Top Universities in France | Courses, Admission, Ranking & More

Universities in France

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Insead business School France

Insead business School France

Location: Fontainebleau , France

Masters: EUR 102000
Entry Criteria: GMAT ,GRE MORE
Study in France without IELTS
Ecole Polytechnique

Ecole Polytechnique

Location: Palaiseau, France

Masters: EUR 24010
Entry Criteria: IELTS ,TOEFL
HEC Paris

HEC Paris

Location: Paris, France

Masters: EUR 19850
Entry Criteria: GMAT ,GRE MORE
Paris-Sorbonne University

Paris-Sorbonne University

Location: Paris, France

Masters: EUR 134
Entry Criteria: IELTS ,
EMLYON Business School

EMLYON Business School

Location: Lyon, France

Bachelors: EUR 13950 Masters: EUR 19300
Entry Criteria: GMAT ,GRE MORE

Universities in France - All You Need to Know about

Universities in France offer the best of education globally, for the international students who are willing to expand their horizons both academically and career-wise. Students from all around the world flock to France, making it one of the most preferred study abroad destinations around the world. There are more than 300,000 international students in France, a testament to the quality of education in the Country.

International universities in France

The universities in the country are reputed all over the world. Most of the universities are government universities in France. These universities function under the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. However, you can find private universities as well. Naturally, in some of the top French universities, almost 30% of the students are from other countries.

Year by year France is trying to attract more and more students from outside the country. For Indian students and other students, there are plenty of options available in the country. There are some universities that are considered the best universities in France for international students.  Let us check some of the different lists of universities of the nation according to their suitability.

Public Universities in France:

The public universities in France are some of the most prestigious in the world. The universities in France are known for their education standards and research facilities. State universities in France Talking about non-technical courses, the arts and fashion is something that is prevalent all over the country, making courses related to them some of the best courses to choose. In short, from Science and Engineering to Arts and Fashion, there is something for everyone in France. Here are some of the top public universities of France: Here is the list of best public universities in France for international students:

Top public universities in France

Every year QS world university ranking releases a list of top-ranking universities in the whole world. The rankings of the universities are assessed based on factors such as their academic and employer reputations, research impact, etc. Here we have mentioned the top ten universities in France which are public universities:

France rank University QS World University Rankings 2023
1 Université PSL (Paris Sciences & Lettres) 44
2 Ecole Polytechnique 49
3 Sorbonne University 72
4

ENS Paris-Saclay

86
5 Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon 130
=6 Ecole des Ponts ParisTech 245
=6 Sciences Po Paris 261
8 Université de Paris 261
9 Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne  290
10 Université Grenoble Alpes 314

Private universities in France for international students

Private universities are not operated by the government of France. These are individually managed universities, they can have their own rules within the restrictions stated by the government. These french private universities cost a little higher than public universities. These universities maintain a high standard of quality education. Here we have listed a few of them:

  • HEC Paris School of Management
  • Catholic University of Paris
  • Catholic University of Toulouse
  • Catholic University of the West
  • Lille Catholic University

French University Rankings:

In the top thousand universities listed by QS Rankings, there are 31 universities of France. 17 of those universities are in the Top 500. Among the European universities, French universities are some of the oldest and prestigious universities around. Here is the list of Top universities in France for international students:

  • Université PSL
  • Ecole Polytechnique
  • Sorbonne University
  • CentraleSupélec
  • École Normale Supérieure de Lyon

Cheap universities in France for international students

The tuitions fee of the public Higher education institutions is low because the government of France subsidizes the university. We have mentioned below some of the low tuition fee universities in France :

Affordable universities in France

Here we have mentioned those universities which are not much cheap but yet affordable for the international students in France:

Universities in France that teach in English

It is true that universities there have started using the English language for directing students regardless of their local dialects. That means worldwide understudies would now be able to pursue all the courses in English even though their French is frail. Here is the list of English speaking universities in France

Universities in France without IELTS

Many French universities do not ask for a proficiency test score to prove your English Language abilities. The universities have their own criteria to test your language ability, and that does not include IELTS. You can study in English teaching universities in France, without submitting your IELTS scores. Here are a few of them:

Tuition free universities in France for international students

At present, even international students can study in France for free with the help of free public universities in France.  Foreign students have already paid much higher amounts for their education in France in the past. Students from other countries who cannot afford to study abroad in France can grab the opportunity of scholarships or can get admission into low tuition fees universities in France. Here is the list of scholarships in France:

  • Eiffel Scholarship Program of Excellence
  • École Normale Supérieure International Selection
  • Emile Boutmy Scholarships for Non-EU Students at Sciences Po
  • Charpak Scholarship Program
  • Raman Charpak Fellowship
  • L’oreal Scholarship
  • International School of Management MBA Scholarships for Students
  • Grenoble University International Master’s Scholarship in France
  • French Embassy Masters and Ph.D. Scholarship Programme
  • Sciences Po Seydoux Undergraduate Scholarships in France.

