Studying in France: a complete guide for francophone and international families

France is the default destination for a francophone family. It’s also the most misunderstood, because everyone thinks they already know it. The French higher-education system is in fact unusually complex for outsiders, and even many mainland-French families get lost in the maze of paths, statuses, and institutions.

This fact sheet is written for three overlapping audiences: mainland French families wanting a structured overview, expatriated francophone families preparing a return for higher education, and international families (anglophone in particular) considering France for their children. When a point only concerns one sub-audience, I make it explicit.

1. Understanding the system

French higher education hosts about 2.9 million students across 4 main categories of institutions, with radically different logics. This is the first thing to understand: the word « university » in France only covers part of the landscape, and choosing the right category is often more important than choosing the specific institution.

Public universities

67 public universities spread across the country, of which around ten are regularly ranked in the world top (PSL, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris-Saclay, Sciences Po, a hybrid case). Features: near-zero fees (~€178/year), broad pedagogical freedom, large cohorts, selection limited to certain fields. It’s the majority path, with about 1.6 million students.

Classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles (CPGE)

The famous « prépas »: a 2-3 year intensive cursus that prepares students for entrance exams to grandes écoles of engineering, business, or to the Écoles Normales Supérieures. ~85,000 students. Three main streams: scientific (MPSI, PCSI, BCPST, MPI), economic and commercial (ECG), and literary (khâgne). A French specificity unique in the world.

Grandes écoles of engineering and business

~200 engineering schools (public and private, from Polytechnique to the INSAs) and ~40 business schools (HEC, ESSEC, ESCP, EM Lyon, EDHEC…). 5-year cycle straight after the Bac (post-bac entry) or 3 years after a prépa (post-prépa entry). Costs vary widely: from near-free (Polytechnique, Mines schools) to €18,000/year for top private business schools.

BTS, IUT, and short tracks

~700 BTS (Brevet de Technicien Supérieur, in lycées, 2 years) and ~110 IUT (Institut Universitaire de Technologie, inside universities, 3 years since the BUT reform). Vocational paths, generally excellent employment outcomes, but often underconsidered by families who think automatically of « a Bachelor’s at university ». It’s the most frequent mistake I see in counselling: a student who would have been happy and quickly graduated in a BTS ends up in a university Bachelor’s by default.

2. The main post-secondary paths

Rather than thinking « university vs school », it’s better to reason in terms of pedagogical paths, because it’s the learning logic that determines success, not nominal prestige.

Path 1 — University Bachelor’s (3 years)

Total autonomy. ~30% first-year drop-out nationally, mainly due to lack of self-discipline. Suits students who enjoy learning alone, who have personal discipline, and who accept building their professional project gradually. Fees: €178/year.

Path 2 — BUT (Bachelor Universitaire de Technologie, 3 years)

The former DUT extended to 3 years since 2021. In an IUT, so inside a university, but with much more structured supervision, mandatory internships, and an explicit professional aim. ~60% go on to a Master’s or grande école afterwards. Excellent compromise for a student who wants structure without losing the option to continue.

Path 3 — BTS (2 years)

In a lycée, with near-school supervision. Highly job-oriented. Quick entry into the workforce. ~45% continue studying (often a Licence pro). Underconsidered path but excellent for students who want a job quickly and a structured environment.

Path 4 — Classe préparatoire (2-3 years) then grande école (3 years)

The « royal » route of the French system: demanding, selective, prestigious. 5 years total after the Bac to reach a Master’s-level degree from a top engineering or business school. Suits students with a strong scientific or literary file who accept an intense pace and tight supervision for 2-3 years.

Path 5 — 5-year post-bac school

Engineering schools (INSA, UT, INP, private schools like EFREI, ESILV) and business schools (Bachelor + Master programmes such as those at NEOMA, Audencia, Kedge in post-bac). Direct entry after the Bac, no prépa. Continuous 5-year cycle in the same school.

