Cheapest and Affordable Universities in France for International Students in 2025

Cheapest Universities in France 2025: France is one of the highly sought-after study destinations in Europe. It is equipped with prestigious universities that provide a diverse range of courses in a multicultural setting. These universities focuses on the development of students' skills, thereby ensuring a well-rounded education.

This Story also Contains

1. Affordable universities in France for international students
2. Cost of Studying in France 2025
3. Cheapest Universities in France 2025 Fees
4. Cheapest English universities in France
5. Cheapest Universities in France for International Students 2025
6. Eligibility Requirements to Study in France 2025
7. Cost of Living in France for international students
8. Scholarships in France for International Students 2025

The hunt for the cheapest universities in France 2025 for international students is not easy. However, with thorough research and exploration, one can find a lot of options available. For those concerned about the cost of studying in France, it is noteworthy that there are numerous scholarships available for international students which will cover the tuition fees and other expenses.

Some of the cheap universities in France for international students 2025 offer a wide spectrum of courses and hold prestigious rankings in global university assessments such as QS or THE. The cheapest universities in France for international students 2025 include Strasbourg University, University of Burgundy, University of Paris, University of Orleans, and much more.

Students looking for cost-effective educational opportunities in France can refer to this article for comprehensive information on the names of affordable universities, tuition fees, available courses, and eligibility criteria for international students. Read the article to learn about more cheap universities in France.

Affordable universities in France for international students

If students consider completing their education on a budget, applying to low-cost universities in France for international students is the only way. Here is the list of the top universities in France as per the QS World University Rankings and THE rankings.

Affordable Universities in France: Rankings

Cost of Studying in France 2025

The tuition costs for international students in France are between 150 to 700 Euros per year. This of course depends on the type of university and the course level. International students planning to study in France must know that the higher education system in France is divided into three groups:

Public universities: These universities award a baccalaureate or a degree with a foreign equivalent in addition to academic, technical, and professional degrees to students. There are 83 public universities in France at present that are funded by the French government and most of the cheapest universities in France fall in this category.

The Grandes écoles: These are exclusive universities in France that provide specialised programmes in subjects like commerce, public administration, or engineering. These are either public or private universities. They are relatively small in size and there are about 250 of them at present. Indian students looking for cheapest universities to study in France can look at this option as well.

Specialised schools for study in France: This group consists of universities that offer specialised courses to students in arts and architecture. The tuition costs will vary according to the course.

Tuition fees to study in France

Cheapest Universities in France 2025 Fees

International students' tuition costs in France differ greatly among public and private universities. In France, public universities are more affordable than private and Grandes Ecoles. The following list is about the most affordable universities in France for international students, you can compare both and select your university.

Tuition fee in France for international students

Affordable public universities in France

Cheapest private universities in France

Also Read: Cost of studying MS in France

Cheapest English universities in France

The top 5 cheapest universities in France for international students in English include,

• University of Paris

• University of Straubourg

• Paris- Saclay University

• University of Lyon

• EDU Paris Business School

• University of Lille

Cheapest Universities in France for International Students 2025

When checking cheap universities in France for international students note that admission criteria, application procedures and deadlines vary for each university and course. Getting a student visa for France is one of the important steps. Ensure to get a France student visa well before the deadlines of the application process to have a smooth transition to the country. The majority of these are among the cheapest English-speaking universities in France; however, students must check whether the preferred course of study is in English or not. Here is the list of the cheapest universities in France for international students

Université Paris-Saclay

• This is a public university in France and one of the most affordable public universities in France for international students.

• The university offers a wide range of programs in subjects such as science, law, economics, management, humanities, and social sciences.

• The university has four campuses Campus of Saclay, the Campus of Versailles, the Campus of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, and the Campus of Paris.

• The university offers bachelor's, postgraduate and doctoral programs.

• The average tuition fee is 170 to 380 Euros per year at this cheapest university in France for international students.

• The university has several research centres and institutes dedicated to different fields, such as mathematics, physics, computer science and the humanities.

• The university has partnerships with more than 200 institutions around the world and welcomes a large number of international students every year.

Université de Montpellier

• One of the cheapest universities in France 2025, it is located in Southeastern France.

• It is the third most popular university in France for international students due to its location.

• It is one of the oldest universities in France and was founded in 1220.

• The university is one of the top public research universities in France.

• The university offers courses in economics, education, medicine, law, pharmacy, engineering, science, management, general administration, business administration and technology.

• This cheapest university in France has more than 39,000 students enrolled.

• The average tuition fee is 180 to 700 Euros per year making it one among the affordable universities in France.

Universite de Strasbourg

• The University of Strasbourg was founded in 1538.
• One of the cheapest universities in France for masters, this French university is one of the oldest in France but offers top academic programs taught by experienced tutors.
• The University of Strasbourg is a publicly funded research university
• The tuition fees for international students are around 184 euros to 391 euros per year making it the cheapest universities in France 2025.
• What makes Universite de Strasbourg the cheapest university in France is availability of scholarships for international students, that save tuition costs.
• The University of Strasbourg has the third largest science centre in France and is considered one of the main priorities of international students while residing there.

