Study in France

That France is one of the world's most popular study abroad destinations is surely no great surprise. Read on to find out why so many international students choose to study in France - and what to do next if you want to join them.

France occupies a distinct place in our collective imagination. From the urbane sophistication and history of its cities, to its legendary food and wine, to the spectacular scenery – think rugged mountains and verdant forests, golden beaches and azure seas, rolling pastures and mighty rivers – everyone has their own idealized conception of France. Consequently, it is also the world’s most popular tourist destination by far, according to the United Nations World Tourist Organization.

Why study in France?

Perhaps your personal image of France involves its proud intellectual and artistic heritage. This is the nation, after all, which produced thinkers such as René Descartes and Jean-Paul Sartre, authors like Marcel Proust and Albert Camus, filmmakers like Jean-Luc Godard and Jean Renoir, and artists like Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne. On top of these names we can add a whole host of scientists, mathematicians and other researchers, whose names are slightly less familiar, but whose achievements are no less spectacular for it. A total of 49 Nobel laureates places France fourth in the world.

Universities in France

This academic and artistic tradition continues to this day – there are few countries which invest quite as much money into research and education as France. QS’s rankings reflect this: a total of 41 French universities are included in the QS World University Rankings 2014/15, of which 11 are within the global top 250.

The nation’s two leading universities, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris and Ecole Polytechnique ParisTech, both make the world's top 50, cementing their reputations as two of Europe’s and the world’s strongest institutions. What’s more, tuition fees at France’s leading universities are among the lowest in the world, with annual fees averaging under US$1,000 per year for domestic and international students alike.

So is France for you then? Well, if you want to attend a high-quality institution in a nation with a proud intellectual heritage which will have the added benefit of making everyone you know jealous, then is the answer could well be "yes".

Studying at master’s or PhD level? Find out about graduate-level studies in France with the QS Top Grad School Guide.