Path 6 — PASS / LAS for medicine

The two entry routes into medical studies since the 2020 reform. PASS = Specific Health Access Pathway, in a faculty of medicine. LAS = Bachelor’s with Health Access, in another Bachelor’s + a health minor. Selection at the end of year one remains very tough (15-30% pass rate).

Path 7 — Sciences Po and IEPs

10 IEPs (Sciences Po Paris + 9 regional IEPs) which train future careers in social sciences, public service, journalism, consulting, communications. Very selective entry by file + written exams for Sciences Po Paris. 5-year cycle (3+2). Highly variable fees: ~€178 for regional IEPs, up to €14,000/year at Sciences Po Paris for high-income families (income-modulated).

3. Parcoursup

Parcoursup is the single national platform through which all post-bac applications pass (with rare exceptions like private art schools off-contract or some business schools that have their own concours). ~900,000 applicants every year.

Calendar at a glance

Period	Step
Mid-December	Information site opens
Mid-January	Platform opens — wish entry begins
Mid-March	Wish entry deadline
Early April	Wish confirmation and file submission deadline
Early June	Admission phase begins — first offers
Mid-July	End of main phase
End of September	End of complementary phase

Essential rules

• 10 maximum wishes for selective programmes, + 10 sub-wishes for grouped programmes (BTS, schools with multiple sites)
• All wishes are processed in parallel, with no hierarchy at application time
• Programmes rank applicants according to their own criteria, communicated via the « attendus » sheet
• During the admission phase, the candidate receives offers progressively and must accept one (with the option to keep others on hold)

📚 Going further: we have written a complete series of articles dedicated to Parcoursup (detailed calendar, expectations, wish strategy, motivation letter) accessible from the Parcoursup pillar.

4. Cost and financing

French higher education is massively subsidised, making it one of the cheapest in the world for comparable quality. But there are considerable gaps between paths.

Tuition fees by path

Path	Annual fees
Public university Bachelor’s	~€178
BUT (in public IUT)	~€178
Public BTS (in lycée)	Free
Private BTS	€4,000 to €8,000
Public CPGE (in lycée)	Free (apart from the cumulative university registration)
Public engineering school (INSA, UT, Mines schools)	€600 to €3,000
Private engineering school (EFREI, ESILV, ESEO)	€8,000 to €12,000
Post-prépa business school (HEC, ESSEC, ESCP)	€16,000 to €21,000
Post-bac business school (NEOMA, Audencia BBA)	€9,000 to €13,000
Sciences Po Paris (income-modulated)	€0 to €14,000 by income

The real cost: student life

Low tuition often masks the real cost: housing, food, transport, leisure. For one year:

City	Typical monthly cost	Annual cost (10 months)
Paris	€1,200 to €1,600	€12,000 to €16,000
Major metros (Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse)	€850 to €1,100	€8,500 to €11,000
Mid-sized university towns	€700 to €900	€7,000 to €9,000

Scholarships, aid, work-study

• CROUS social-criteria scholarships: €1,500 to €6,500 per year, ~30% of students benefit
• Housing benefit (APL): €100 to €250/month for eligible students
• Apprenticeship contract: paid by the company (~50-80% of minimum wage depending on age), tuition fully covered. Probably the best strategy for a student who wants a paying school without heavy family advance.

5. Student life

A few practical points that international families systematically underestimate.

Housing

It’s the first source of stress of an academic year. Three main options:

• CROUS residences: cheapest (~€250-400/month) but limited supply, priority to scholarship holders
• Private student residences: more expensive (€450-900/month depending on city) but plentiful and well-equipped
• Living with a host or private flatshare: variable, often the best value-for-money compromise

In Paris, plan for €800 to €1,200/month for a studio, the main budget item.

Student health insurance

Since 2018, students are automatically attached to the general Social Security system, like the rest of the population. No more mandatory student mutual fund. A complementary mutuelle remains recommended (~€10-30/month depending on options).

Transport

University cities all offer heavily discounted student transport passes (€25-40/month). Paris has the Pass Imagine R (€350/year for under-26s). TGVs have a Carte Avantage Jeune (€49/year, -30% on all tickets).

