Find Out Top 10 Universities in France and The Scholarships They Offer

France is one of the most ideal place to study abroad for you degree. Studying in France gives you the opportunity to learn the language and gain cultural perspective. The experience will give you the upper hand when pursuing an international career and give your CV a competitive edge. France has numerous prestigious universities that have been approved as the world’s best universities. The quality of its higher education is adapted to the students’ needs. In addition, there are plenty of scholarship opportunities offered by the French government and organizations to support both local and international students in pursuing high-quality education in France.

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  1. Université PSL

Université PSL (Paris Sciences & Lettres) is a French collegiate university, currently organized as a ComUE (university community). PSL was formed in 2010 and is located in Paris, with its main sites in the Latin Quarter, at the Jourdan campus, at Porte Dauphine, in northern Paris, and at Carré Richelieu. PSL offers Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD degree programs. Its education is based on research and interdisciplinary instruction, and its 20,000 students have access to a broad range of disciplines in science, engineering, humanities and social science, and the arts.

PSL offers several scholarship opportunities as follows:

  • Financial aid: calculated in accordance with your financial and family situation and the geographic distance between your school and your place of residence. Level 0 is equivalent to exemption from tuition and student social security contributions. Levels “0 bis” to “7” entitle students to scholarships of between €1,009 and €5,551 per year.
  • Merit scholarships: offered to high school graduates who passed the baccalauréat with high honors and to graduates of Bachelor’s programs who would like to continue onto Master’s degree programs. merit scholarships entitle students to €900 per year (3 years max).
  • Emergency aid: provided on an as-needed or annual basis, financial aid from the Fonds National d’Aide d’Urgence (FNAU) is for students under the age of 35 who are experiencing financial difficulty. Individual payouts cannot exceed €1,665, and total as-needed assistance is capped at €3,330 per year. Annual payments can be made at up to €4,768 maximum, and are renewable.

Learn more about PSL at www.psl.eu. Visit the Financial Aids page for further details on the scholarship opportunities.

  1. École Polytechnique

École Polytechnique is a French public institution of higher education and research located in Palaiseau, a suburb southwest of Paris. It is one of the most prestigious and selective French scientific and engineering schools, called ‘grandes écoles’ in French. École Polytechnique was established in 1794 during the French Revolution, and was a military academy under Napoleon I in 1804. The School is ranked 65th on the QS World University Rankings 2019.

École Polytechnique offers a number of scholarship opportunities for its students, including:

  • Financial support from the École Polytechnique Foundation
  • Excellence Scholarship (merit-based financial aid for Bachelor students)
  • Women in Science Scholarship (merit-based financial aid for Bachelor students)
  • Tuition Fee Waivers (need-based financial aid for Bachelor students)
  • Interest-free loan (need-based financial aid for Bachelor students)
  • Living costs scholarships (need-based financial aid for Bachelor students)
  • International Excellence Scholarships (for Ingénieur Polytechnicien students, 36 months – during the first 3 years)
  • École Polytechnique Foundation / DMRI Scholarship Program for Fourth-Year Project in France (for Ingénieur Polytechnicien students, 11 to 12 months – 4th year only)
  • Subsidized loans from the École Polytechnique Foundation (for Ingénieur Polytechnicien students – during the 4 years of study)
  • Scholarships and grants from the French government
  • Scholarships and grants from French Embassies – contact the French Embassy in your country for further details.
  • Eiffel Excellence Scholarships
  • Scholarships and grants from Foreign governments
  • For Moroccan students: merit-based scholarship from the Ministry for National Education and Vocational Training
  • For Senegalese students: excellence scholarship from the Senegalese government, awarded by the Republic of Senegal Ministry for Higher Education and Research
  • For Tunisian students: national scholarship from the Tunisian government awarded by the Academic and Educational Mission of Tunisian
  • For Chinese students: national scholarship from the China Scholarship Council
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International students may also be eligible for an Erasmus Plus grant (for European students) or for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship (for non-European students).

A complete list of scholarships and grants is available on CampusBourses listing. Additional scholarship opportunities can be found at CampusFrance website

Find a way to fund your studies and learn more about École Polytechnique at www.polytechnique.edu.

  1. Sorbonne University

Sorbonne University is a public research university located in Paris, France. It was established by the merger in 2018 of Paris-Sorbonne University, Pierre et Marie Curies University, and other smaller institutions. The date 1257 on its emblem refers to the historical University of Paris, whose Collége de Sorbonne was founded in 1257 by Robert de Sorbon, and eventually became the current Faculty of Humanities of Sorbonne University.

