StudyU
🇷🇺Русский🇬🇧English
Free consultation
Blog

Cost of Studying in France in 2026/27: Tuition, Compulsory Fees and a Full-Year Budget

Free consultation
Home / Blog / Cost of Studying in France in 2026/27: Tuition,…
StudyU editorial team

What you pay to study in France depends first on the type of institution. At public universities, non-EU students pay ≈ $3,299 (€2,902) a year for a bachelor's (Licence) and ≈ $4,490 (€3,950) for a master's in 2026/27; a doctorate costs ≈ $452 (€398) for everyone. On top comes the compulsory CVEC levy of ≈ $119 (€105). Private schools typically charge ≈ $6,820–20,461 (€6,000–18,000) a year or more. Living costs in a regional city with a CROUS student residence room come to ≈ $662–1,048 (€582–922) a month on Campus France's ranges, and up to ≈ $2,061 (€1,813) in Paris in private housing. For the visa, since 1 August 2026, the consulate expects proof of at least ≈ $997 (€877.50) for every month of study.

This guide covers who pays the higher tuition rate and who is exempt, the 2026 change to institutional waivers, first-year one-off costs, Paris versus regional living costs and what happened to the APL housing benefit on 1 July 2026.

Dollar amounts use the ECB reference rate of 29 September 2026 (€1 = $1.1355). Living-cost figures are Campus France benchmarks (updated May 2026); the scenarios are our own calculations.

Cobbled street with produce stalls, passers-by and old houses beneath trees
The lower end of Rue Mouffetard with its street market in the Latin Quarter, 5th arrondissement, Paris, France. Photo: Inocybe/Piero d'Houin / source, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Tuition at a glance

Type of study Annual fee, 2026/27 What it covers
Public Licence, non-EU student ≈ $3,299 (€2,902) Registration fee for the degree; the state funds the rest
Public Master, non-EU student ≈ $4,490 (€3,950) Same
Doctorate ≈ $452 (€398) No differentiated rate for doctoral students
Licence / Master at the national rate ≈ $202 (€178) / ≈ $290 (€255) EU nationals and students granted a waiver
Engineering degree at a Ministry school, EU rate ≈ $716 (€630) EU nationals; others per school rules
Private and business schools Typically ≈ $6,820–20,461 (€6,000–18,000) or more Set by the school
CVEC ≈ $119 (€105) Student life levy, paid before enrolment

Campus France explains the low public fees by the fact that the state funds most of the real cost of teaching, between ≈ $11,367 (€10,000) and more than ≈ $17,050 (€15,000) per student per year.

The differentiated rate applies only at institutions under the Ministry of Higher Education. Schools under other ministries (armed forces, economy, agriculture, culture — including architecture, art and film) set their own fees. Some schools also charge application or entrance exam fees.

Who pays the higher rate and who is exempt

The differentiated rate applies to nationals of countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland enrolling in a Licence, Master or engineering degree at a Ministry institution.

You pay the EU rate if you are:

  • a resident of Québec;
  • a long-term resident, or have been tax-resident in France or part of a French tax household for more than two years;
  • a refugee, a beneficiary of subsidiary protection, or their child;
  • a doctoral student (with some other third-cycle categories);
  • a CPGE student concurrently enrolled in a Licence.

Full automatic waivers go to French government scholarship holders (including Eiffel and embassy scholarships), need-based social scholarship holders and students on reciprocal exchange agreements.

Institutional waivers: what changed in 2026

Many universities used to waive the higher rate for almost all international students. Decree 2026-385 of 19 May 2026, in force since 21 May, changed that:

  • waivers are granted only on the student's request and on the basis of personal circumstances, mainly financial resources; category-wide waivers are gone;
  • they may be full or partial;
  • the share of waived students is capped: 30% in 2026/27, 25% in 2027/28, 20% from 2028;
  • inter-institutional waiver agreements must now be reciprocal.

Students who already had a waiver for 2025/26, or for 2026/27 before the decree was published, keep it until the end of their current Licence or Master at the same institution.

Budget on ≈ $3,299 (€2,902) or ≈ $4,490 (€3,950). A waiver is a possible saving, not your starting figure, until the university confirms it in writing. Campus France notes that universities admitting students through the DAP report possible waivers together with their answer.

