Study & Experience France | Last updated: 6 September 2026
Education is one of France’s longest visitor journeys. A student who comes to learn French, fashion, cooking, hospitality, perfume, design or luxury management does more than enter a classroom. That person rents a home, uses public transport, buys food, discovers regions, welcomes relatives, builds professional relationships and may return for work, tourism or investment.
This oui stars Travel vertical examines that complete relationship. It is not a university ranking and editorial inclusion cannot be purchased. We investigate what people come to France to learn, what the experience really costs, how a destination shapes the education, and what France gains when a student remains connected to the country.
France’s international-student economy: verified baseline
| Indicator | Scope | Latest verified value |
|---|---|---|
| Students of foreign nationality | French higher education, 2024–2025 | 443,469 |
| Students in international mobility | French higher education, autumn 2024 | 329,100; 12% of enrolment |
| Growth in mobile international students | Ten years to 2024–2025 | +38% |
| English-taught programmes listed by Campus France | End of 2025 | 1,716, including 1,460 fully in English |
| Economic contribution | Campus France/Kantar survey published 2022 | €5bn gross; €1.35bn net after identified public costs |
The first two totals use different official definitions. “Foreign nationality” includes students who did not necessarily move to France for study; “international mobility” identifies students who came from abroad. The economic estimate is based on a 2022 survey and is not presented as a current 2026 total.
Why this belongs in a travel publication
The latest detailed economic study from Campus France found that international students spent an average of €867 per month in France in its 2022 survey, with 48% directed to rent. Average reported tuition and the student-life contribution totalled €2,822. Travel to reach France averaged €1,692. One quarter studied French before or during the stay, at an average cost of €1,632 among those concerned.
The visitor effect continues beyond the student. Thirty-eight per cent of respondents received relatives or friends, for an average combined visit of 23 days. After the study experience, 88% said they wanted to return to France as tourists and 93% would recommend France as a holiday destination. These are survey responses, not guaranteed future behaviour, but they reveal why education is also destination strategy.
The editorial map
| Desk | Questions we will answer |
|---|---|
| Learn French | Accredited courses, duration, Paris versus Nice, housing, budget and the correct immigration route. |
| Fashion & Luxury | Design versus business, Paris industry exposure, tuition, language, admissions and competition from Milan, London and Switzerland. |
| Culinary & Gastronomy | Cooking, pastry, internships, professional kitchens, Paris versus Lyon and the real career proposition. |
| Hospitality & Tourism | Schools, qualifications, hotel careers, practical training and the skills tourism education needs in the AI era. |
| Art, Design & Craftsmanship | Perfume, jewellery, wine, photography, architecture, restoration and skills that depend on French ecosystems. |
| Student Life | Neighbourhoods, safety, transport, healthcare, banking, integration and the difference between visiting and living in a destination. |
| Costs & Accommodation | Tuition, rent, deposits, transport and realistic budgets based on dated official or institutional sources. |
| Education Economy & Intelligence | Student flows, family visits, spending, housing pressure, talent retention and France’s competitive position. |
Useful oui stars reporting already available
The new pillar starts by organising substantial work that already exists instead of duplicating it:
- Hospitality and tourism schools in France for international students
- How to apply to tourism and hospitality schools in France
- Admission requirements for hospitality schools
- What it costs to study tourism and hospitality
- Hospitality specialisations and career paths
- Career opportunities after graduation
- What tourism schools must understand about AI and work
- Paris neighbourhood and accommodation context
These articles keep their existing URLs. Some were published before the new pillar and are currently available only in English. They will not be cloned into competing articles. Translation and revision priorities will be based on usefulness, evidence and search intent.
What France is competing for
France’s April 2026 “Choose France for Higher Education” strategy counted 443,469 students of foreign nationality in 2024–2025 and retained the objective of 500,000 by 2027. It also acknowledged a harder truth: UNESCO’s degree-mobility data placed France eighth worldwide for 2023, after France had ranked fourth in 2017. International student mobility grew faster globally than in France over the period cited by the ministry.
France therefore competes on more than reputation. Students and parents compare housing, visa administration, language, safety, employment rights, internship access, teaching quality, international recognition and daily life. Paris may offer incomparable proximity to fashion, luxury, culture and corporate headquarters, but it can lose a student if housing is unobtainable or administrative support is unclear. Lyon, Nice, Bordeaux, Toulouse and other cities can offer a different balance of sector expertise, cost and quality of life.
How we will assess schools and programmes
oui stars Travel will verify that an institution exists and that the named programme is current. Tuition, language, location, duration and admissions will be taken from the institution’s official material and dated. Public recognition, degree status, RNCP registration, visa eligibility, the Qualité FLE label or Bienvenue en France label will be described only when the responsible official body confirms it.
A school’s own employment number is a claim from the school unless independently audited. A corporate guest lecture is not an employment partnership. A location in Paris does not automatically provide Fashion Week access. We will state these distinctions because international families need more than marketing language.
For students and for families
The reader making the decision may be a parent. Every major guide will therefore examine the practical questions surrounding the course: neighbourhood, commute, housing contract, insurance, healthcare registration, emergency support, realistic living budget, language environment and career value. Requirements differ by nationality and programme, so immigration information will link to France-Visas, Campus France and the relevant prefecture rather than promise one universal route.
First flagship investigations
- The Business of Studying in France: how international students feed the tourism, housing and lifestyle economy.
- Learn French in France: the complete decision guide for international students.
- Where to Study Fashion in Paris: programmes, costs, industry exposure and life in the fashion capital.
- Where to Study Cooking in France: professional paths, costs, kitchens and destination choices.
- Who Comes to France to Study and Why: mapping the international student economy.
Primary sources
- French Ministry of Higher Education, international-mobility enrolment 2024–2025
- Choose France for Higher Education, April 2026
- Campus France/Kantar, economic impact survey
- French Ministry, differentiated tuition fees and exemptions, January 2026
Commercial relationships will never determine editorial inclusion or ranking. Sponsored content, if introduced later, will be labelled clearly and kept separate from independent conclusions.
