🇫🇷 France — university admissions for families from abroad

"2027 entry" means the start of the academic year in September 2027 (rentrée 2027), with applications made between December 2026 and spring 2027.

1. At a glance

• Two routes, decided by nationality:
  • Parcoursup (the national platform) for French, EU/EEA, Swiss, Monaco and Andorra

  nationals, and for students in French lycées abroad. 🟡 [S3]

  • Non-EU applicants with a foreign diploma applying for the first year of a university

  licence use the DAP procedure (prior admission request), through Campus France's "Études en France" portal in many countries. Deadline 15 December 2026, 6pm. ✅ [S9]

• Very low public fees for EU students: €178 a year for a licence (bachelor's), plus €105 CVEC (the student-life contribution) in 2026–27. Non-EU students pay €2,902 for a licence and €3,950 for a master's, though many universities exempt some of them. ✅ [S1]
• Mostly in French: only about 70–100 bachelor's programmes are taught fully in English; most English-taught degrees are master's or business-school programmes. 🟡 [S7]
• A unique two-track system: open-access universities alongside highly selective classes préparatoires (CPGE), which lead to the grandes écoles (engineering, business, Sciences Po, ENS).
• Non-EU students face new costs from 2026: proof of funds rose to €877.50 a month (from €615) for applications from 1 Aug 2026, and housing benefit (APL) ended for non-EU students without a French means-tested grant from 1 Jul 2026 (decrees 2026-526 and 2026-552). ✅ [S10][S11]

2. The system

• The degree structure is "LMD": licence (3 years) → master (2 years) → doctorate. Many careers expect a master's.
• Universities are public and cheap but large, with little supervision and high first-year failure rates in some subjects. CPGE and grandes écoles are the elite track.

3. How to apply

Route A: Parcoursup (EU nationals, French lycées abroad, all selective programmes)

• One national platform for nearly all first-year programmes. EU applicants without a French student number tick "Je n'ai pas d'INE" ("I don't have a student number"). 🟡 [S3]
• Up to 10 wishes; a "multiple wish" (the same programme at several schools) counts as one. 🟡 [S3]
• For each wish: a short motivation text (projet de formation motivé), grades from Première and Terminale (the last two school years) or the foreign equivalent, and sometimes extra documents. No ranking of wishes: offers arrive during the admission phase, and you must answer within the deadlines.
• Non-EU limits: foreign candidates are limited in some programmes, e.g. 3 wishes for BTS and nursing (confirmed by the Conseil d'État, 2024). 🟡 [S3] ⚠️

Route B: DAP / Études en France (non-EU, first year of a licence)

• Required for non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals with a foreign secondary diploma who apply for the first year of a licence at a university. 🟡 [S4]
• In about 70 countries (the "pays à procédure") it goes through the Études en France portal (Campus France), including an interview and a fee that varies by country (e.g. about €120–€180 in North Africa). 🟡 [S8]
• Up to 3 DAP choices. French at B2 minimum (TCF, DELF/DALF, or TEF 400/699) in most cases. ✅ [S9]
• 2027 entry: procedure opens 1 October 2026; file deadline 15 December 2026, 6pm; interviews by 15 March 2027; universities answer by 30 April 2027; the student must reply by 31 May 2027 (no answer = refusal). ✅ [S9]

Other procedures

• Some grandes écoles, Sciences Po (for applicants outside the French system), private business schools and international programmes use their own portals and calendars. ⚠️

4. Timeline (2027 entry)

The official Parcoursup 2027 calendar is not yet published (expected late 2026); dates below follow the usual pattern and the 2026 calendar. Mirrored in deadlines tool.

5. Entry requirements for foreign qualifications

• The bac or an equivalent that gives access to higher education in the country where it was awarded is required. Foreign diplomas are assessed by each institution, with the ENIC-NARIC France centre for comparability statements. ⚠️
• EU school-leaving diplomas (Abitur, maturità, IB Diploma, etc.) are generally accepted for first-year entry through Parcoursup. ⚠️
• IB Diploma: widely accepted; the French-language requirement still applies to French-taught programmes. The OIB / Bac français international is a French bac. ⚠️
• US high-school diploma: accepted by many institutions, sometimes with additional requirements (e.g. APs or SAT, or a year of college for some programmes). ⚠️ Check each institution.
• Selective programmes (CPGE, BUT, Sciences Po, medicine) look closely at grades in the last two years and at subject choices; for foreign applicants, provide translated transcripts and an explanation of the grading system.

6. Language requirements

• French-taught programmes (most): typically B2 (DELF B2 or TCF), sometimes C1 for literary subjects or law. Non-EU DAP applicants usually need the TCF DAP. ⚠️
• English-taught programmes: few at bachelor's level (about 68–100 according to study portals), mostly in business schools, grandes écoles and a few universities (e.g. the Université de Lorraine publishes a list). Typical requirement: IELTS 6.0–6.5 or TOEFL equivalent. 🟡 [S7]

7. Costs

Tuition, 2026–27 (public universities)

• Exemptions: students with a French means-tested grant (boursiers) pay neither fees nor CVEC. Universities may exempt non-EU students from differentiated fees, capped at 30% of the students concerned. In practice some universities charge the full €2,902 and others don't. Ask each university. 🟡 [S1]
• Selective tracks: CPGE in public lycées are free; public engineering schools charge around €600–€3,000+ ⚠️; Sciences Po fees depend on family income ⚠️; private business-school bachelors cost about €10,000–€20,000 a year ⚠️.

