France has announced a major increase in tuition fees for most non-European Union students beginning from the 2026/27 academic year.
Under the new policy, non-EU students attending public universities will pay €2,895 annually for bachelor’s programmes and €3,941 for master’s degrees.
The French government says the measure is aimed at creating a more balanced and sustainable funding system for higher education institutions. Philippe Baptiste stated that universities will now operate under a stricter fee framework, declaring that “differentiated fees are now the rule, exemption is the exception.”
Under the revised rules, universities will only be allowed to exempt roughly 10% of international students from the increased tuition rates.
At the same time, France plans to direct more scholarship funding toward strategic fields such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, digital technology, and quantum science.
The policy has triggered criticism from France Universités and several education advocacy groups.
Critics argue that the higher fees could reduce France’s attractiveness to international students and weaken its reputation as an accessible destination for global education.
Opponents of the reform also warn that students from developing countries may be disproportionately affected, especially those who rely on relatively affordable tuition in French public universities compared with other Western countries.
Supporters of the policy, however, argue that the changes will help universities improve resources and maintain educational quality amid rising financial pressures.
