Studying in France can be an excellent choice, due to the high quality of academic education and its affordability.
Many French universities feature highly in international rankings, such as Université PSL, École Polytechnique, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Paris-Saclay, Sciences Po and many others.
France has over 3500 higher education institutions, both public and private, with 1200 courses offered in English. International students represent 12 per cent of the 2.5 million students in higher education in France. (Source: Campus France)
Types of higher education institutions
There are four key categories of higher education institutions in France.
- Universities: public institutions, where 75 per cent of international students in France are enrolled. Universities offer courses in all fields of study, at every academic level (Bachelor, Master’s, PhD). Registration is open to all baccalaureate holders (or equivalent).
- The Grandes Écoles and business schools: including Écoles Normales Supérieures (ENS), Institutes of Political Studies (IEP, e.g. Sciences Po), engineering schools, management schools and veterinary schools. They may be public or private institutions and are recognised by the state. Twenty per cent of international students in France study at these institutions. They offer many courses in English up to Master’s level. Admission is very selective and usually requires attendance at preparatory classes (typically two years), taught by specialised high schools, in French only.
- Specialised schools and institutes: public or private, with a broad offer of courses in specific sectors such as health, communication and journalism. Admission is very selective, usually based on competitive application and exams. These diplomas may or may not be recognised by the state.
- National schools of arts, applied arts, and architecture: these institutions have a very selective admission process.
Campus France, the French agency for promotion of higher education, offers helpful guidance for international students on its website, which is available in many languages. For information on how to evaluate the quality of a degree course or institution, go to Evaluating the quality of a degree or institution | Campus France.
How to apply
There are specific application procedures for admission to an undergraduate programme, depending on your nationality, your country of residence and your school-leaving certificate. The Campus France website includes information on how to apply to an institute of higher education, including the relevant deadlines.
- European nationals apply to Bachelor courses in the same way as French students, via the Parcoursup platform.
- Non-European nationals living in Europe submit a preliminary admission request (DAP) with the French Embassy in their country of residence. Foreign, non-European students living in France, with a school-leaving certificate other than the French or European Baccalaureate, also need to submit a preliminary application for admission, called Dossier vert.
- If you live outside the European Union, in a country covered by the ‘Studies in France’ procedure, all applications, including DAP or visa applications, are submitted through the Studies in France platform. In some cases, however, you may also need to follow parallel procedures on Parcoursup. Please read the guidance provided by Campus France carefully.
- Non-European students living in a country not covered by the Studies in France procedure must first submit the DAP as described above. You then apply directly to the university.
Admission criteria are set by each higher education institution. They typically include:
- academic results (final grades)
- a teacher’s evaluation (if applying from a French international school, via Parcoursup)
- a covering / motivation letter (or personal statement) and sometimes an essay (depending on the university’s requirements)
- any supporting documents testifying the skills required by the university for the specific course you are applying for
- proof of language proficiency, either French or English, depending on the course.
Students looking to enter higher education institutions in France might have to go through Parcoursup, which is the higher education admissions platform in France. This factsheet (PDF, 2MB) will help you showcase your Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge International AS & A Level qualifications on Parcoursup.
If you apply via Parcoursup, you may find the following points useful:
- Universities enter their detailed admission criteria in December, including the weight given to academic results, or to other skills.
- From the second half of January until early March (please check exact dates each year), students need to sign up on the platform and submit their options. For approximately four weeks after this, you can change these options, or their ranking. You can also submit additional documents, including the motivation letter (personal statement).
The minimum requirements for Cambridge qualifications
Centre ENIC-NARIC France states that a minimum of two A Levels are necessary to access higher education in France, and that AS Levels may also be considered in university admission. Please see the policy in Cambridge’s recognition database.
Competitive undergraduate programmes may, however, require three A Levels, often combined with a minimum grade. Please contact the university directly to find out the specific requirements and the application deadlines.
Language requirements
For English-taught programmes, a minimum CEFR level B2, often C1, is required. If you are applying for French-taught courses, requirements may vary between levels B1 and C2, depending on the course and the university you are applying to.