Sorbonne University makes every effort to ensure that every student achieves excellence. To promote equal opportunities, the Sorbonne University Foundation has scholarship programs, financed through donor, both companies and individuals. Each faculty has a financial aid office that has information on the types of scholarships available depending on the student’s situation:

  • Financial aid based on the parent’s revenue (called a BCS)
  • Emergency aid
  • Financial aid based on the student’s revenue (FSDIE)
  • Exemptions and exceptional refunds of registration fees

The available grants for international students include:

  • Grants Awarded by the French Government: a limited number of grants are available for overseas students in their first year. Priority is given to those in their 3rd year, often in the field of science and technology.

Information: www.cnous.fr / www.egide.asso.fr

  • Grants for International Students: grants awarded by the International Relations Department of Sorbonne Université.
  • Grants Awarded on Social Criteria: values €1,000 to €5,500 per year. Criteria correspond to financial means, nationality (members of the EU or holders of a residency card + lived in France for at least two years with parents who declare their taxes in France) and age (students up to 28 years)

Further details can be found on the Campus Life tab > Financing Studies > Financial Aid and Scholarships at the Sorbonne Université website.

  1. CentraleSupélec

CentraleSupélec is an internationally-reputed Higher Education and Research Institution in engineering and science. It was established in 2015 as a result of a strategic merger between two leading grandes écoles in France, Écoles Centrale Paris and Supélec. CentraleSupélec has been a key school in defining the Université Paris-Saclay project, the development of its Doctoral Schools, its Master’s program, as well as creating the label of an Excellence Initiative (IDEX). It is ranked among the top 10 universities in France and ranks 137th on QS World University Rankings 2019.

The École Centrale Paris Foundation supports more than 450 students each year, providing €600,000 in funding. The Foundation supports students’ international mobility by awarding them grants which fund international study, tuition fees, living and transport costs, etc.

Other scholarships for studies at CentraleSupélec are offered by:

  • CROUS
  • Means-tested grants ranging from €1,008 to €5,545 (subject to change each year)
  • Merit-based aid
  • International mobility aid
  • FNAU: National Emergency Aid Fund
  • French government grants (for foreign students)
  • Family Allowance Fund (CAF) – personalized housing benefit
  • Emergency Funds – loans

Further details can be found on the Tuition Fees and Scholarship page at www.centralsupelec.fr.

  1. École Normale Supérieure de Lyon

École Normale Supérieure de Lyon (also known as ENS Lyon, ENSL or Normale Sup’ Lyon) is a highly selective grande école located in Lyon, France. It is part of the Université de Lyon, and is one of France’s four École Normale Supérieures, training researchers and teachers in the sciences and the humanities. ENS Lyon has been recognized as one of the best public institutions in the world by Times Higher Education and QS.

ENS Lyon supports its students on their studies by providing scholarship opportunities such as:

  • 20 Ampère scholarships from the ENS de Lyon
  • €1,000 per month for a year to integrate one of four Master’s programs
  • Scholarships from the Laboratoire d’Excellence MILYON
  • €1,000 per month for 10 months to integrate the Master’s Advance Mathematics or Fundamental Computer Science
  • Erasmus Mundus Scholarships from the European Union to integrate the Master’s Atomic Scale modeling of physical, chemical and biomolecular systems – ATOSIM
  • 8 scholarships from the ENS de Lyon
  • For citizens of the European Union: a status of trainee civil servant paid €1,500 per month for 4 years by the French State and commitment to work for 10 years in the public service, a higher education or French or International research institution (including the period of study at the ENS de Lyon)
  • For the best foreign normalien students (best candidate in each area of study who is not a citizen of the European Union or from a country of the European economic area): €1,000 per month for 4 years
  • ENS de Lyon funding for international doctoral students
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Further details can be found on the Scholarships page. Learn more about ENS Lyon at www.ens-lyon.fr.

  1. Sciences Po

The Paris Institute of Political Studies (commonly referred to as Sciences Po) is the primary institution of higher education for French political and administrative elite, and one of the most prestigious and selective European schools in the social sciences. Established in 1872, it is ranked as the world’s 3rd best school for politics and international relations. It has 7 campuses in France: the Paris Campus, Dijon Campus, Le Havre Campus, Menton Campus, Nancy Campus, Poitiers Campus, and the Reims Campus.

To ensure that all students admitted to Sciences Po successfully complete their studies, Sciences Po offers bursaries and financial aid.

Visit www.sciencespo.fr for more information regarding Sciences Po, and download the brochure to learn more about the offered bursaries and financial aids.

  1. Université Paris-Sud

Université Paris-Sud (also known as University of Paris – XI) is a French university distributed among several campuses in the southern suburbs of Paris including Orsay, Cachan, Châtenay-Malabry, Sceaux and Kremlin-Bicêtre campuses. The main campus is located in Orsay. This university is a member of the UniverSud Paris and a constituent university of the federal University of Paris Saclay. Established in 1971, Paris-Sud is one of the largest and most renowned French universities, particularly in science and mathematics.

