Here, you are free to pursue programs leading to bachelor, master’s, or doctorate degrees.

There are more than 49,000 students here enrolled in her 250 master’s programs, 150 bachelor programs, and 55 national diplomas. Of the total amount of students here, over 7,000 are from different parts of the world. The most popular programs at University de Montpelier are engineering, business, law, biology, and chemistry, economics, etc.

The tuition fee for international students is €130 per year for bachelor programs and €245 per year for master’s programs.

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3.       Université d’Orléans

The University of Orleans – in English – is one of the cheap universities in France for international students. It was founded in 1306 in Orleans, France, and has since been on the map for delivering world-class education in diverse fields of study including health sciences, arts, engineering, business, law, etc. leading to masters and bachelor degrees.

International students in the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs pay an annual tuition fee of $1000. Living expenses are also estimated to be between $692 – $1,272 per month.

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4.      The University of Strasbourg

This is another cheap university you may want to consider applying to, it is cheap, recognized as one of the world’s best, and offers a world-class education in a wide array of academic programs. Unistra, as it is often referred to, is a public research university located in Alsace, France where the locals here are said to be friendly and generous to foreigners.

Like the others so far on this list, it is an old institution of higher learning founded in 1538 but continues to renew and revolutionize its education system to fit the current educational standard. The departments in the university are the department of Arts & Language, Law & Economics, Social Science & Humanities, Science & Technology, and Health.

Unistra is a diverse community with 20% of its 48,000 students coming from other countries and diverse backgrounds. The tuition fee for undergraduate programs starts from €2,871 per year and €3,907 per year for graduate programs.

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5.       École Normale Superieure (ENS Paris)

ENS Paris is one of the affordable universities in France for international students located in the scholastic Latin Quarter and a stone throw from the famous Notre Dame Cathedral. It is a research-focused institution with 15 departments, 35 laboratories, and 9 libraries which are all disposed to student use and instilling them with skills and knowledge that can be beneficial to them after school.

Arts, Computer Science, Geosciences, Literature and Language, Mathematics, Biology, Economics are just some of the departments and the programs at ENS Paris. The school has an office set aside to cater to the needs of international students from the moment they put out their interest to apply here. All the resources they need that will help them in a successful application will be provided.

The tuition fee at ENS starts from $1,730 per year.

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6.      Aix-Marseille University

These cheap universities in France for international students are really old and built on hundreds of years of academic research and this is what makes them offer quality academic programs. AMU is also an old one founded in 1409 as a public university therefore its tuition is low, it offers a wide range of academic degree programs and accepts students from all over the world.

There are over 68,000 students in AMU with 13% of this population from other countries pursuing degrees in the fields of law, arts & literature, economics & management, political science, and many more. The starting tuition fee for international students in undergraduate programs is €170 per year and €243 per year for master’s programs.

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7.      The University of Burgundy

This is one of the most affordable universities in France for international students founded in 1722 and is located in the eastern region of Dijon, France. The university is a great supporter of international education, therefore, admits as many foreign students as they can. There are over 30,000 students of which 10% are international students from 100 different countries.

The University of Burgundy houses 10 faculties, 3 institutes of technology, 4 engineering schools, and educational institutes. The institution is a research-focused one with popular programs centered around business and management, engineering and applied sciences, health sciences, geosciences, and many more.

The tuition fee for international students in bachelor’s programs is $1,000 per year and for master’s programs, it is also $1,000 per year both as starting fees.

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8.      École Centrale de Lyon

École Centrale de Lyon is a research-intensive university in Lyon founded in 1857 and is also one of the oldest universities around. The university has strong links with other world-class institutions across the world and is an advocate of international studies. Up to 40% of its total student population are from foreign countries pursuing various programs in bachelor, master, and doctorate studies.

Cutting-edge fields such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, biosciences, and acoustic technology are some of the most recent programs that students can engage in. The tuition fee starts from €2,500 per year.

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9.      The University of Angers

Home to about 22,000 students and founded in 1337, the University of Angers is one of the cheap universities in France for international students. It is a public university located in Angers, France, and accepts international students into any of the programs they are eligible to apply for.

The university offers a wide range of academic programs through its faculties of law, business studies, science, and technology. The requirements to gain admission into this school vary, so, you may want to follow the link below to learn more about specific program offerings.

The tuition fee for undergraduate and graduate programs starts at €852 per year.

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10. Jean Monnet University

This is one of the cheap universities in France for international students. It was established in 1969 as a research-intensive university in Saint-Etienne, France. So far on this list of cheap universities in France for international students, this Jean Monnet University seems to be the youngest but that does not tamper with its academic quality in any way.

The university offers a wide range of academic degrees through its prestigious faculties of arts, languages, law, letters courses, medicine, engineering, economics, human sciences, and management. These programs lead to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees. The tuition fee for undergraduate programs starts from €500 per year and €1,028 per year for graduate programs.

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11. Nantes University

Last but not least on our list of cheap universities in France for international students is Nantes University. It was founded in 1460 and is one of the oldest operating institutions in Europe. Its academic programs are world-class and internationally recognized. There are over 35,000 students enrolled in this university from different cultural backgrounds.

Faculties in the school are Medicine, Psychology, Law, Political Science, Science and Technology, Dentistry, and others. These programs lead to bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees. The tuition fee for international students in undergraduate programs starts from €184 per year and €212 per year for master’s programs.

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This brings an end to the cheap universities in France for international students, go through each of them carefully and follow the links to see details on how to apply and deadlines.

FAQs

Are universities in France free for international students?

Universities in France are not free for international students but there are some rich ones just like the ones listed in this article.

How much does it cost to study in France for International Students?

The cost of international students studying in France ranges from €380 to €2,770 per year depending on the degree you want to pursue.

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