France looks cheap on paper, and it can be, but the low fee most people quote is the rate for European students, not for Indians. Two recent rule changes have also moved the real budget: the money you must show for the visa went up, and housing aid became harder to claim. This guide works through each cost using French government and Campus France pages, and says clearly where a number comes only from study-abroad guides.
- public university fees for non-EU students are currently 2,902 euros a year for a bachelor's and 3,950 euros for a master's
- CVEC is 105 euros
- Visa funds rose from 615 to 877.50 euros a month on 1 August
- CAF housing aid for non-EU students on a study permit is now limited to three cases.
What Is the Cost of Studying in France for Indian Students?
Plan for about 13,500 to 14,600 euros for a first year at a public university, using the visa funds figure as your living budget. That is a floor, not an average. A private or business school adds far more, and flights, deposits and visa charges come on top of it.
| Path | Tuition a year | CVEC | Living at visa minimum | Total a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public bachelor's | 2,902 euros | 105 euros | 10,530 euros | 13,537 euros |
| Public master's | 3,950 euros | 105 euros | 10,530 euros | 14,585 euros |
| Private institution | About 6,000 to 18,000 euros or more | 105 euros | 10,530 euros | About 16,635 to 28,635 euros or more |
These totals are our own arithmetic from the official figures below, with 877.50 euros a month multiplied by 12. Paris will usually cost more than this living figure. Convert to rupees at the rate on the day you pay, as the euro rate moves and changes your total.
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Campus France lists 2,902 euros a year for a bachelor's and 3,950 euros for a master's for non-EU students at public institutions under the higher education ministry. European students pay 178 and 255 euros, which is the low figure many guides still quote to Indian readers. Doctorates are the exception.
| Level | EU, EEA and Swiss students | Non-EU students, including Indians |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 178 euros a year | 2,902 euros a year |
| Master's | 255 euros a year | 3,950 euros a year |
| Engineering | 630 euros a year (2,620 at the Ecoles Centrales and Mines Nancy) | Differential fee applies; Campus France gives no amount |
| Doctorate | 397 euros a year | 398 euros a year |
Doctoral students are not charged the differential fee. Some engineering schools run by other ministries set their own rates, so read the school's page. Waiver rules were changed by a recent decree: holders of French government scholarships get an automatic full waiver, while other waivers are at the institution's discretion, for example for serious financial hardship. Do not budget on getting one unless you have it in writing.
How Much Do Private Schools and Business Schools Cost?
Campus France says private institutions often charge about 6,000 to 18,000 euros or more a year, and tells students to check each school's own website. Guides quote up to 30,000 euros for business schools. Grandes ecoles and MBA programmes vary widely, so treat any single figure as a starting point.
Before you compare fees, ask what the quoted figure includes. Some schools list a full-programme price and others list a yearly one, and the two are easy to confuse on a brochure. Ask too whether the degree is a national diploma, because some French government scholarship waivers apply only to programmes leading to one.
MBA in France: Fees, Colleges and EligibilityRead →What Is the CVEC Fee and Who Has to Pay It?
CVEC is the student and campus life contribution, currently 105 euros, charged once per academic year. Students enrolling in a degree at a public or private institution pay it, including foreign students. You need the proof of payment or an exemption notice in hand before you can register at your institution.
You register at messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr, then pay at cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr by card. Holders of need-based Crous grants and French government scholarships are exempt, but they must still download an exemption notice. Foreign government scholarships and private grants do not give an exemption, so an Indian scholarship alone will not remove this fee.
How Much Does It Cost to Live in Different French Cities?
Campus France India's page puts the average student budget at about 1,000 euros a month in Paris and 800 euros elsewhere. Guides now quote more, up to 1,800 euros in Paris. The visa minimum of 877.50 euros a month sits between the older official figures, so use it as your lower limit.
| City | Monthly living cost, guides say |
|---|---|
| Paris | 1,200 to 1,800 euros |
| Nice | 900 to 1,400 euros |
| Lyon, Nantes, Bordeaux, Toulouse | 800 to 1,000 euros |
| Other cities | From 650 euros |
The table comes from one lender's guide, not an official survey, so read it as a rough picture. Rent causes most of the gap between cities. Food is steadier, and one Campus France office page quotes around 300 euros a month as the French average.