International students willing to study at Paris-Sud University can apply for the Paris-Saclay scholarship and the Eiffel scholarship to cover their living costs while studying in France.

  • Université Paris-Saclay International Master’s Scholarship Program: awarded 1 or 2 years, based on academic achievements, to students admitted to Université Paris-Saclay Master’s programs and enrolled at one of the following member institutions: AgroParisTech, CentraleSupelec, ENS Paris-Clay, INSTN-CEA, IOGS, Université d’Evry Val d’Essonne, Paris-Sud University, Université Versailles St-Quentin.
  • Eiffel Scholarship Program: awarded to foreign students at both Master’s and PhD levels, based on academic records.
  • Paris-Sud University’s Top-Up: partial assistance granted to international students who receive financial assistance for their studies abroad from their home institution or government or a particular French Embassy.
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Visit the Financial Assistance page for further details. Learn more about Université Paris-Sud at www.u-psud.fr.

  1. École des Ponts ParisTech

École des Ponts ParisTech is a university-level institution of higher education and research in the field of science, engineering and technology. Founded in 1747, it is one of the oldest and one of the most prestigious French Grandes Écoles. École des Ponts ParisTech is headquartered in Marne-la-Vallée (suburb of Paris), France, and is a founding member of ParisTech (Paris Institute of Technology) and the Paris School of Economics.

École des Ponts ParisTech offers scholarships on social criteria to students admitted in engineering studies, regardless of their nationalities. The scholarships cover registration fees, social security, housing, transport, food and clothing.

Foreign students can also apply for the Erasmus+ program (international credit mobility), granted by the European Commission, which supports exchange programs at École des Ponts ParisTech. This project involves 4 partner countries outside Europe (Canada, Iran, Russia and Tunisia) and provides support for students in the Master’s program and faculty in all disciplines to move to and from those countries.

Other scholarships offered to study at École des Ponts ParisTech are:

  • Master Ile de France scholarship
  • Eiffel Scholarships (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
  • French government scholarship
  • Scholarships from the French Embassy in Japan
  • Bilateral Franco-Moroccan Cooperation Scholarships
  • French Minsitry of Education Scholarships
  • Franco-German University scholarships (exclusively for students in the double-degree program with Technische Universität München)
  • BRAFITEC scholarships (Brazil)
  • AGAUR scholarships for Catalan students (Generalitat de Catalunya)

Visit www.enpc.fr/en/node/146614 for further details. Learn more about École des Ponts ParisTech at www.enpc.fr.

  1. Université Grenoble-Alpes

The Université Grenoble-Alpes (formerly named as the University of Grenoble) is a public research university located in Grenoble, France. Founded in 1339, it is the third largest university in France with around 45,000 students and over 3,000 researchers. The University is renowned for its academic research in humanities and political sciences, hosting some of the largest research centers in France in fields such as political science, urban planning or the sociology or organizations. It is ranked among the top 300 universities worldwide, according to QS.

Because the Université Grenoble-Alpes does its level-best to ensure you a trouble-free time as a student and your well-being matters, financial support is available (study grants, housing benefits as well as other financial aids). At the Université Grenoble-Alpes, there are various benefits and grants you can receive through a number of organizations, depending on your situation.

Means-tested benefits are granted on the basis of 3 criteria:

  • Taxable household income
  • Number of dependent children for tax purposes
  • Distance from study location

Learn more about the Financial Assistance offered at the Université Grenoble-Alpes at www.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr.

  1. Université Diderot Paris 7

Paris Diderot University, also known as Paris 7, is a French University located in Paris, France. It was one of the heirs of the University of Paris, which ceased to exist in 1970. Paris 7 is well-known for its great quality of teaching in science, especially in mathematics. The University has 2,300 educators and researchers, 1,100 administrative personnel and 26,000 students studying humanities, science and medicine. Paris 7 is listed on QS World University Rankings 2019 as one of the top 300 universities worldwide, and top 10 French universities.

Paris 7 offers scholarships and housing accommodation to students admitted to the University, through the www.messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr portal. You can apply for the CROUS scholarship if you are registered in a full-time course at the Paris Diderot University. The CROUS scholarship is available if you meet these conditions:

  • If you are a European student (from one of the 28 countries of the EU or Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Monaco, Andorra)
  • You have worked full-time or part-time in France, or
  • You can prove that you parent have incomes in France
  • If you are a student from another country
  • You have the status of refugee or subsidiary protected person, or
  • You have a temporary resident card and you have lived in France for at least 2 years

Refer to the Scholarship page at the University’s website (www.univ-paris-diderot.fr) for further details.

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61 thoughts on “Find Out Top 10 Universities in France and The Scholarships They Offer

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