Private schools and grandes écoles

Private schools set their own fees; Campus France puts most in the ≈ $6,820–20,461 (€6,000–18,000) range or above, and about 21% of students in France attend private institutions. Some private institutions are state-recognised as "of general interest" (EESPIG), including the Catholic universities of Angers, Lille, Lyon, Paris and Toulouse.

Compare full programme costs, not the headline annual fee: number of years, application fee, acceptance deposit, compulsory service charges and materials for design or culinary programmes. For real examples of what a school's price includes, see our profiles of SKEMA Business School, Istituto Marangoni Paris and Le Cordon Bleu Paris.

First-year one-off costs

Payment Amount When and to whom
Études en France procedure fee Set by the Campus France office in your country; in Russia ≈ $95 (8,000 roubles) for 2026/27 Residents of Études en France countries
Long-stay student visa ≈ $57 (€50) in Études en France countries, ≈ $113 (€99) elsewhere Consulate; free for French government scholars
Visa centre service fee Per centre tariff Visa centre
VLS-TS validation after arrival ≈ $114 (€100) Online within 3 months of arrival
CVEC ≈ $119 (€105) Before administrative enrolment, every year
ENIC-NARIC comparability statement ≈ $136 (€120) Only if required
Housing deposit 1–2 months' rent Landlord
Home insurance ≈ $91–114 (€80–100) a year Insurer
Second-year residence renewal ≈ $114 (€100) for a one-year card, ≈ $171 (€150) for a multi-year card; plus ≈ $205 (€180) if late Prefecture, online

Add translations, language tests, flights and setting up your room. Registration with French social security is free for students (after enrolment, on etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr); Campus France recommends a top-up policy (mutuelle), from ≈ $23 (€20) a month together with civil liability cover. The state Visale scheme acts as a free rental guarantor for VLS-TS "étudiant" holders.

Living costs: Paris and the regions

Campus France benchmarks (May 2026):

Monthly item Paris and Île-de-France Other regions
CROUS residence room ≈ $341–739 (€300–650) ≈ $284–568 (€250–500)
Private student residence ≈ $625–1,023 (€550–900) ≈ $341–739 (€300–650)
Studio from a private landlord ≈ $625–1,478 (€550–1,300) from ≈ $341 (€300)
Groceries ≈ $250–284 (€220–250) ≈ $193–239 (€170–210)
Public transport ≈ $103 (€90.80) a month or ≈ $446 (€392.30) a year ≈ $23–45 (€20–40) a month
Internet ≈ $23–57 (€20–50) ≈ $23–57 (€20–50)
Mobile phone from ≈ $2 (€2) from ≈ $2 (€2)
Top-up health and civil liability insurance from ≈ $23 (€20) from ≈ $23 (€20)
Household and personal care ≈ $114 (€100) ≈ $114 (€100)
University canteen meal ≈ $1 (€1) ≈ $1 (€1)

Three monthly scenarios

We added up these ranges into three typical scenarios. The low end uses the cheapest housing and the minimum of each line; the high end uses Campus France's upper values. Leisure, clothing and trips home are excluded.

Scenario Per month 12 months
Regional city, CROUS room ≈ $662–1,048 (€582–922) ≈ $7,939–12,576 (€6,984–11,064)
Paris, CROUS room ≈ $856–1,322 (€753–1,163) ≈ $10,268–15,861 (€9,034–13,954)
Paris, private residence or studio ≈ $1,140–2,061 (€1,003–1,813) ≈ $13,679–24,727 (€12,034–21,754)

CROUS rooms are scarce, especially in Paris, and nobody can guarantee one. If you do not get a room, your costs move towards the third scenario. See our guide to student housing in France.

Full first-year budget: two examples

The calculation includes tuition without a waiver, CVEC, the visa at ≈ $57 (€50), visa validation at ≈ $114 (€100), a housing deposit, home insurance and 12 months of living costs. The Études en France fee, ≈ $95 (8,000 roubles) in Russia, is not included.

Example Licence Master
Regional city, CROUS room ≈ $11,902–17,415 (€10,471–15,321) ≈ $13,094–18,607 (€11,519–16,369)
Paris, private residence or studio ≈ $17,983–31,385 (€15,821–27,611) ≈ $19,175–32,576 (€16,869–28,659)

The gap between rows is larger than between bachelor's and master's: at public tuition rates, the city and type of housing drive the budget.

