For the international flavor of the country's higher education system
Each year more than 278,000 international students choose France for their higher education.
The world's fifth-largest economy, France is also the fourth most popular destination for international students. The country remains committed to its long-standing policy of equal treatment for domestic and international students. Some examples of that policy: Tuition rates at French institutions are identical for all students. For programs leading to national diplomas, tuition rates are set by law. All students, regardless of origin, enjoy the same benefits (health coverage, housing assistance).
France spends about 1.2% of its gross domestic product on higher education—about €20 billion annually. Financing for higher education is predominantly public (87%). France's spending for higher education represents an investment of about €10,800 per student, including international students.
With 278,000 international students (12% of the country's total postsecondary enrollment), including 25,000 doctoral candidates, France is the world's fourth-largest host country after the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
France's institutions award degrees that adhere to the common European architecture known as LMD (for Licence, Master, abd Doctorate). French diplomas are therefore recognized and accepted throughout the world.
For many students, studying in France means an opportunity to learn French or to extend one's command of the language. Doing so allows them to join a global community of 250 million speakers of language of Voltaire, Hugo, and Camus, an official language of the Olympics, the United Nations, and the European Union.
In France, international students of all nationalities enjoy the same rights and advantages as French students. In the last 10 years the number of international students in France has grown by 75%!
