study in France
Historically the cheapest serious destination in Europe — until September 2026, when the tuition waiver most non-EU students relied on was largely removed. Still good value, with two conditions worth understanding first.
We are leading with this because it is recent, it is large, and most guides still describe the old system.
From September 2026, differentiated (higher) non-EU tuition fees are the rule and exemption is the exception — Decree No. 2026-385 of 19 May 2026.
What that means in numbers:
New non-EU rates: ~€2,895/yr for a Licence and ~€3,879–3,941/yr for a Master
What universities could previously charge: the low domestic rate — around €178 Licence and €254 Master — a discretion the reform restricts
One important exception: PhD is not subject to differentiated fees — around €397/yr, the same as domestic
France is still far cheaper than the UK, US or Australia. But it is now more expensive than Germany, which reverses a comparison many Nepali students were making. Verify the exact fee and any exemption at your specific university before you decide.
The second condition, and the one that shapes your actual experience more than tuition does.
Admission: English-taught programmes exist, mostly at master's level in grandes écoles and business schools — you can often be admitted without French
Everything else: daily life, most part-time jobs, the broader job market, and longer-term status all reward and increasingly require French
So you can be admitted without French and still find that daily life, part-time work and the graduate job market are much harder without it. A 2026 update adds an A2 French requirement for converting to a longer-term permit — language is no longer optional if you intend to stay.
✓ Still low tuition
Far cheaper than the UK, US or Australia even after the 2026 increase.
✓ Respected institutions
Especially engineering, business, sciences, mathematics and the arts.
✓ Organised pathway
Campus France Népal in Kathmandu, plus a France–Népal alumni network.
✓ PhD stays cheap
Doctoral study is not subject to differentiated fees — around €397 a year.
✓ 12-month post-study permit
Full-time work in any job while you search, with no hours cap.
✕ Fees rose in 2026
The waiver most non-EU students relied on is largely gone.
✕ Now costlier than Germany
A comparison that has reversed for price-sensitive applicants.
✕ French is the real cost
Needed for daily life, part-time work, the job market, and now for longer-term status.
✕ Post-study is master's only
A bachelor's graduate generally cannot access it at all.
✕ Paris costs
Rent dominates, and Paris is far costlier than regional cities.
This is the single most consequential planning fact on France's pages, and it is decided before you apply.
The post-study job-search permit is master's level only (RNCP Level 7+). A Licence graduate generally cannot access it and must continue to a master's.
So if post-study work in France matters to you, a Licence on its own is a dead end — you must continue to a master's to unlock it. That changes the length and cost of your plan considerably, and it is far better known before you enrol than after.
France hosted roughly 443,500 international students in 2024/25, up 3% year-on-year
A clean Nepal-specific headcount: we could not verify one
The Nepal infrastructure: a dedicated Campus France Népal office in Kathmandu, plus a France–Népal alumni network