Our tuition fees for academic year 2020 are as follows:

• Undergraduate programs: from 8 000 € to 9 000 € per year
• Postgraduate programs: from 10 000 € to 14 000 € per year

As expected, prices for accommodation will depend on your chosen location, mainly the French city you live in but also the option you have been choosing: homestay, private student residence, flat sharing or full flat renting, etc…

For most cities in France you will be able to find options ranging around 600 Euros/ month, however Paris is more expensive and would cost you about 850 Euros/month (all included).

It is reassuring to make housing arrangements before leaving for France: you will be able to do that easily through booking portals mainly for private student’s residencies. Otherwise searching for housing from outside the country can be difficult. You won’t be able to visit properties and make fully informed decisions. It may also be difficult, from a distance, to persuade a property owner to let you sign a rental contract or convince him that you have someone who will guarantee payment of your rent.

For these reasons, many international students choose to find temporary housing for their first few weeks in France. They use that time to look for a more permanent arrangement.

This is where it gets tricky: French food is absolutely amazing and sophisticated and the common conception is that it is expensive as well!

In France, the world capital of gourmet dining, most people eat three meals a day: breakfast in the morning, lunch at around 1 pm, and dinner at around 8 pm. Lunch and dinner are full meals.

It’s also possible to get a meal in the many cafés et restaurants you’ll find everywhere in France. Prices range from about €10 for a full meal up to hundreds of euros at the “temples of French gastronomy” run by internationally famous star chefs such as Paul Bocuse, Alain Ducasse, Joël Robuchon, and Pierre Gagnaire.

Between these two extremes you wil find a range of friendly establishments that serve fine food. 

You can expect to spend on average about 200-250 Euros/month on groceries in Paris, less in other cities.

To get a meal in a restaurant, do not expect to pay less than 15 Euros, for dessert it usually is 6 to 8 Euros.

In average, the French dedicate about 300€/month to food expenses. Of course, this value varies depending on the city you are living in, and your personal habits. Overall, everyday life cost is slightly more expensive in Paris.

Here are the average prices of a few base products:

• a baguette: 1 Euro;
• a croissant: 1.10 Euros;
• 1 kg of pasta: 1.50 Euros;
• 1 litre of milk: 1.20 Euros;
• 6 eggs: 1.50 Euros;
• a coffee in a bar or restaurant: 2 Euros;
• a meal in the university restaurant (RU): 3,25 Euros;
• a fastfood meal: 7 Euros;
• a meal in a restaurant: 10 to 20 Euros;
• a sandwich from a bakery with a drink: 5 to 8 Euros

France’s health-care system is recognized as one of the world’s best.

France offers medical and health services for students, including preventive and wellness services.

The national student health-care plan (“Sécurité sociale”) and supplemental group plans (“Mutuelle”)

French health-care coverage, provided under the social security system (“Sécurité sociale”), is of very high quality. Covered individuals are reimbursed for a portion of their medical expenses in return for a low basic payment. ou join the plan at your higher education institution when you register for classes at the beginning of the academic year. Participation in the plan is mandatory for non-European students. 

Upon arrival, you will be requested to register with the French health insurance system, the Sécurité Sociale, with a compulsory flat fee of 250 Euros to be paid.

The social security system reimburses about 60% of expenses related to an illness, on average. Operating alongside this mandatory national system, student supplemental group health plans – “Mutuelle” – (with annual premiums starting at €110) allow students to obtain coverage for all or part of the expenses not covered by the basic national plan, thus reaching full refund for health-related expenses. 

We strongly recommend you to take out complementary health insurance coverage (Mutuelle in French) to complement the French health insurance reimbursements (annual fees start from at 70 Euros).

Additionally, all international students must take out an individual insurance which covers them from their departure until the French health insurance registration starts.

In France, doctors are free to apply the prices they want. To stay in control of your healthcare budget, we recommend “conventionnés de secteur 1” (sector 1) doctors, who charge an amount that is almost entirely reimbursed by Social Security. You will pay less and be better reimbursed. If you go to see a doctor at the university health center; check-ups are free.

Here are a few examples of how much medical visits costs under “conventionné secteur 1” pricing and the part reimbursed by Social Security:

check up with a GP: 25 Euros (16,50 Euros reimbursed);

• check up with a specialist: 25 Euros (16,50 Euros reimbursed);
• check up with a gynaecologist, ophthalmologist: 30 Euros (20 Euros reimbursed);
• checkup with a dentist: 30 Euros (the amount reimbursed depends on what is done).

If you live far from your host institute, your transportation budget can represent a significant part of your total budget. It is important to anticipate. Here are a few basic prices to help you prepare your transportation budget:

• an annual transit subscription in Paris at the student rate: 342 Euros;
• an annual transit subscription outside of Paris at the student rate: between 250 and 300 Euros;
• 1 litre of petrol: 1.40 Euros;
• 1 selfservice bicycle: the rates vary depending on the cities with yearly subscriptions available. In Paris, an annual self-service bicycle subscription at the student rate: 19 or 29 Euros;
• 1 ParisBarcelona return plane ticket: 150 Euros;
• 1 SNCF discount card for 1827-year-olds: 50 Euros per year;
• 1 ParisLondon return Eurostar ticket: 100 to 150 Euros;
• 1 ParisMarseille return TGV ticket: 140 Euros;

Students enjoy a number of transportation discounts. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of them; they may save you a lot of money.