France has historically been one of the cheapest serious study destinations in Europe — that changed materially for the 2026/27 academic year, and it’s worth understanding exactly what shifted before you assume France is still the near-free option it used to be.
Figures reflect the tuition policy that took effect for the 2026/27 academic year, per Campus France and government sources as of August 2026 — confirm current amounts directly at campusfrance.org before applying, since exemption rules in particular can shift.
The tuition change that matters right now
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss students previously paid a nominal, largely symbolic tuition fee at French public universities (roughly €178/year for a bachelor’s, €254/year for a master’s). Starting with the 2026/27 academic year, France introduced substantially higher mandatory fees for non-EU students: approximately €2,900/year for a bachelor’s degree and €3,950/year for a master’s degree at public universities. Doctoral programs remain exempt from this differentiated fee. This is a genuinely large jump from the old rate, even though it’s still low compared to tuition in the UK, US, Canada, or Australia.
Who’s exempt
The government has built in exemptions covering roughly the top 10% of applicants, weighted heavily toward scholarship recipients and students demonstrating financial hardship — and a majority of the available grant funding is specifically targeted at priority sectors France wants to attract talent into (health, digital and AI, quantum science, biotechnology, environment, energy, space, food science, and IT/communications). If your intended field falls into one of these priority areas, it’s worth actively looking for a scholarship or exemption tied to it rather than assuming you’ll pay the full new rate.
Why France is still worth comparing
Even at the new rates, French public university tuition remains meaningfully below UK, US, Canadian, or Australian levels for an equivalent degree — this was a policy shift toward “still affordable but no longer nominal,” not a jump to Western-comparable pricing. France also offers a large number of English-taught master’s programs at leading universities (particularly in business, engineering, and some sciences), alongside its long-established strength in French-taught programs for students with the language level.
Applying through Campus France
Nearly all applications from non-EU students go through the Campus France “Études en France” platform, which centralizes your application, document submission, and — for most nationalities — is also the required first step before your visa application. Build in real time for this: Campus France’s process runs on its own timeline, separate from each university’s own admission deadline, and missing the Campus France window can delay your entire application even if the university itself would have accepted you.
Building the rest of your France plan
Once you’ve accounted for the new tuition rates, see France Student Visa: Campus France and VLS-TS Explained for the immigration side, and Proof of Funds: What Counts Across Different Countries for how France’s financial requirement compares to what you may be weighing against other destinations.