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Study in France

What it costs, who gets in, what to prepare, and what happens after you graduate.

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Public university CGPA6.5+ on 10
Private university CGPA6.0+ on 10
Proof of funds₹7,00,000
Living costs₹80,000 a month
Work rights964 hrs a year (about 20 hrs/week)
DeadlinesSep intake; Campus France closes around Mar-Apr

Who gets in

3-year Bachelor accepted.

The Campus France (Études en France) interview is mandatory before the visa.

Backlogs. Assessed case by case.

Tests you need

  • IELTS 6.0-6.5 for English-taught programmes
  • DELF B2 for French-taught programmes

What it costs

About €615 a month for the year. Budget around ₹80,000 a month for living costs.

Documents

  • Passport
  • Marksheets
  • IELTS/DELF
  • Campus France NOC
  • Admission letter
  • Insurance

Why France

France's public universities charge non-EU students a few thousand euros a year, and the Grandes Écoles — the engineering and business schools that lead the country — offer a growing number of English-taught Master's. It is one of the most affordable serious destinations in Western Europe, and it is deliberately courting Indian students.

The strengths are aerospace, engineering, luxury and fashion management, hospitality, finance and data science. Toulouse for aerospace and Paris for business are the two names most Indian students arrive with, and both are earned.

Around 1,700 programmes are taught in English. Daily life is in French, and A2 makes an enormous difference to the year.

Life in France

Paris is expensive and everywhere else is not. Lyon, Toulouse, Grenoble, Lille and Nantes are all university cities with lower rents and strong industry. Students get a housing allowance (CAF) that returns a meaningful part of the rent, subsidised university meals, and discounted transport.

Health cover through the French system is free for students once registered — one of the quiet advantages of the country.

Intakes

  • September — the main intake. Nearly all programmes.
  • January / February — a limited number of Master's and MBAs.
The Campus France process has its own calendar and closes months before September. Start in the autumn before you intend to go.

Language and tests

  • English-taught programmes — IELTS 6.0 to 6.5 or TOEFL; many business schools accept a medium-of-instruction letter
  • French-taught programmes — DELF B2, sometimes DALF C1
  • GMAT / GRE — for most business schools' Master's in Management and MBAs, optional elsewhere

Campus France, and the visa

France has a step most countries do not: the Études en France procedure run by Campus France. You register, upload your documents, attend an interview at the Campus France office, and only then apply for the long-stay student visa (VLS-TS). Miss the window and the year is gone.

  • Admission letter from a recognised institution
  • Campus France interview certificate (NOC)
  • Proof of funds — about €615 a month for the year
  • Proof of accommodation for the first months
  • Travel insurance covering the initial period
  • Academic records and language results
The VLS-TS has to be validated online within three months of arriving. It is a five-minute step that people forget, and the consequences are not five minutes.

After you graduate

A Master's graduate can apply for the APS (recherche d'emploi / création d'entreprise) residence permit — twelve months to find work or start something, renewable once for Indian graduates under the India–France agreement. A job offer converts it to a work permit or, for the well-paid, a Talent Passport.

Questions we are actually asked

Do I need to speak French?

Not for the English-taught programmes. For the year itself, for part-time work and for staying afterwards, yes — start on it before you leave.

What does Campus France do?

It is the mandatory pre-visa process: registration, document check, and an interview. The visa application cannot begin until it is complete.

How much are fees?

Public universities charge non-EU students roughly €3,000 to €4,000 a year. Grandes Écoles and business schools charge €10,000 to €25,000.

Can I work while studying?

Yes — 964 hours a year, roughly 20 hours a week, with no separate permit.

Can I stay after graduating?

Yes. The APS permit gives twelve months, extendable for Indian graduates, to find a job that converts it.

When should I start?

About a year ahead. Campus France opens in the autumn for the following September and closes in spring.

Universities in France we place students at

Universities in France — the ones we work with most are first; narrow the filters to find yours

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