• The University of Strasbourg includes five main departments, these are Arts, Literature and Languages; Law, Economics, Management, Political, and Social Sciences; Social Sciences and Humanities; Science and Technology; Health.

University of Paris

• This university was established in 2019 and has a focus on research programmes. It is also one of the cheapest universities in France for masters.

• Despite being one of the cheapest universities in France 2025, it is well known for its innovative courses and support.

• The university has nearly 63,000 international students.

• It is a public university created from the amalgamation of the universities of Paris Descartes and Paris Diderot, and the Institut de Paris de Paris for Physical Research.

• The average tuition fees is between 380 to 3770 Euros per year making it the cheapest university in France to choose.

• This university offers courses in subjects that include arts, humanities and languages, social sciences, economics, medicine, pharmacy, nursing and science and technology. It is located in Paris.

• It is one of the cheapest universities in France for international students 2025.

Aix-Marseille University

• This affordable university in France offers research courses in various subjects.

• It is the biggest French-speaking university.

• Of the 80,000 students in the university, 10,000 are international students.

• The university offers courses in natural sciences, social sciences and business sciences.

• The average tuition fees is 2,770 to 3,770 Euros per year.

Nantes University

• Established in the year 1460, this university has more than 35,000 students.

• It offers courses in pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, science, psychology, law, political science etc.

• It's one of the cheapest universities in France for international students in English that offer double degrees, international master programs, and Erasmus+ international mobility programs.

• The average tuition fees in this cheap university in France for Indian students is 2,770 to 3,770 Euros per year.

University of Bordeaux

• With a history dating back to 1441, the University of Bordeaux was founded in January 2014 following the amalgamation of three universities.

• In 2016, the University of Bordeaux was one of the first universities in France to be certified with the "Initiative of Excellence" label.

• The University of Bordeaux offers 250 Master's programs and 150 Bachelor's programmes.

• The four main areas are- Science and Technology/ Law, Political Science, Economics, Management/ Life and Health Sciences/ Social Sciences and Humanities.

• The university has developed a wide range of international study programs taught in English (or other languages).

• It is one of the cheapest universities in France for international students in English with course fees ranging between 170 to 600 Euros per year.

• The first university in France to join the Erasmus Mundus programme, the University of Bordeaux offers a number of EU-recognized study programmes.Students who join this program can apply for Erasmus Mundus Scholarship.

Explore the study abroad destinations

University of Burgundy

• The University of Burgundy is one of the public universities in France for international students. It was created in 1722 and is located in the east of France. It has more than 30,000 students.

• It offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs in law, economics, the language of political science, communication, humanities, and health sciences.

• One of the cheapest universities in France 2025, the average tuition fees are 170 to 600 Euros per year.

• It offers 400 different degrees at all levels (Bachelor, Master and Doctorate) and has more than 2,300 international students.

Eligibility Requirements to Study in France 2025

If you are trying to get admission to the most affordable universities in France for international students, firstly you must be eligible to fulfil the requirements as an overseas student. The common documents required for the application process in France are given,

• Passport: It must be valid for a minimum of three months.

• Photo: Your recent coloured passport-size photograph.

• Cover letter: Submit your personal statement or essay that requires academic and career goals.

• Educational background: All of your previous academic transcripts.

• Letters for Recommendation: You must submit LOR, which references professors recommending admission to French universities.

• English Language test: You are required to prove English proficiency by showing acceptable scores on IELTS, TOEFL and other approved exams.

• Statement of Purpose: You can submit an SOP explaining why you want to attend the university and program.

• Standardised Test Scores: Undergraduates can submit the SAT or ACT and graduates can submit the GRE or GMAT.

• Bank Statements: Your current valid bank statements.

Also Read: Exams for studying in France

Let us look at the requirements to study in one of the cheapest English-speaking universities in France:

• Students wishing to pursue an undergraduate degree must have an educational qualification equivalent to the French baccalaureate.

• Students wishing to study a master’s course in a French university must have a relevant bachelor’s degree or an equivalent degree or diploma.

• For students who wish to pursue a doctoral program, they need to have a master’s degree or a relevant diploma.

Cost of Living in France for international students

The expenses in France might differ depending on the cities and your financial budget. For example, smaller cities tend to be cheaper than Paris. The following table lists the cost of living in France for international students.

Cost of living in France

Scholarships in France for International Students 2025

Many applicants drop their plans to study in France because of the financial crisis. If you are one of them, attend low-cost universities in France for international students and also apply for scholarships provided by the French Foreign Ministry, which provides stipends for studies and expenses in France.

Some of the popular scholarships to study in France include:

Top scholarships in France for Indian students 2025