Study in Paris for less than US$200: The cheapest universities in France

For many students, attending one of the universities in France is a dream waiting to happen. With its rich culture, history, and cuisine, the famed European country is high on many aspiring student lists. 

However, it’s no secret that living in France, or its capital city of Paris, is expensive.

• Paris ranks in the top 10 for having a high cost of living in Europe, placing eighth just behind London, Amsterdam, and five Swiss cities, shows data from Expatistan.
• Groceries in France (compared to other European cities) are 11% higher for everyday food products and 20% higher for fruits and vegetables.
• A 2023 survey conducted by global market research and public opinion specialist Ipsos on behalf of the aid organization Secours Populaire (People’s Relief) found that 32% of Parisians are not always able to afford enough food or healthy food to make three meals a day.

This might make navigating student life doubly difficult.

Students already have a myriad of costs to manage, such as tuition fees and rent — which are rising due to academic inflation by the day. Adding the inflationary increase in living expenses would only add to this burden. 

Enter tuition-free or discounted universities in France. These are institutions that either charge low fees or do not charge students fees at all. The best part? This extends to international students, too. 

Here are some affordable and tuition-free universities in France that international students can consider:

Being in Paris is nice and all, but other parts of France are just as beautiful too. Better yet, they’re definitely cheaper to live in. Source: AFP

The cheapest universities in France

Sorbonne University

Sorbonne University is a top public institution in France, ranking #63 on QS World University Rankings 2025. It’s located in Paris, and its reputation for being one of the most prestigious universities in Europe has attracted over 10,200 international students — 4,400 of whom are in its doctoral programmes.

It has three faculties: arts and humanities, science and engineering, and medicine. They currently only offer English-taught postgraduate programmes, though they have a range of French undergraduate programmes you could opt for too. 

French public universities don’t typically charge tuition fees, and Sorbonne University is no exception. This is standard across domestic and international students. However, the university does charge registration fees: US$189 (170 euros) for a bachelor’s degree, US$270 (243 euros) for a master’s degree and US$423 (380 euros) for a doctorate degree. 

University of Clermont Auvergne

Located in the heart of France, the University of Clermont Auvergne is an internationally focused institution that develops educational programmes for the global citizen. It has signed numerous international agreements with corresponding universities, allowing thousands of students worldwide to travel to its campus on an exchange or similar programme.

They offer a range of English programmes, including law and engineering, as well as a variety of French-taught programmes. The university’s FLEURA centre welcomes foreigners who want to learn French and deepen their knowledge of the language and French culture, both in regular education and continuing education.

As of its last update, international students pay only US$189 (170 euros) per year, while those enrolling in master’s and medical programmes pay US$270 (243 euros), and engineering students are charged US$668 (601 euros). 

 

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National Institute of Oriental Languages ​​and Civilisations

Located in Paris, the National Institute of Oriental Languages ​​and Civilisations (Inalco) is one of the few public universities in France that centres on the teaching of languages and cultures around the world.

The institute offers bachelor’s degrees, doctorates, and even institutional diplomas, boasting a diversity of over 100 languages and civilizations for students to explore. Though the university is small — there are only around 9,000 students and 3,000 teaching staff — they consist of over 120 nationalities altogether, forming a vibrant and varied community.

Inaclo also has a history of supporting international student’s education. For the 2024/25 academic year, they exempted non-EU students from the increased registration fees, allowing them to pay EU student fees of US$195 (175 euros) for a bachelor’s degree and US$278 (250 euros) for a master’s degree. This was to help better integrate foreign students into the institute and to support students throughout their university careers in France.

University of Orléans

The University of Orléans is located less than two hours outside of Paris and is part of ATHENA European University 2024, an alliance of ten Higher Education and Research Institutions throughout Europe.

The University of Orléans is inherently multidisciplinary. They have three colleges (referred to as Training and Research Units), one engineering school, four University Institutes of Technology, one National Institute of Higher Education, one University Science of the Universe Observatory, one physiotherapy school, and one medical training department. 

Here, students in the undergraduate programmes are only required to pay US$189 (170 euros) per year. Master’s degree students pay US$270 (243 euros), PhD students pay US$423 (380 euros), and engineering degree students pay US$668 (601 euros).

Université Grenoble Alpe

Located in Grenoble, which has a significantly cheaper cost of living than Paris, Université Grenoble Alps is the third largest university in France. Its community of 60,000 students includes about 150 different nationalities and welcomes nearly 6,000 international students yearly.

They offer various English programmes, including those in STEM, humanities and social sciences, arts and languages, law, economics, political science, and more. French programmes, of course, are offered too.

For tuition fees, undergraduates pay US$189 (170 euros), master’s students pay US$278 (250 euros), PhD students pay US$435 (391 euros), and engineering degree students pay US$688 (618 euros). 

Lyon, France’s second-largest city, has plenty of offerings that will sweep you off your feet, too. Source: AFP

École Normale Supérieure de Lyon

École Normale Supérieure (ENS) de Lyon is an elite French public institution that trains professors, researchers, senior civil servants, and business and political leaders. It is part of Université de Lyon and is one of the country’s four prestigious higher education institutions. It ranks #187 on the QS World University Rankings 2024.

The school offers a range of English-taught and French-taught master’s programmes, has 214 partner universities in 54 countries, and 78 nationalities on campus with international students forming 16% of the community.

Annual tuition fees here costs around US$278 (250 euros) for master’s programmes and US$445 (400 euros) for doctoral studies.

Disclaimer: This article was last updated on August 23, 2024.