Good universities in France according to the popular courses

France is well known for its education in almost all the courses. From the best MBA colleges in France to architecture universities in France, we have covered it all. Here we will try to cover all universities in France for different subjects:

For MBA

  • INSEAD
  • HEC Paris
  • ESSEC Business School
  • Grenoble Graduate School of Business
  • EDHEC Business School

Top engineering universities in France

Engineering is the most popular subject in France. Here is the list of the International students looking for engineering universities in the country:

  • Grenoble Institute of Technology
  • Université de Lorraine
  • Pierre and Marie Curie University - Paris 6
  • École Polytechnique
  • Université Paul Sabatier - Toulouse 3

For economics

  • INSEAD Business School
  • Paris School of Economics
  • Toulouse School of Economics
  • Languedoc-Roussillon Universités (ComUE)
  • University of Aix-Marseille

For physics

  • Sorbonne University
  • École Polytechnique
  • University of Strasbourg
  • University of Savoie
  • Universite de Lorraine

Medicine universities in France

  • Lille Central School
  • Claude Bernard University Lyon 1
  • EHESP
  • Paris Descartes University
  • University of Burgundy

For biotechnology

  • AgroParisTech
  • Universite de Lorraine
  • University of Auvergne
  • Université de Rennes 1
  • PSL Research University Paris

For MIM, for masters in finance and for business

  • SKEMA Business School
  • EDHEC Business School
  • KEDGE Business School
  • Neoma Business School
  • INSEAD Business School

Best architecture universities in France

  • The University of London Institute in Paris
  • École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Paris-Belleville

For masters in computer science and Technical universities in France

  • Universite Paris Saclay
  • Universite de Lyon (ComUE)
  • Sorbonne Universite
  • Université Paris-Sud
  • Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées (ComUE)

You will also find best law universities in France such as the University of Bordeaux, Queen Mary University of London etc. You can go choose France for humanities, for Psychology, for data science studies, for psychology as well.

Reasons to study in France

In some of the top-ranked universities in France, almost thirty percent of the students are from other countries. Here are the reasons:

  • France is the third most popular destination for international students who want to go abroad for top-quality education in the each university of France, especially for a postgraduate degree.
  • International students in France have the option of studying for a range of courses. You can study at both levels, graduate as well as an undergraduate in universities in France. If you need to continue your studies there, you can go for PhD as well.
  • There are a large number of French universities for international students. Many of them are top universities, ranking within the world's top few hundred.
  • There are many best English universities in France for international students. Some of them are cheap too, as they are public universities.
  • You can also find tuition-free universities in France for international students. There are a number of scholarships available for foreign students to study in France.

Requirements to Study in France

The following documents will be needed to be submitted while applying:

  • For Bachelor's degree, you will need Attested copies of mark sheets of Standard X, XII. If you are applying for a master's, attach a bachelor's degree as well.
  • Letter of reference and Statement of Purpose (SOP)
  • Resume
  • Photocopied score reports of language tests and GRE/GMAT (if applicable)
  • If you are applying for English-taught universities in France, you may need an IELTS  or TOEFL Score.
  • Certificates/achievements and extracurricular activities
  • Proof of financial stability
  • A copy of your passport
  • A couple of passport size photographs

You can also contact your nearest campus France office for assistance to get into France for studies. The entity helps international students with their whole journey from their home country to France for studies from choosing the University to the application for a student visa in France. Non-EU students from specific countries and for selected programs can apply to the French universities and study visas with the help of Campus France.

France, therefore, is the country to go to, if one wants to get a world-class education at reasonably affordable prices. So overall it is very clear as to why France can be a place for a student to attend a high-quality education at an affordable cost, and become fluent in the beautiful and internationally used French language. In some of the top-ranked universities in France, almost thirty percent of the students are from other countries.