On 26 June 2026, the Ministry of Higher Education published the official table of tuition fees for 2026-2027, which etudiant.gouv.fr shared the same day. These are the fees you pay when you complete your administrative enrolment at the start of the academic year, at a public university or school that comes under this ministry. Since September 2024, the amounts have tracked inflation, so the increase is just a few euros.
The 2026-2027 amounts by degree
There are two fee scales. National fees apply to French and European students, and to some international students. Differentiated fees, which are higher, apply to most non-European students who come to France to study. Here are the full annual amounts:
| Degree | National fees | Differentiated fees (non-EU) |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | €178 | €2,902 |
| Master's | €255 | €3,950 |
| PhD and habilitation to supervise research (HDR) | €398 | €398 |
| Engineering programme (3 years) | €630 | €3,950 |
| Écoles Centrales and École des Mines de Nancy | €2,620 | €3,950 |
The €2,620 fee applies to engineering programmes that started on or after 1 September 2018. If you enrol in a second degree at the same institution, that second enrolment is charged at the reduced rate: €118 for a bachelor's, €167 for a master's, €265 for a PhD and €420 for an engineering programme at the national rate, and €1,934 for a bachelor's and €2,633 for a master's at the differentiated rate.
This scale doesn't apply to private schools, which set their own fees, or to public institutions that come under another ministry, such as agricultural schools.
A few euros more than in 2025-2026
Differentiated fees go from €2,895 to €2,902 for a bachelor's (+€7) and from €3,941 to €3,950 for a master's (+€9). At the national rate, a bachelor's stays at €178, a master's goes from €254 to €255, a PhD from €397 to €398 and an engineering programme from €628 to €630.
For non-European students, the real change this year is less about the amounts and more about exemptions, which are now capped by decree.
Who pays differentiated fees
Differentiated fees were introduced in 2019. They apply to non-European students "in international mobility", meaning those who come to France to study, and who enrol in a bachelor's, a master's or an engineering programme. PhDs are not affected.
You pay the national rate if you're a national of the European Union, the European Economic Area (the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or Switzerland, or a resident of Quebec. The same goes, among other cases, if you hold a long-term resident card, if you've been part of a tax household in France for more than two years, if you're a refugee or a beneficiary of subsidiary protection, or if you're in a preparatory class for the grandes écoles (CPGE).
In practice, an Indian student starting a master's in Lyon pays €3,950, while a Belgian classmate pays €255. According to the ministry, these fees cover "less than a third of the actual cost of the programme".
Total to budget forwithout an exemption, a non-EU student starting a master's pays €3,950 in fees plus €105 for the CVEC, or €4,055 for the year.
French government scholarship holders (BGF) and wards of the nation (pupilles de la Nation) are exempt from tuition fees. Other non-European students can ask their university for an exemption, but since the decree of 19 May 2026, a university can only grant one to a capped share of them: 30% at most in 2026-2027, then 25% and 20%. An exemption granted for 2025-2026 remains valid until the end of your cycle, bachelor's or master's, as long as you stay at the same university. If you're counting on an exemption, check your university's criteria before you enrol: the decision is theirs.
CVEC: €105 to pay before you enrol
The Student and Campus Life Contribution (CVEC) funds the welcome and the social, health, cultural and sports support offered to students. It stays at €105 in 2026-2027 and comes on top of your tuition fees, whatever your nationality.
You pay it online at cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr, using your MesServices.etudiant.gouv.fr account, before your administrative enrolment: your institution will ask for the certificate when you enrol.
Students receiving means-tested grants, French government scholarship holders, refugees, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and asylum seekers don't pay the CVEC. They still need to get their certificate from the platform.
Sources
- Ministry of Higher Education and Research – Tuition fees for the 2026-2027 academic year
- etudiant.gouv.fr – Tuition fees
- etudiant.gouv.fr – CVEC FAQ
- Service-Public.fr – Cost of enrolling in higher education
- Service-Public.fr – University: some non-European international students will pay more from September 2026
- Université de Picardie Jules Verne – 2025-2026 tuition fee scale