What Does Student Housing Cost in France?
Service-Public lists 200 to 500 euros a month for traditional Crous residences. Campus France gives at least 800 euros a month for a private flat in Paris and about 400 euros elsewhere. Crous rooms are the cheapest but hard to get, so most students should budget for the private rate.
The deposit is usually one month's rent, and the law caps it at that. French landlords also often ask for a French guarantor, which most Indian students do not have. Campus France points to Visale, a free rental guarantee you can apply for before arriving, and to Garant Me as an alternative. International students apply for Crous rooms on the Crous housing site, in a later complementary phase.
Can Indian Students Still Get CAF Housing Aid?
Only in some cases now. Since July, a non-EU student holding a study residence permit can receive CAF housing aid only with a social-criteria scholarship, a professional activity, or an apprenticeship or professionalisation contract. If none of these fits you, do not count on this aid in your budget.
This rule took effect on 1 July 2026, so older advice that any student can claim no longer holds. If you do qualify, you need a valid residence permit and a decent rented home that does not belong to a relative, and your income must be limited. The first payment usually arrives two months after you apply. Service-Public gives no fixed amount, so use the simulator on caf.fr with your actual rent. Service-Public's page does not define how much work counts as a professional activity, so confirm that with CAF before you sign a lease.
How Much Money Must You Show for the Visa?
The official minimum is currently 877.50 euros a month, raised from 615 euros and set at 47 percent of the gross French minimum wage. Over 12 months that comes to 10,530 euros. Any guide still showing 615 euros is out of date, so check the date on what you read.
Campus France says you can show this through savings, a financial guarantor or a scholarship. The same monthly figure applies when you renew your permit, so a second-year student needs the money in the account too. France-Visas sets the exact documents, so generate your checklist there.
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The main ones are the Etudes en France fee of 20,000 rupees, the 50 euro visa fee, the VFS service charge, a validation fee after arrival, and the housing deposit. Add flights and a first month of living before any job starts. None of these appear in tuition figures, and visa fees are not refunded.
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Etudes en France fee | 20,000 rupees | Campus France India |
| Long-stay visa fee | 50 euros for Etudes en France countries (99 euros elsewhere) | France-Visas |
| VFS service charge | About 2,000 to 2,800 rupees, guides say | Guides |
| Visa validation in France | 150 euros (Campus France's page still shows 100) | Service-Public |
| Housing deposit | Up to one month's rent | Campus France |
| French health cover | Free to register; optional top-up plan extra | Campus France |
Health is cheaper than most Indian families expect, because joining French social security costs students nothing. It reimburses up to 60 percent of medical fees, so Campus France strongly recommends an optional top-up plan called a mutuelle. Compare quotes, as prices vary.
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It can help, but it should not be your plan for tuition. Non-EU students can work up to 964 hours a year, and the minimum wage is currently 12.31 euros an hour gross. Hitting the limit would earn about 11,870 euros gross, though most students will not find that many hours.
Campus France estimates that deductions take roughly 20 percent of gross pay, which would leave about 9,500 euros at the very top of the range. That is our own arithmetic and a ceiling, not a typical figure, and your first months will likely bring far less, especially without French. The visa also asks you to show funds up front, so do not rely on future wages for that.
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Choose a public university outside Paris, apply early for Crous housing, eat at Crous restaurants and look for scholarships before you pay any deposit. Each of these moves a large part of the budget, and rent alone can differ by several hundred euros a month between Paris and other cities.
- Crous restaurants: a 1 euro meal has been open to all students since May, limited to one per service.
- Transport: the imagine R student pass in the Paris region is listed at 401.30 euros a year, so check your eligibility first.
- Scholarships: Campus France India lists the France Excellence Charpak master's award, which also exempts awardees from Campus France procedure fees.
- Loans: compare the euro total against what a lender will cover, including the visa funds, before you accept an offer.
AdmitKard counsellors can build a course-by-course budget for your city and help you compare public and private options before you commit money.