Complete Guide to Studying in France
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Complete Guide to Studying in France

7 min readEduvrze Counselling Team

Grandes Écoles, public universities, Eiffel scholarship, Campus France process, and life as an Indian student in France.

Why Study in France?

France is the 4th most popular study destination globally, attracting over 400,000 international students each year. It is home to world-renowned institutions like Sciences Po Paris, HEC Paris, INSEAD, and Sorbonne University. France offers a unique dual higher education system: public universities with very low tuition fees (€170–€3,770/year) and Grandes Écoles — elite institutions for engineering, business and public administration. France is also the gateway to the EU job market and offers an 18-month post-study work permit.

Tuition Fees in France

Public universities in France charge very low tuition fees: €170/year for Licence (Bachelor's), €243/year for Master's, and €380/year for Doctorate. Grandes Écoles and private institutions charge significantly more: €3,000–€15,000/year for most programmes, with top business schools like HEC Paris charging €30,000–€40,000/year for MBA programmes. The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship can cover these costs for outstanding students.

The Campus France Process

Indian students must apply through Campus France, the French government's higher education promotion agency. The process involves: (1) Creating a Campus France account and completing your profile; (2) Selecting up to 5 universities/programmes; (3) Attending a Campus France interview at the French Embassy in India; (4) Receiving a Campus France clearance (No Objection Certificate); (5) Applying directly to universities. The Campus France process typically takes 2–3 months, so start early.

Eiffel Excellence Scholarship

The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship is awarded by Campus France on behalf of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. It covers: monthly stipend of €1,181 (Masters) or €1,400 (PhD), international travel allowance, health insurance, and cultural activities. The scholarship is highly competitive — only about 500 awards are made globally each year. Deadline: January annually. Eligibility: under 30 for Masters, under 35 for PhD, strong academic record.

Language Requirements

For English-taught programmes (most Masters at Grandes Écoles and many public universities), you need IELTS 6.0–7.0 or TOEFL 80–100. For French-taught programmes, you need DELF/DALF B2 or TCF/TEF equivalent. Sciences Po Paris and HEC Paris offer many English-taught programmes. If you plan to study in French, Eduvrze offers French language coaching from A1 to C2 level.

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