University restaurants (RU)

The 800 CROUS restaurants serve a complete meal at €3.30 (national flat rate), €1 for scholarship holders. Probably the best value-for-money in the world for a student meal.

6. For international families

This section is for non-French families or French expats wanting to enrol their child in the French higher-education system.

Case 1 — Student in a French lycée abroad (AEFE network)

The simplest case. An AEFE student applies exactly like a mainland French student, via Parcoursup, with their French Bac. No equivalence, no special procedure. A few specifics to know (time zone, file calibration in the international range); see our dedicated article on the specifics of French lycées abroad.

Case 2 — French student in a foreign system (IB, A-levels, AP…)

The student goes through Parcoursup like everyone else, but must provide an equivalence or attestation of their qualification. The ENIC-NARIC France office issues this attestation. Processing time: 4-6 weeks, plan accordingly. The foreign qualification is then evaluated by Parcoursup admission panels.

Case 3 — Non-French, non-European student

Different procedure: go through « Études en France » (the Campus France platform for non-EU students), which handles both the university application and the visa request. Much longer lead times: start as early as September-October for the following year’s intake.

Case 4 — Non-French European student

No visa, direct application via Parcoursup or to the schools. Automatic recognition of European degrees via the Bologna conventions. The procedure is as simple as for a French applicant, except that the foreign school transcript must be officially translated.

7. Who is France right for?

In our experience, France is the right choice for families whose child:

• Speaks French at a strong level — obvious for francophone families, blocking for unprepared anglophones
• Wants a very low cost of study — the public system remains one of the most accessible in the world
• Has a broad or undefined academic project — the French system offers an unparalleled variety of paths, more than the UK or the Netherlands
• Likes classical intellectual rigour — essay writing, structured reasoning, general culture, methodical approaches
• Wants a rich, urban student life — Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Aix-Marseille, Strasbourg are among the world’s best student cities

Conversely, it’s not the right destination for:

• A student who doesn’t speak French at a B2 minimum level (apart from 100% English-taught programmes, which exist but are rare at the Bachelor’s level)
• A student wanting an « cosmopolitan » international experience in the strongest sense (the Netherlands or the UAE are more diversified)
• A family wanting a heavily-supervised academic environment in the anglo-saxon prep-school style (unless aiming at a private post-bac school)

8. Standard timeline

For a Terminale student preparing the September 2027 intake:

Period	Step
September 2026	In-depth reflection on envisaged paths, opening of the Parcoursup info site
October-December 2026	Visit orientation fairs, open days, confirm choice of specialities
Mid-January 2027	Parcoursup opens — wish entry begins
Mid-March 2027	Wish entry deadline
Early April 2027	Wish confirmation deadline (unconfirmed wishes are cancelled)
May-June 2027	Preparation for any oral exams (Sciences Po, prépas, certain schools)
Early June 2027	Admission phase begins
July 2027	Bac results, end of main phase
September 2027	Start of term

Key takeaways

• French higher education is one of the cheapest in the world (~€178/year in the public system) for internationally recognised quality.
• The diversity of paths is a strength, not a trap: once you understand them, you have more options than in the UK or the Netherlands.
• Parcoursup is the single post-bac platform, to be mastered from the autumn of Terminale.
• The real cost is measured in living expenses (€8,000 to €16,000/year depending on the city), not tuition.
• Apprenticeship is probably the best strategy to attend a paying school without heavy family advance.
• For international families, the system welcomes AEFE and European students well, requires more logistics for non-Europeans.
• It’s the default route for a francophone, but it’s not automatically the best option for every profile.

Going further

• Parcoursup — official site
• ONISEP — detailed programme guides
• Études en France — Campus France platform for non-EU students
• CROUS — student grants and housing
• ENIC-NARIC France — recognition of foreign qualifications

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Fact sheet written by Catherine Menay, orientation counsellor at Axiom Orientation. Catherine has been supporting francophone and international families with their post-secondary orientation choices for over fifteen years.