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Top 5 Best Student Cities in France

student cities 5 min read , August 10, 2021

You’re walking down the street, with a baguette or croissant in one hand, and a hot coffee in the other. Passing by plenty of historical monuments, beautiful sceneries and fabulous stories. Yes, this is France, the center of Western European history, culture, and economy. It is where French Revolutionary War happened, making people free from noble society and socially economically equal. France has a reputation for art and philosophy. According to a study on international students, over 300,000 foreign students visit France annually for study.

Let´s take a look at the famous cities for students in France.

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Best 5 Student Cities in France

1. Paris: the cosy capital

2. Lyon: historical city center

3. Toulouse: the pink city

4. Grenoble: close to the Alps

5. Montpellier: where young people live

Best student cities in France
Best Student Cities - France - Source: Photographer: Anthony Choren | Source: Unsplash

1. Paris: the cosy capital

Paris has been the beloved city among romantic movies. It is the background city of many beautiful movies such as Before Sunset and Emily in Paris. Pais the capital and most populous city of France. From the 15th century to the 17th Century was the French Renaissance period and from this time, Paris has earned its own fame for the center of art, architecture, and science. Moreover, Paris has famous monuments which attract hundreds of tourists every year, e.g. Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées street, Palace of Versailles.

Paris Best student cities in France
Best Student Cities - Paris - Source: Photographer: Anthony DELANOIX | Source: Unsplash

Which is the most famous university in Paris? The University of Paris was founded in the 12th century. It is also called Sorbonne University. It has an international reputation in Humanities, Theology, and Philosophy.

Best student cities in Paris
Best student cities - Source: Photographer: Robin Ooode | Source: Unsplash

2. Lyon: historical city center

Lyon is located in the South-Eastern part of France. It is the third-largest city in France. Lyon was the major economic center during the Renaissance period. The city is renowned for its cuisine and delicacy. Since it was the capital city of Gaul, the city is full of historical and architectural landmarks. Moreover, Lyon was the center of the silk, and also the movie industry. Louis Lumière developed the cinematograph here.

 Lyon
Best Student Cities: Photographer: Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu | Source: Unsplash

Since the cinematograph has been developed in this city, The École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Lyon is the most famous university in Lyon. It is a school of art and design. This school is a part of École des Beaux-Arts, one of the most influential art schools in France. It has a long history for art education since it was established in the 18th century.

Lyon
Best Student cities - The École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Lyon - Source: The École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Lyon

3. Toulouse: the pink city

Toulouse is located in southern France. It is near to the Mediterranean Sea. Toulouse is known for its aerospace industry. The headquarters of Airbus is located here. It also hosts the European headquarters of Intel and CNES's Toulouse Space Centre, the biggest space center in Europe. Toulouse is also a beloved city by tourists. It owns three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Canal du Midi, the Basilica of St. Sernin, the former hospital Hôtel-Dieu Saint-Jacques. The city is built up with pink terracotta bricks and gives a unique vibe.

Toulouse
Best Student Cities: Toulouse: Source - Photographer: Henrique Ferreira | Source: Unsplash

Toulouse is where one of the oldest European universities is located. The University of Toulouse was founded in the 13th century. It has a huge university campus. This university has a reputation for Social Sciences and Technology studies.

University of Toulouse
Best Student Cities: University of Toulouse -Source: Eurocitizen

4. Grenoble: close to the Alps

Grenoble is located in Southeastern France. It is located within the Dauphiné historical province and is located near to French Alps, which contributes to the great view of the city. The city is known for being one of Europe's most important research, technology, and innovation centers. It is also the center of a hydropower industry in France.

The Best Student Cities Grenoble
Best Student Cities: Grenoble: Source-Photographer: Fabe collage | Source: Unsplash

The city has its reputation for being the best student city since it is filled with over 54,000 students. The University of Grenoble was established in the 14th century. From 1970, the university was divided into four separate institutions: Grenoble I – Joseph Fourier University (sciences, health, technologies), Grenoble II – Pierre Mendès-France University (social sciences) which includes the Institute of political studies, Grenoble III – Stendhal University (humanities), Grenoble Institute of Technology (INPG or Grenoble-INP) is a federation of engineering colleges. Since the city is the center of future industries, The University of Grenoble is known for Technology, Natural Science studies.

Best student cities in France University of Grenoble
Best Student Cities: University of Grenoble - Source: University of Grenoble

5. Montpellier: where young people live

Montpellier is located in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. In the Middle Ages, Montpellier was an important city of the Crown of Aragon and then of Majorca, before its sale to France in 1349. Since the 1990s, Montpellier has experienced one of the strongest economic and demographic growth in the country.

Best Student Cities Montpellier
Best Student Cities: Montpellier : Source-Photographer: KWON JUNHO | Source: Unsplash

The University of Montpellier is one of the oldest in the world, founded in 1160. This university hosts a large number of students, more than 70,000, students which is one of the highest such proportions in Europe. It has a reputation for Law and Ecology study.

Best Student Cities - The University of Montpellier - Source: ESG Today

Discover the best student cities in France and Europe

Are you interested in other best student cities in Europe? Check our articles about UK and Germany and other European student cities.

We have looked at the best student cities in France. As we can see, Spain has various places which you can enjoy your student life. What about finding people who can explore these cities? and drink French wine together?

Looking for easy travel in France? Interrail offers you a cheap train pass which is a fairly cheap price for students! Check out below for more information.

Best student cities with Interrail Pass!

Looking for a job while studying abroad?

Of course you would like to earn some money while working abroad. You can strengthen your skills and learn languages faster in a work environment with colleagues. And also, the bills need to be paid, right? One of the websites you can visit to find a job is Jooble, where you’ll find plenty of jobs. Whether you want to work in a local bar, at a big corporate or in a marketing agency, just check it.

Meet like-minded students in France

If you are new in the city or want to meet more like-minded people, check out UNBLND app. You can choose your location and your interest, and meet awesome people based on these. Moreover, the best thing is it is free of charge! Search UNBLND in Google Playstore or Appstore.

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