Bonjour! France is not just a country enriched in beautiful culture, picturesque environment, salivating cuisine, and rich history, they also have some of the best Institutions in the world. However, one of the reasons some international students might be hesitant to add France to their top list of international schools to enrol in should be due to the language barrier.
Fortunately, there are a handful of public universities in France that teach in English, even though they will be more beneficial to graduate students. Most bachelor’s programmes in France are taught in French, and the few bachelor’s programmes taught in English usually start teaching in English from the 2nd or 3rd year or might be for exchange students.
Another interesting thing is that most of these universities in France are very affordable and still provide top-notch education whether you’re pursuing a degree in science, economics, business, health, humanities, or any other field.
Even if you’ve not made up your mind and still intend to study in Europe, there are still several affordable universities in Europe for int’l students that don’t require IELTS.
Anyway, let’s get started immediately.
Public Universities in France that Teach in English
Most of these programmes are part of the French National University System, whose fees are heavily subsidized by the French government.
1. University of Paris-Sud
| Undergraduate Degrees | €179/academic year |
| Master’s Degrees | €240/academic year |
| Doctorate | €380/academic year |
University of Paris-Sud (Paris-Saclay) provides different programs that are completely taught in English, there are still some other programmes that combine both English and French. Actually, the only bachelor’s programme – Bachelor in Frontiers of Life Sciences – that teaches in English will only start doing so in your 2nd and 3rd year.
Some of the Master’s programs that teach only in English include;
- Master in Fundamental Physics
- Master in Biomedical Engineering
- Master in Banking and Finance
- Double Master In Film Studies
- Master in International Business Law
- Master in Public Health
And a lot more
2. Université PSL
| Undergraduate Degrees (tax residence outside an EU member state) | €243/academic year |
| Master’s Degrees (tax residence outside an EU member state) | €2,770/academic year for bachelor’s programs €3,770/year for master’s programs |
| Doctorate | €380/academic year |
Université PSL is not just among the public universities in France that teach in English it is also one of the best universities to attend in the world. In fact, they are ranked #41 in the Shanghai ranking, #21 in the CWUR and #3 in THE (Times Higher Education) Best Young Universities, etc.
Only graduate Programmes are taught completely in English and some of them include Integrative Chemistry & Innovation, BioMedical Engineering (BME), Physics, Quantum Engineering, Analysis and Policy in Economics, Fashion and Materials, etc.
3. University of Strasbourg
| French students w/o grants,EU / EEE / Switzerland / Monaco nationals | €170 for the Bachelor’s degree €243 for the Master’s degree |
| International students from low- and lower-middle income (in French) | €170 for the Bachelor’s degree €243 for the Master’s degree |
| Other International students | €2770 for the Bachelor’s degree €3770 for the Master’s degree |
The University of Strasbourg is among the public universities in France that provides several 100% English-taught programmes through 4 fields which are;
- Economics, management and business
- Science and technology
- Health
- Oenology
4. University of Lille
| Undergraduate Degrees | €184/academic year |
| Master’s Degrees | €256/academic year |
| Doctorate | €380/academic year |
The University of Lille is among the public universities in France that teach in English and welcomes lots of international students. In fact, 12% of their students are from more than 145 countries making it one of the best institutions in France for int’l students.
Also, their Business Administration (BBA) is taught entirely in English. Their graduate education in Machine Learning and Data Science, International Executive (MBA), Translational Neurosciences, Electrical Energy for Sustainable Development, Robotics and Transport, etc., are also taught totally in English.
5. University of Toulouse
| Undergraduate Degrees | €200/academic year |
| Master’s Degrees | €300/academic year |
| Doctorate | €400/academic year |
Université de Toulouse provides a wide range of master programs totally taught in English under four (4) faculties which include;
- Law, Management, Economics
- Engineering Sciences
- Sciences, Technologies, Health
- Humanities and Social Sciences
6. Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)
| EU students | €243/academic year |
| Non-EU students | €3770/academic year |
UGA is not just one of the public universities in France that teach in English but it is also the third-largest University in France. UGA’s Bachelor in Management starts teaching in English during their 3rd year, and it’s the only bachelor’s programme that teaches in English.
They have 4 master’s programmes that teach in English in 2nd year, whereas the European Master in Customer Relationship Marketing is the only master’s programme that teaches entirely in English.
7. Science Po
| EEA, Lichtenstein, Norway, and Iceland Citizens | Bachelor’s degree: €0 to €14,210 per year Graduates: €0 to €19,670 per year |
| Country outside the European Economic Area (EEA) | Bachelor’s degree: €14,210 per year Graduates: €19,670 per year |
Science Po is a semi-public institute largely funded by public money and governed as a private institution. One of the interesting things about this University is that out of 14,000 students, half of them are international students coming from 150 countries.
Also, almost all their dual-degree programmes are taught in English and they are partnering with several prestigious universities to offer these programmes. They also provide some other single master’s programmes both totally in English and some in combination of both English and French.
8. Université de Rennes 1
| French students,EU / EEE / Switzerland | €170 for the Bachelor’s degree €243 for the Master’s degree |
| International students | €2770 for the Bachelor’s degree €3770 for the Master’s degree |
If you intend to study an English-taught bachelor’s degree at the Université de Rennes 1 you could only do that in your 3rd year at the Economics and Management Programme or as an Exchange student in the Biology programme. They have so many other master’s programmes taught both completely and partially in English.
9. École Polytechnique
| French students,EU / EEE / Switzerland | €19,000 for 3 years Year 1: €3,500 Year 2: €7,750 Year 3: €7,750 |
| Non-EU students | €38,000 for 3 years Year 1: €7,000 Year 2: €15,500 Year 3: €15,500 |
École Polytechnique is one of the few public universities in France that provides several bachelor of Science programmes in English; you can also acquire double majors within three years. Just like other public universities in France that teach in English on our list, École Polytechnique also offers several master’s Programmes in English.
Key Takeaway
If you desire to enrol in an English-taught bachelor’s programme you won’t be so lucky because there are just a fraction of these Programmes, and the ones available mostly begin teaching in English during their 2nd or 3rd year. As for graduate students, you’ll have a handful of options, and their low tuition even makes it more fulfilling.
Even though most of these universities primarily teach in French, we’ve seen a continuous increase in English-taught programmes, which makes higher education in France even more and more accessible to international students.
