Did you know France currently hosts at least 430,000 international students including around 11,000 foreign apprentices in advanced technician studies? According to studies, this is a 17 percent increase in five years. One of the things that attracts most of these people to pursue their education in France is its ethnic diversity. It is easy to get along with the locals while learning their culture.
The French government offers the most affordable medical studies for any international student compared to countries like the United States and the United Kingdom. However, with the introduction of the new regulations which saw most universities raise their tuition fee for non-EU students, it has become quite hard to find an affordable institution for medical students.
The universities in this list remain the cheapest medical schools in the country as they do not adhere to the regulations but the total payment may vary slightly due to some additional fees specified by the university.
France also has some of the best medical schools in the world. If you are looking to start or continue your medical career by studying at French universities, you are in the right place. In this article, we will explore some of the cheapest medical schools in France offering high-quality education.
Affordable Medical Schools in France
1. Paris Cité University
- Tuition Fees
- Tuition Fees: €170 + €100 CVEC (Bachelor’s) | €243 + €100 CVEC (Master’s) | €380 + €100 CVEC (Doctorate)
Paris Cité University or Université Paris Cité in French is one of the institutions that did not adhere to the fee regulation changes proposed by the French government. As such, EU and non-EU citizens still pay the same amount per year. Since the fee for EU students is generally low (almost ten times lower than the proposed fee for international students), this remains one of the cheapest universities in France offering medical studies for any foreigner.
2. Claude-Bernard University Lyon 1
- Tuition Fees
- Tuition Fees: €217 (Bachelor’s) | €306 (Master’s)
The main programs offered at Claude-Bernard University Lyon 1 are in medicine and pharmacy. With an acceptance rate of nearly 100%, the university admits one of the largest freshman groups in France. It has a student population of just over 28,000 coming in every academic year. Most students are attracted to Claude-Bernard University due to its budget and availability of enough research facilities.
3. Aix-Marseille University
- Tuition Fees
- Tuition Fees: €217 (Bachelor’s) | €295 (Master’s)
Aix-Marseille University is one of the oldest universities that is still fully operational in France. After its establishment in 1409, AMU has constantly grown to meet the ever-rising demands. It has over 74,000 students, with 14% of them coming from over 128 countries. Among other colleges, it has a school of medicine in Marseille which was established in 1645.
4. University of Strasbourg
- Tuition Fees
- Tuition Fees: Tuition fees rarely exceed €600 per academic year
The university has over 46,000 students, 20% of which are admitted from over 100 countries. It is located in the Alsace region, where the cost of living for a student is around $800 on average per month. The University of Strasbourg offers one of the best medical education in the country and ranks high internationally. The most important thing in this context is the fact that both local and international students still pay the same tuition fee regardless of the course. As such the university remains quite affordable, especially for medical students since this is the course that has always been associated with high tuition fees. Here are the average costs as stipulated on the university’s website.
5. University of Burgundy
- Tuition Fees
- Tuition Fees: €175 + €103 CVEC (Bachelor’s) | €250 + €103 CVEC (Master’s)
Situated in Campus Montmuzard, the University of Burgundy was established in 1722 and has over 27,000 students. It is a multidiscipline university with 10 faculties, four schools, and five institutes. Given that most universities in the country cost over $2,000 in the new regulations, this is one of the cheapest medical schools in France. The university has admitted over 3,000 students which is about 10% of the total population.
The five universities mentioned in this article did not adhere to the new proposal, therefore they have a different fee system from the rest. However, you might find that some of them are very competitive basically because of the cost. The cost of living will, of course, depend on your spending habits. But as you can see from the average statistics, it rarely exceeds the $1,000 mark per month. Application to these universities is made online, and you will need a student visa if you are not from within the European Union.
We hope that this article on cheap medical schools in France was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Study in France and Available Programs in Europe for more study opportunities and insightful articles.