France is best known as a tourist country. This article looks at a different side of it: a strong education system, universities with a global reputation, and a defined route from a degree to permanent residence.
France is one of the more attractive destinations in Europe, and studying there opens real options for the years that follow. If you are considering a degree in Europe, this guide covers the best courses to study for immigration to France and what studying in the country actually gives you.
Why choose a French university?
Studying in France gives you the right to live in one of Europe’s most established countries, and a French student visa also lets you travel within the Schengen area. Beyond that, the main advantages are these:
- Affordable tuition at public universities
- High teaching standards and strong global rankings
- French qualifications that are recognised internationally
- Scholarships and maintenance grants for international students
- Programmes taught in English or French, and the chance to add a second language
- Permission to work part-time during your studies
- The post-study residence permit (APS)
- A central location in Europe
- A clear route towards permanent residence
- Graduate openings in engineering, medicine, technology, management and the arts
Read more: Ten of the best public universities in France
Studying in France: the first step towards migration
With that in mind, here is how to approach the best courses for study migration to France. Start by drawing up a shortlist of universities and checking the admissions page of each for:
- Application deadlines
- The documents required
- Entry conditions, including language certificates
Then prepare, within the application window, for the admission process and any interview or entrance test. For French-taught programmes a B2 certificate in French is required. For English-taught programmes, an academic IELTS score is usually enough.
Students without a scholarship or funding also need to show the consulate proof of funds covering tuition and living costs in France, alongside the rest of the file.
Once you hold an offer, you can book a French consulate appointment for the student visa and, once it is issued, enter the country lawfully. With that background, here are the courses worth considering.
The best courses to study in France for a stronger future
France is a popular destination for international students, not only for the standard of teaching but because certain fields lead to real graduate demand. The subjects with the strongest job prospects, the widest choice of roles, the higher salaries and the most job security are engineering, especially IT, civil and mechanical, data science and artificial intelligence, management and MBA programmes, medicine and pharmacy, art and fashion design, and law and international relations.
These fields are in demand in the French labour market, and graduates in them are better placed to move on to a work permit and, in time, permanent residence.
Engineering: IT, civil and mechanical
Engineering is one of the best fields to study for migration to France. France is an industrial economy with real weight in automotive, aerospace, construction and technology, which is why subjects such as:
- Software engineering
- Civil engineering
- Electrical and electronic engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Aerospace engineering
- Renewable energy
attract strong demand in France and lead to solid careers. Engineering graduates from schools such as Ecole Polytechnique and INSA Lyon are frequently recruited by companies including Airbus, Renault, Dassault and EDF, at good salaries, which is also how a student visa is converted into a work permit and the residence path becomes easier.
Data science, artificial intelligence and IT
Courses in artificial intelligence and IT are heavily subscribed and lead to some of the higher salaries in the market. As digitisation has accelerated and AI systems have spread, data science, AI, cybersecurity and software development have become the most sought-after skills in France and across Europe.
Technology companies, banks and public bodies are all recruiting in this area, and courses at institutions such as Telecom Paris and EPITA are taught in English. Strong pay, the option of remote work and a straightforward route to a work permit make this one of the best fields to study for migration to France.
Management, international business and MBA
Management subjects are also among the best courses to study for migration to France. Degrees in management, MBA programmes, economics and marketing in cities such as Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux open doors at international companies, and the qualifications travel well to markets such as the United States and Canada.
If you can win a place at HEC Paris, ESCP Business School or EDHEC, graduate recruitment into consultancies, banks and international organisations is a realistic prospect, and that employment is what supports a later application for permanent residence in France.
Medicine, dentistry and pharmacy
The medical sciences are always among the best fields to study for migration, to France and elsewhere, and healthcare professionals tend to have the widest choice of work-based routes. Note that medical programmes at French universities require fluent French.
Medical graduates who studied elsewhere can also work in French clinics, hospitals and pharmacies once their qualifications have been recognised and any bridging requirements completed. France has one of the strongest public health systems in the world, so if you are still choosing a subject, the medical sciences deserve a place on the list.
Read more: A full guide to the cost of moving to France
Art, fashion design and architecture
France, and Paris in particular, is a world capital of art and fashion. Painters, designers, architects and specialists in fashion, photography, architecture, graphic design and fine art head there, which is why these subjects sit among the best courses to study for migration to France.
Institutions such as Ecole Duperre, IFA Paris and ENSAD are among the strongest schools in these fields, and the presence of houses including Dior, Chanel and Louis Vuitton keeps the French fashion and design market busy and international.
Law, political science and international relations
France plays a significant part in international organisations such as the European Union, UNESCO and the United Nations, and has long been associated with civil liberties and democratic government. That is why international law, political science, diplomacy and international relations are among the best courses to study for migration to France.
Sciences Po and Universite Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne are the leading schools for these subjects, and both open routes into international institutions, NGOs and immigration practice.
Graduating from these programmes with strong results is both an entry point to international bodies and a step towards working in the United Nations offices in New York.
How to move from study to permanent residence in France
Having covered the best courses to study for migration to France, here is how a student visa becomes a work permit and then permanent residence.
The first step is graduating from a recognised French institution and then applying for the temporary post-study permit (APS), issued for 12 months and in some cases for up to 24. During that period you have time, as a recent graduate, to find work related to your degree paying at least 1.5 times the French minimum wage (SMIC). The SMIC is revised each year, so check the current figure before you rely on it. Meet that threshold and the student visa can be converted into a work permit, and you stay in France.
From there you need continuous employment, declared income and tax paid on it, so that after five years of continuous lawful residence in France you can apply for permanent residence. The route takes several years, but it is one of the more dependable ways to turn a student visa into settled status.
That is also why the choice of subject matters. Pick a field that matches your interests and your ability, and that stands up as one of the best courses to study for migration to France.
Scholarships for study in France with Aval Visa
If permanent residence in France is the goal, a student visa is a lawful and well-defined way in. Choosing well among the best courses for study migration to France shortens the route to settled status and puts you in a market with strong training, active demand and stable employment.
To study in France and secure a university place, talk to the team at Aval Visa and start the process. From the free assessment form to the consulate appointment and the completed file, our team can handle each stage with you.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a language certificate to study in France?
Yes. French-taught programmes require French at level B2 or above, and English-taught programmes usually ask for IELTS 6.0 or higher. - Can international students work?
Yes. A student visa allows up to 964 hours of work a year, roughly 20 hours a week. - Are scholarships available in France?
Yes. Government schemes such as the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship, along with regional scholarships, are open to international students with strong grades and language scores.