Living costs and aid

• Living costs: the visa proof-of-funds figure (€877.50 a month, from 1 Aug 2026) is a useful floor; Paris costs much more. 🟡 [S5]
• Student residences (CROUS): cheap rooms, allocated on social criteria; apply early.
• Housing benefit (APL / ALS): available to EU students and to students with a French means-tested grant. Since 1 July 2026, non-EU students without such a grant no longer qualify (decree 2026-552). Still eligible: students who work, apprentices and work-study contracts, refugees, stateless people, and spouses of non-EU students. ✅ [S11]
• Health: students register with the French public health insurance (Assurance Maladie) for free. EU students can use the EHIC. ⚠️

8. Funding and financial aid

• **CROUS means-tested grants (bourses sur critères sociaux):** for French students and, under conditions (e.g. residence or work in France), EU students. Grant holders are exempt from fees and CVEC. ⚠️
• Non-EU students: French government scholarships (Bourses du gouvernement français, through embassies), Eiffel scholarships (mostly master's), and university or regional grants. ⚠️
• Home-country funding: many EU systems (e.g. German Auslands-BAföG, Luxembourg) can be used in France. This will be covered in each country file.

9. Visas and immigration

• EU/EEA/Swiss citizens: no visa or residence permit needed.
• Non-EU (including UK since Brexit, and US): a long-stay student visa (VLS-TS), about €50. On arrival, validate it online (ANEF portal) within 3 months and pay a €60 tax stamp. 🟡 [S5]
• Campus France procedure first in the ~70 "pays à procédure" (interview and fee, varying by country). 🟡 [S8]
• Proof of funds: €877.50 a month (47% of the gross minimum wage) for applications submitted from 1 August 2026, up from €615, under decree 2026-526. Indexed to inflation, updated at least yearly; renewals must meet the threshold in force. ✅ [S10]
• Work during studies: up to 964 hours a year (60% of full time) for non-EU students, without a separate work permit (Algerian students: different rules). ✅ [S12]
• After graduation: a 12-month permit to look for work or start a business, mainly for master's-level graduates. ⚠️

10. Traps and tips for cross-border families

1. Nationality decides the procedure. EU nationals use Parcoursup like French students; non-EU applicants to a university licence must use the DAP, with a December deadline (about 9 months before the start). Missing it means waiting a year.
2. Parcoursup is short and strict: wishes close in mid-March, the file must be confirmed by early April, and offers come with response deadlines in June. Missing a deadline can remove all wishes.
3. French level is the real gate: almost all public bachelor's programmes are in French. Plan a DELF B2/C1 or TCF early.
4. Universities aren't selective at the door, but year 1 is tough. Failure rates in the first year of a licence are high. CPGE are the opposite: very selective, very demanding.
5. Non-EU budget changes in 2026: proof of funds +43% (€877.50 a month) and no APL housing benefit without a French grant. Budget rent at full cost.
6. Ask about differentiated fees: the €2,902 non-EU fee is waived at some universities and not others. It can be a deciding factor.
7. Private bachelors are not the same as public licences: business-school "Bachelor" degrees are often expensive and not always state-recognised (look for the "visé" or "grade de licence" labels).
8. Housing: apply to CROUS residences as soon as possible; use the free Visale rent guarantee scheme if you have no guarantor in France.

11. Open questions / to verify

• The official Parcoursup 2027 calendar (expected late 2026): replace the 2026-based dates. ⚠️
• Parcoursup rules for foreign applicants: wish limits, which programmes, sub-wishes. ⚠️
• Recognition rules for US diplomas, IB and other EU diplomas: find named examples. ⚠️
• Post-study permit (duration, which diplomas): confirm on service-public.fr / France-Visas. ⚠️
• CROUS grant eligibility for EU students; Sciences Po and engineering school fees. ⚠️
• Campus France fees by country (Europe, US). ⚠️

12. For parents: is France right for my child?

• Strong in: engineering and sciences via the grandes écoles (Polytechnique, CentraleSupélec, ENS; Université PSL 8th in QS Europe 2026), business (HEC, ESSEC, ESCP), politics (Sciences Po), medicine, law, humanities. 🟡
• Why families choose it: very low public fees (€178 + €105 for EU students in 2026–27), prestigious selective tracks (prépa → grandes écoles), Paris and strong regional cities.
• Budget: EU students €11,000–€22,000 a year (≈ €33,000–€66,000 for 3 years); non-EU + €2,902 a year and no housing benefit. Private business bachelor's degrees €12,000–€20,000+ in tuition. See How much will it cost?.
• Best for: French-speaking students (B2/C1); strong maths/science students ready for prépa; budget-conscious EU families.
• Think twice if: the child doesn't speak French (very few English-taught public bachelor's degrees), or is non-EU and could miss the December DAP deadline.
• More: choosing a country · what are my chances? · fields of study · all guides

Sources

All checked on 2026-10-19.