Bachelor's and master's study in France, in French or English

French degrees follow the Bologna three-cycle structure of the European Higher Education Area: bachelor (licence), master and doctorate. Credits are counted in ECTS: 60 ECTS is one full academic year, a licence is 180 ECTS and a master is 120 ECTS. The national framework is the Cadre national des certifications professionnelles, referenced to the EQF. France is in the EU and the Schengen area and uses the euro.

Public universities teach in French. Many private schools, including grandes ecoles and business schools, teach in English; check the language of each programme. Public universities charge non-EU students higher registration rates, which many institutions waive. Campus France administers French government scholarships.

The main intake is September. Some private schools also run a smaller January intake; confirm it for each programme.

In Paris, temperatures average 1.8 to 7.4 °C in January and 15.0 to 25.1 °C in July, with about 827 mm of rain a year. In January, Nice on the Mediterranean averages 5.2 to 12.8 °C and Lille in the north 1.6 to 6.8 °C.