Your Guide to Studying in France

From types of schools to visa requirements, you'll find everything you need to know about studying in France here.

Do you want to get more out of your education? Do you crave adventure? If so, studying abroad is a great option for you to earn a degree while having the adventure of a lifetime. Not sure where you should go? 14% of Canadians studying abroad choose France as their study destination (pdf).

Finding the right school for you in France

If you’re considering studying abroad in France, then you’ll need to find the right school for you. Here’s what you need to know about universities in France:

Your degree options

Did you know that France’s higher education system is similar to Canada’s? In France, a bachelor’s degree is called a License and takes three years to complete, meaning you’ll save money by finishing your degree quicker than if you were in Canada.

• L1 = First year
• L2 = Second year
• L3 = Third year

After a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree in France will take you two years to complete and a PhD in France can take anywhere from three to eight years to complete.

Types of schools

Canada’s higher education system consists of universities and colleges, but in France you can choose from universities, grandes écoles, and specialized schools. Check out what makes these schools different:

• Universities: public institutions that offer License, master’s, and PhD programs. Their tuition costs are lowered by the French government
• Grandes écoles: public and private institutions that specialize in fields such as engineering, business, and administration. Grandes écoles are highly competitive and have higher tuition fees
• Specialized schools: public and private institutions that offer training for professional careers in fields like art, architecture, and tourism

Language of study

More and more French universities are offering programs taught in English to attract international students. These English-taught programs are likely to be in the more popular programs, like business, engineering, tourism, etc. So, don’t worry if your French skills are rusty or nonexistent, you can find programs in France that are taught in English to fulfill your study abroad dreams.

If you choose to apply to programs that are partially or fully taught in French, then you may need to prove your French language skills. This would be done through language tests, like the Test d’Évaluation de Français pour le Canada.

How to apply to universities in France

The best place to start with your applications to License programs in France is through the Études en France platform. This is an online portal that helps you keep track of your applications, documents, and responses.

Make sure you check with the schools you’re interested in to see how they prefer their international students apply, as there may be some exceptions who prefer you apply directly to the school.

Here’s what you may need to apply to universities in France:

• Personal statement
• Extracurricular activities and work experience
• Letters of recommendation (at least one academic)
• Official transcripts

If you’re applying for a master’s or doctorate degree in France, then you’ll typically apply directly to the university of your choice.

How to get your student visa to study in France

As a Canadian, you’ll need a visa to study in France. There are a few options for student visas, but the standard for degrees that last longer than 90 days requires a long-stay visa which costs €50. You should apply for a long-stay visa three months to two weeks before you leave for France, since it takes approximately 15 days for your visa to be processed.

Once you arrive in France, you have three months to validate your long-stay visa, which essentially acts as your residence permit.

To find out if you need a visa, what type you should apply for, and what documents you’ll need, check out the visa wizard tool.

You’ll typically need these documents to apply for a long-stay visa in France:

• A passport
• Proof of sufficient funds — amount will be determined by the duration, purpose, and location of your stay in France
• Proof of accommodation — hotel reservation, school dorms, rental agreement, etc.
• Certificate of enrolment at the university that has accepted you
• Health insurance — you must register on the health insurance website
• Return ticket home or financial means to acquire one at the return date

Cost of tuition

As mentioned above, the French government covers a lot of the cost of tuition at public universities, even for international students. Without the help from the government, tuition would typically cost similar to Canada — €10,000 a year ($14,414 CAD). But since the government covers two thirds of this cost, what you’ll actually pay as a Canadian (not a Quebec resident) is much cheaper:

• €2,770 ($3,992 CAD) per year at the bachelor/license level
• €3,770 ($5,434 CAD) per year at the master level

However, if you live in Quebec, you get even more off your tuition costs if you study in France. You’ll pay the same tuition fees as citizens of France. Your costs as a Quebec student in France could be:

• €170 ($245 CAD) per year at the bachelor/license level
• €243 ($350 CAD) per year at the master level

Tuition costs for international students at private grandes écoles and specialized schools are much higher and vary depending on the institution, but you could pay up to €10,000 ($14,414 CAD) each year, or €30,000 ($42,925 CAD) each year if it’s a private institution that teaches engineering, management, or business.

Cost of living in France as a student

So now that you know what your tuition costs would be, check out what it costs to live in France. Your cost of living will depend on where in France you choose to study, but here’s a quick look at the general cost of living in France each month as a single person (CAD):

• Estimated monthly costs: $1,327
• Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city: $720 - $1,876
• Rent for a one-bedroom apartment outside the city: $576- $1,369

So, for a full year in France, you can expect to pay $22,764 - $38,436, not including your tuition, groceries, and other bills.

In comparison, your cost of living could be $30,120 - $52,608 in Paris, $27,096 - $35,748 in Nice, and $26,076 - $33,348 in Strasbourg. Make sure you do your research to find out what you can expect to pay each year to live in the city you want to study in France.

Working as a student in France

To help minimize your tuition and living costs even more (if you’ve chosen to go to a university), you can work part-time while you study in France! As an international student in France, you can work 964 hours in a given year, which equals to 60% of full-time employment for the year. The minimum wage in France is €11.52/hour, so this could help cover some of your expenses.

If your program has an internship/co-op that is required, then the hours you put towards your internship don’t count towards your limit of 964 working hours. However, to complete your internship, you’ll need a signed agreement between your university and your internship company.

Get ready to start your adventure studying abroad in France! Good luck on your search for schools and programs in France!