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Universities in France

Universities in France

France's Dual Higher Education System

France's higher education system is a dual structure that is unlike any other country: the selective, prestigious Grandes Écoles alongside the open-access, low-fee public universities.

Public Universities

France's public universities charge among the lowest tuition fees for international students of any country:

  • Licence (Bachelor's equivalent, 3 years): €2,770 per year
  • Master's (2 years): €3,770 per year
  • Doctorat (PhD): €380 per year

These fees apply to non-EU students from countries that have signed the Égalité des droits agreement with France — India is on this list.

Grandes Écoles — France's Elite Institutions

The Grandes Écoles prepare France's professional elite in engineering, business, and public administration. Admission is through competitive entrance examinations, but international students can access them through international Master's programs.

Grande École Type International Rankings English Programs
HEC Paris Business Consistently top 1-3 globally for MBA MBA in English; some MSc in English
INSEAD (Fontainebleau campus) Business Top 3 globally for MBA 100% English — dual campus (France + Singapore)
École Polytechnique (l'X) Engineering + Science Top 50 globally Master's programs available in English
Sciences Po Political Science, Social Sciences, Law Top 300 globally Many programs fully in English
CentraleSupélec Engineering Top 200 globally English Master's programs available
ESCP Business School Business Top 20 in Europe for MBA Multi-campus; some English programs

Target France's Best Universities

Let us help you decide between Public Universities like Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne, and the prestigious Grandes Écoles.

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