Cost of Studying in France 2024-25

France is popular among international students for its top ranking universities, rich culture, strong academic history, affordable cost of education and its iconic city - Paris. Every year, thousands of students from around the world apply to study in France. The top courses in France include business and management, fashion, engineering and research.

France is a beautiful country and has long been adjudged as one of the costliest countries in the world. But that is purely from a tourist perspective. This perception is limited to its capital city, Paris (the world's largest tourist destination and one of the top student cities in the world) and its many avenues where your purse would never be large enough to match the many things you can spend on. From exotic wines to fine cuisines to luxury perfumes and so much more, you will get just so much to shop in the city. However, when it comes to education, one of the other industries the country excels in, it does not necessarily cost a bomb.

Before we explain how here’s a basic understanding of what is included in the cost of studying in a foreign country. While the actual tuition fee is what every student generally jumps to, the fact remains that the total cost of studying includes the tuition fees and living expenses in the country. Broadly categorising, the cost to study in France is divided into the following sub-categories:

1. Tuition costs of the University/ Institution of choice
2. University Costs (which include social security contribution, semester charges and other sundry charges)
3. Cost of Living
4. Health Insurance
5. Rentals & Accommodation
6. Food & Beverage
7. Entertainment Costs
8. Transport
9. Basic Utilities, etc.

Looking at these sub-categories separately, let us try and understand how much does it cost to study in France.

Also Read: A Guide to Study in France

Tuition Fees at Top Universities in France

France, much like Germany and many European countries, has state-run (or public) universities. These government-subsidised universities charge a bare minimum tuition fees from their local and international students. So it would not be rather wrong to suggest that tuition fees in France are next to none. Some public universities have tuition fees as low as € 390 or less – for the first year. This, however, is not standard. Unlike Germany, France does not have a law which makes its universities free across the various territories and often universities might charge nominal tuition fees. This amount would usually be in the range of €2,850 - €3879 per annum.

Again, this is not the case for private institutions or for Master’s program. Private universities/ institutions, much like INSEAD and HEC Paris, have high tuition fees running way north of €60,000 annually. State Universities, also, might have a higher tuition fee for some of the master’s programs, especially if you are looking for a Masters in Management or Business Administration (MBA). These fees might be nominal or go up to about €10,000 for a year. Example would be Grenoble School of Management. Here’s the average cost of studying at the top universities in France: 

University Costs

While tuition fees are a sizeable chunk of your study abroad costs for any country apart from the cost of Living in the country, what students often miss out on are the small and apparently unimportance charges. However, one must take them into consideration as well, especially if you are planning to pay in euros.

These costs can be further divided across different categories and might vary from university to university. Here’s what all these might be divided into or named.

1. Registration Fees
2. Semester Fees
3. Social Security Payments
4. Administrative Charges
5. Insurance
6. Books
7. Transport

All of the above or a few of the above might be added to your annual fees. While Semester Fees or Cultural Contribution Fee might be chargeable on a semester-long basis, a few might be one-time charges while others might be chargeable on a monthly basis. Also, some universities might offer you room and boarding and they would be accordingly added to the costs. The transport passes are often supplied for by the universities but can be procured individually as well. Either way, the charge is similar to the general one. The same applies to the insurance as well. Though you might find a health insurance which might be cheaper, checking whether the same is acceptable by the university or not is advisable.

Putting a number to these expenses, depending on the components, these can vary from about €400 to about €700 for a semester. Also, this number does not include accommodation expenses.

Also Read: Top MBA colleges of France

Cost of Living in France

Moving to the final element of your costs to study in France is the cost of living in France. Again, as a student, there are many ways you can compensate for the many expenses by working in the country or even sharing accommodation. Here’s a quick breakup of the various components that adds up the costs of living in France.

Again, this is a generic look and would change from city to city. You can further understand how much does it cost to live in France here.

To sum up all the averages, if you are aiming at some of the good colleges to take up, say your MBA from France, you can peg it at around 10 – 20 lakhs per annum. This might fluctuate greatly and in some of the state Universities you might be able to pursue your masters at a much lesser cost. So, before you start your applications, have a look at the Universities in France, check out the costs involved and you will surely find something that matches your budget.