universities in France - List

Academy & University in France
This is a list public universities in France, including the one French "university centre", which are distinguished as being state institutes of higher education and research that practice open admissions. The list does not include public institutions that practice competitive admissions, such as Paris Dauphine University, which changed status in 2004, the three national polytechnic institutes, the grandes écoles (among which are the three universities of technology), or private universities, such as the Catholic universities, the Protestant universities, the private secular universities, and the American University of Paris. This list does make mention of university systems related to the public universities, including the historic city university systems and the new centres for research and higher education.

Academy of Aix and Marseille
* University of Provence (Aix-Marseille I, Université de Provence : Aix-Marseille I)
* University of the Mediterranean (Aix-Marseille II, Université de la Méditerranée : Aix-Marseille II)
* Paul Cézanne University (Aix-Marseille III, Université Paul Cézanne : Aix-Marseille III)
* University of Avignon (University of Avignon and the Vaucluse, Université d'Avignon et des pays du Vaucluse)

Academy of Amiens
* University of Picardie Jules Verne (Université de Picardie Jules Verne)
Academy of Besançon
* University of Franche-Comté (Université de Franche-Comté)
Academy of Bordeaux
* University of Bordeaux 1 (Université Bordeaux 1 Sciences Technologies or Bordeaux 1)
* Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2 University (Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2)
* Michel de Montaigne University Bordeaux 3 (Université Michel de Montaigne Bordeaux 3)
* Montesquieu University - Bordeaux IV (Université Montesquieu - Bordeaux IV)
* University of Pau and Pays de l'Adour (Université de Pau et des pays de l'Adour)
* University of Bordeaux
* Pôle universitaire de Bordeaux

Academy of Caen
* University of Caen Lower Normandy (Université de Caen Basse-Normandie)
Academy of Clermont-Ferrand
* University of Auvergne (Université d'Auvergne, formerly Clermont 1)
* Blaise Pascal University (Université Blaise Pascal, formerly Clermont-Ferrand II)
* University of Clermont-Ferrand

Academy of Corsica
* University of Corsica Pascal Paoli (Corsican: Università di Corsica Pasquale Paoli, French: Université de Corse Pascal Paoli)
Academy of Créteil
* Paris 8 University (Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis)
* Paris 12 Val de Marne University (Université Paris 12 Val de Marne)
* Paris 13 University - Paris North (Université Paris 13 - Paris Nord, UP13)
* University of Marne la Vallée (Université de Marne la Vallée, UMLV)
* University of Paris
* Université Paris-Es
List Academy/ University in France
# Academy of Dijon
# Academy of French Guiana
# Academy of French Polynesia
# Academy of Grenoble
# Academy of Guadeloupe
# Academy of Lille
# Academy of Limoges
# Academy of Lyon
# Academy of Martinique
# Academy of Mayotte
# Academy of Montpellier
# Academy of Nancy and Metz
# Academy of Nantes
# Academy of Nice
# Academy of Orléans and Tours
# Academy of New Caledonia
# Academy of Paris
# Academy of Poitiers
# Academy of Reims
# Academy of Rennes
# Academy of Réunion
# Academy of Rouen
# Academy of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
# Academy of Strasbourg
# Academy of Toulouse
# Academy of Versailles
# Academy of Wallis and Futuna

Universities in France

Study in France or find scholarship
The public universities in France are named after the big cities near which they are located, followed by a numeral if there are several. Paris, for example, has thirteen universities, labelled Paris I to XIII. Some of them are, however, not in Paris itself, but in the suburbs. In addition, most of the universities have taken a more informal name which is usually the one of a personality or a particular place. Sometimes, it is also a way to honor a famous alumnus, for example the science university in Strasbourg is known as "Université Louis Pasteur" while its official name is "Université Strasbourg I".
The French system is currently undergoing a reform, the Bologna process, which aims at creating European standards for university studies, most notably a similar time-frame everywhere, with three years devoted to the Bachelor's degree ("licence" in French), two for the Master's, and three for the doctorate. French universities have also adopted the ECTS credit system (for example, a licence is worth 180 credits). However the traditional curriculum based on end of semester examinations still remains in place in most universities. This double standard has added complexity to a system which also remains quite rigid. It is difficult to change a major during undergraduate studies without losing a semester or even a whole year. Students usually also have few course selection options once they enroll in a particular diploma.

France also hosts various branch colleges of foreign universities. These include Baruch College, the University of London Institute in Paris, Parsons Paris School of Art and Design and the American University in Paris.

Study In France

Study in France : Collage Universities, master's degrees, of PhD programmes
Higher education in France is divided between mostly-private grandes écoles and public universities. Grandes écoles are considered more prestigious than universities (tellingly, the term literally means "great schools", "elite schools"), and they are generally much more selective than other higher education institutions. Universities considered as Grand_Établissement are also very well recognized. They belong to the public system, and carry out a large part of French academic research.
A striking trait of French higher education, compared with other countries, is the small size and multiplicity of establishments, each specialized in a more or less broad spectrum of areas. A middle-sized French city, such as Grenoble or Nancy, may have 2 or 3 universities (focused on science or sociological studies), and also a number of engineering and other specialized higher education establishments. In Paris and its suburbs there are 13 universities, none of which is specialized in one area or another, and a large number of smaller institutions which are highly specialised.

It is not uncommon for graduate teaching programmes (master's degrees, the course part of PhD programmes etc.) to be operated in common by several institutions, allowing the institutions to present a larger variety of courses.
In engineering schools, a large share of the teaching staff is often made up of non-permanent professors; instead, part-time professors are hired to teach one specific point only. These part-time professors are generally hired from neighbouring universities, research institutes, or industries.

Another original feature of the French higher education system is that a large share of the scientific research is not done by universities, but by research establishments such as CNRS or INSERM. In many cases, the research units of those establishments are installed inside universities (or other higher education establishments), and jointly operated by the research establishment and the university.
Tuition Costs
Since higher education is funded by the state, the fees are very low; the tuition varies from 150€ to 700€ depending on the university and the different levels of education. (licence, master, doctorate). One can therefore get a Master's degree (in 5 years) for about 750-3,500€. Additionally, students from low-income families can apply for scholarships, paying nominal sums for tuition or textbooks, and can get a monthly stipend of up to 450€/month.

The tuition in public engineering schools is comparable to universities, albeit a little higher (around 700€). However it can reach 7000€ a year for private engineering schools, and some business schools, which are all private or partially private, charge up to 8000€ a year.

Health insurance for students is free until the age of 21, so only the living costs and books expenses have to be added.
Although this is the case in many schools, some public schools have other ways of gaining money. Some do not receive sufficient funds from the government to hold many trips, and so these schools may ask for a small (optional) entrance fee for new students.