Studying in Paris
Paris is France’s capital and one of the world’s great student cities, with a dense cluster of historic universities and elite grandes écoles, unmatched museums and culture, and a compact, walkable centre. It is also by far the most expensive place to study in France, so budgeting here needs more care than anywhere else in the country.
Universities and major institutes
- Sorbonne University & Université Paris Cité
- Université PSL (incl. ENS, Dauphine)
- Université Paris-Saclay (nearby)
- Sciences Po
- École Polytechnique and HEC Paris (Île-de-France)
Cost of living
Paris has the highest living costs in France by a clear margin. A room or small studio typically runs €700 to €1,200 a month, with prices varying sharply by arrondissement: the 19th and 20th, or a commuter town reached by RER, cost noticeably less than the centre. Food need not blow the budget. CROUS restaurants dotted around the city sell canteen meals at a fixed, subsidised price, a tradition that remains one of the more reliable ways to eat a proper meal on a student income. Some students, depending on nationality and scholarship status, may also qualify for CAF housing assistance such as APL; the rules have tightened recently for non-EU students without a French social-criteria scholarship, so check your own eligibility with CAF rather than assuming an older arrangement still applies.
Getting around
Paris runs on one of the densest metro networks in Europe, with numbered lines criss-crossing the city and RER trains reaching the suburbs and satellite campuses such as Saclay. Students under a certain age qualify for the discounted Imagine R travel pass, part of the wider Navigo family, covering metro, bus, and RER for a flat monthly or annual rate: a genuine saving for anyone commuting daily. Cycling is increasingly viable too, helped by an expanding network of lanes and the Vélib’ bike-share scheme.
Weather and lifestyle
Paris sits firmly in the grey, changeable north: mild but often overcast winters, unpredictable spring rain, and summers that can swing from warm to unexpectedly cool within the same week. Café terraces fill the moment the sun appears, and outdoor life picks up noticeably from May onward. Like the rest of the country, much of the city empties out in August, when many smaller restaurants and independent shops close for the owner’s own holiday, so it is worth checking opening hours before relying on a favourite spot that month.
Working while you study
Non-EU students on a French student residence permit can generally work up to 964 hours a year, a little over half of full-time hours, without needing a separate work permit. Realistic options with limited French include hospitality and retail in the tourist-facing districts, campus jobs arranged through CROUS, English tutoring, and babysitting or au pair-style work in the wealthier western arrondissements. Fluency opens up considerably more, so many students treat the first year as one for building language skills alongside a lighter job.
Neighbourhoods for students
- Quartier Latin (5th): the historic student heart, around the Sorbonne.
- Cité Universitaire (14th): the famous international student campus.
- Belleville / Ménilmontant (19th-20th): lively, diverse, more affordable.
- Nearby suburbs: Saclay, Cachan, and others for grandes écoles, cheaper.
Institutions in Paris
Sciences Po
A selective Paris grande école renowned for political science, international relations, and public affairs.
Sorbonne University
A major Paris research university formed from the merger of Paris-Sorbonne and Pierre and Marie Curie universities.
Université Paris Cité
A large, research-intensive Paris university formed by the merger of Paris Descartes and Paris Diderot universities.
Université PSL
A selective Paris research grouping bringing together prestigious grandes écoles, schools, and research institutes.
Explore more: universities in France, cost of living, and student visas.