How much money to show for the visa

Since 1 August 2026, Decree 2026-526 sets the student resources threshold at 47% of the gross minimum wage (SMIC): ≈ $997 (€877.50) a month, or ≈ $11,969 (€10,530) for 12 months. The previous figure was $700 (€615), and many articles still quote it.

  • The threshold is not your budget. The low end of the regional CROUS scenario is below ≈ $997 (€877.50), but you must still show the full amount.
  • It is not added to living costs. It is the same money you will live on.

Proof can be a bank balance, a scholarship award or a sponsor's commitment with regular transfers. See our guide to the French student visa.

APL housing benefit: what changed on 1 July 2026

APL is state help with rent that most international students used to receive. Since 1 July 2026, a student from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland holding a student residence permit can receive APL only if they:

  • hold a need-based social scholarship from CROUS or an equivalent regional grant;
  • work; or
  • have an apprenticeship or professionalisation contract.

A newly arrived first-year student usually meets none of these: CROUS social scholarships require two years' residence and a tax household in France. Leave APL out of your first-year budget. French government scholarships are not listed by Service-Public, so scholars should check their entitlement with the CAF.

Working while studying

Student status allows up to 964 hours of work a year, 60% of the legal annual working time, about 20 hours a week, counted from visa validation or card issue. Exceeding it can cost you your residence permit. Work supplements a budget but cannot replace it: visa funds must be shown before departure and tuition and deposits paid before the first salary. Since July 2026, working is also one of the three routes back to APL.

How to reduce costs

  • Choose a public university outside Paris: same fee, lower living costs.
  • Apply to CROUS as soon as you are admitted.
  • Ask your university for a waiver with evidence of family income.
  • Apply for scholarships: Eiffel or embassy scholarships remove public tuition, pay a monthly allowance and cover the visa fee; see our guide to scholarships in France.
  • Use student rates: ≈ €1 canteen meals, the SNCF youth card for 12–27-year-olds at ≈ $56 (€49) a year.
  • Plan a legal payment route for tuition and deposits in advance; if you pay from Russia, see how to pay for studies abroad from Russia.

Common mistakes

  • Budgeting the ≈ $202 (€178) or ≈ $290 (€255) national rate without a written waiver.
  • Counting on APL in the first year.
  • Calculating visa funds with the old $700 (€615) monthly threshold instead of the current one.
  • Treating the visa threshold as a reserve on top of living costs.
  • Comparing private schools by headline fee without deposits and compulsory charges.
  • Treating a CROUS room in Paris as guaranteed.
  • Forgetting the CVEC, without which administrative enrolment is impossible.

How StudyU helps

Only the initial consultation is free. Programme selection within your budget, full-cost calculations for shortlisted institutions, a scholarship and waiver plan, document preparation and application support are provided under an agreement with StudyU. Fees and waivers are set by the institution, scholarships by the ministry, embassy or institution, and residence rooms by CROUS. See also our overview of studying in France and our guides to bachelor's and master's degrees in France.

FAQ

No. Non-EU students pay ≈ $3,299 (€2,902) a year for a public Licence and ≈ $4,490 (€3,950) for a Master in 2026/27. Study becomes nearly free only for French government scholars and students granted a waiver, and waivers are now capped.

At a public university ≈ $4,490 (€3,950) a year plus CVEC ≈ $119 (€105). Private business schools typically charge ≈ $6,820–20,461 (€6,000–18,000) a year or more.

On Campus France's ranges, ≈ $662–1,048 (€582–922) in a regional city with a CROUS room and ≈ $1,140–2,061 (€1,003–1,813) in Paris with private housing. For the visa you must show at least ≈ $997 (€877.50) a month in any case.

At least ≈ $997 (€877.50) a month, or ≈ $11,969 (€10,530) a year, since 1 August 2026.

Since 1 July 2026 non-EU students receive APL only with a CROUS social scholarship, a job, or an apprenticeship or professionalisation contract. Do not count on it in your first year.

≈ $119 (€105) in 2026/27. Almost all students pay it before enrolment; social scholarship holders and refugees can be exempted, and it is not refunded if you withdraw.

Only in part. The limit is 964 hours a year, and the money for the visa, tuition and the housing deposit is needed before your first payslip.

Sources

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.

Next steps

Updated: