Universities and grandes écoles
Universities follow the LMD structure: a licence takes three years and 180 ECTS, a master's two years and 120 ECTS. The grandes écoles run their own competitive selection to their own calendars.
EUROPE / FRANCEApplying
Applying
to universities
in France
We build the route through the Études en France procedure, prepare the dossier and the Campus France interview, and support the application through to enrolment and a student visa.
French higher education is made of two worlds. Universities teach to the LMD structure — a three-year licence and a two-year master's — while the grandes écoles select their own students by their own calendars. Applicants from most countries outside Europe do not apply to a university directly: the application runs through Études en France, a state platform operated with Campus France, which gathers the application, an interview and the link to the visa procedure into a single dossier. The deadlines are set nationally and fall early — the campaign for the following academic year opens in October.
Studying in France
The key features that shape the route to admission.
One application procedure
Applicants from the countries covered by Études en France go through a single state procedure: the application, the Campus France interview and the link to the student visa sit in one dossier.
Early national deadlines
The campaign opens at the beginning of October, and first-year applications close on 15 December — earlier than in much of Europe.
Universities in France
The types of institution and typical examples. Click a name to open the university card.
- Public universities
Large multidisciplinary universities with moderate fees; for many programmes applications go through the Études en France platform.
- Engineering grandes écoles
Elite engineering schools with competitive selection, small intakes and close ties to industry and research.
- Business schools (écoles de commerce)
Management, finance and entrepreneurship: private schools with higher fees and strong career outcomes.
- Specialised schools
Political and social sciences and elite academic training, each with a selection procedure of its own.
The names open cards and link to the universities’ own websites. They map the academic landscape rather than form a ready-made list: the conditions of a specific programme are checked for the current year of entry.
How admission works
In some seventy countries, Russia among them, admission runs through the Études en France procedure: the application is submitted on the state platform, with Campus France alongside, rather than to the university directly. The national portals Parcoursup and Mon Master do not apply to applicants in this procedure — the dossier replaces them.
Admission to the first year of a bachelor's degree (licence 1) at a public university runs through a preliminary admission request known as the DAP. The campaign opens on 1 October, dossiers are accepted until 15 December, and up to three programmes may be listed. Applications to the second or third year of a licence and to a master's go through the same platform under the hors DAP procedure.
Universities reply by the end of April, and one of the offers received has to be accepted by the end of May. Part of the procedure is an interview at Campus France about motivation and the study plan, for which we prepare separately.
The Études en France dossier is tied to the visa application: the student visa is requested once the procedure is complete. The calendar is therefore built from the earliest dates — academic and visa-related at once.
Entry requirements
The exact conditions depend on the programme you choose and on your documents.
School-leaving certificate and prior education
For licence 1 the application is made with the applicant's national school-leaving certificate through the DAP: no separate recognition procedure is required in advance, and the university itself judges whether it is sufficient. For a master's, what is assessed is the content of the previous degree, not simply that it exists.
French language
A French-taught licence asks for level B2: the TCF in its DAP version, or a DELF B2 or DALF diploma, which exempts the holder from the test. A particular programme may ask for more.
English language
English-taught programmes exist, above all at master's level and in the grandes écoles. The certificates accepted and the minimum score are set by the programme itself.
Motivation
The motivation letter is part of the Études en France dossier, and its content is discussed at the Campus France interview. A CV and references are added as the programme requires.
Selection at the grandes écoles
The grandes écoles run their own competition — dossier, tests, interviews — and their own calendar, which does not match the university one.
Documents you may need
The exact set depends on the university and the programme.
- passport and a dossier on the Études en France platform
- school-leaving certificate or degree with its transcript, translated into French
- evidence of French or English proficiency, depending on the language of the programme
- motivation letter as part of the dossier
- CV and references, as the programme requires
- proof of sufficient funds, for the visa procedure
Tuition fees and funding
Public universities charge two levels of tuition. The national rate for EU and EEA nationals is nominal, while applicants from outside the EU pay the differentiated rate: for the 2026/27 academic year, €2,902 a year for a licence and €3,950 a year for a master's. An annual student contribution, the CVEC, is added on top.
Until recently many universities exempted most of their international students from the differentiated rate. From September 2026 exemptions are capped nationally at 30% of a university's newly enrolled international students, and the share falls further in later years. A waiver is therefore checked against the specific university and never assumed in the budget.
The grandes écoles set their own fees, which can be considerably higher than university ones. The budget also has to cover accommodation, translation of documents and the financial guarantee for the visa: from August 2026, proof of €877.50 a month for the period of study.
When to start preparing
Every programme has its own calendar. We bring the stages together into a single plan.
Assessment
We establish the level, the language of instruction and the type of institution — university or grande école.
Selection
We compare programmes on requirements, language, cost and the prospects of a fee waiver.
Calendar
We build the schedule around the Études en France campaign: October opening, 15 December DAP deadline.
Dossier
We prepare the documents, translations and motivation letter, and manage the dossier on the platform.
Interview
We prepare the applicant for the Campus France conversation about motivation and the study plan.
Visa
We support the acceptance of an offer, the visa application and preparation for the move.
What we take on
Strategy, a strong application and control of the process – applied to the admissions system of the country you choose.
Profile assessment
We establish which route — university or grande école — matches the applicant's education and intention.
Programmes and strategy
We select programmes on requirements, language, cost and the selection calendar.
Dossier and interview
We manage the Études en France dossier and prepare the applicant for the Campus France interview.
After the decision
We support the acceptance of an offer, enrolment, the visa procedure and preparation for the move.
The university makes the final decision.
We strengthen everything that lies within our control.
Questions about applying to France
Sources and verification date
The admission requirements on this page were checked against primary official sources. Last verified on . Requirements and amounts change between admission cycles, so we check them again before an application is submitted.
- campusfrance.org
Tuition fees at public institutions and differentiated fees for non-EU students.
- campusfrance.org
Eiffel programme: the institution applies, not the student.
EDMONT / FRANCEStart
Start
with a strategy
Tell us about your education, your goals and your budget. We will assess the route — university or grande école, language, deadlines — and set out which options are worth considering in your situation.
From the first assessment to enrolment.