Study abroad at Toulouse

Toulouse (internationally celebrated as 'La Ville Rose' / 'The Pink City' due to its characteristic terracotta pink-brick architecture) is France's fourth-largest city and consistently voted the #1 Best Student City in France by L'Étudiant, situated along the scenic banks of the Garonne River and the UNESCO-listed Canal du Midi in the Occitanie region of southwestern France, located just 2 hours from the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees mountains, home to Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS). Globally celebrated as the undisputed Aerospace Capital of Europe (home to the global headquarters and final assembly lines of Airbus, ATR, Thales Alenia Space, and CNES - French National Centre for Space Studies), the monumental Place du Capitole (anchored by the 18th-century town hall and opera), the Romanesque Basilica of Saint-Sernin (UNESCO World Heritage Site, the largest preserved Romanesque church in Europe), the iconic Pont Neuf, Cité de l'Espace space theme park, and its thriving multi-billion euro economy in aerospace, satellite telecommunications, artificial intelligence, biotechnology (Oncopole), and robotics. Toulouse is home to one of the world's oldest and most prestigious university hubs: University of Toulouse (Université de Toulouse - founded in 1229 by King Louis IX, enrolling over 130,000 students across elite faculties: Université Toulouse Capitole UT Capitole, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, and Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès). Toulouse is globally acclaimed for ISAE-SUPAERO (the world's oldest and Europe's #1 premier aerospace engineering grand école, alma mater of European astronauts Thomas Pesquet and Luca Parmitano), Toulouse School of Economics (TSE - ranked Top 10 in the world for Economics, founded by 2014 Nobel Laureate in Economics Jean Tirole), INSA Toulouse (prestigious engineering institute), ENAC (National School of Civil Aviation - Europe's largest aviation university), and TBS Education (triple-accredited AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA). Over 250+ undergraduate and master's degree programs are taught 100% in English within the European Higher Education Area (ECTS). International students benefit from France's subsidized public university tuition (€170 to €3,770/year), French government housing subsidies (CAF/APL covering up to 40% of monthly rent), Tisséo metro/tram pass (€15/month for students), and the French VLS-TS Schengen Student Visa with legal student work rights (up to 20 hours/week) and 1-year post-study job search visa (RECE).

Tuition fees in Toulouse for international students at public universities (Université de Toulouse Capitole, Paul Sabatier, INSA) are heavily subsidized by the French state, ranging from €170 to €2,770 per year for Bachelor's degrees and €243 to €3,770 per year for Master's degrees. At elite engineering and business grands écoles (ISAE-SUPAERO, ENAC, TBS Education), tuition ranges from €7,500 to €15,500 per year. Subsidized French CROUS university student residences in Toulouse (Rangueil, Arsenal, Chapou, Ponsan - fully furnished student rooms with high-speed Wi-Fi and utilities) cost between €220 and €450 per month, while private student studios in Compans-Caffarelli, Saint-Cyprien, and Saint-Michel range from €450 to €750 per month. Importantly, all international students in France are legally entitled to the French Government CAF / APL housing subsidy, which refunds approx. €100 to €220 per month directly to the student's French bank account (bringing net monthly rent down to just €120–€350/month). General monthly living expenses range between €550 and €900.

International non-EU students require a French Long-Stay Visa equivalent to a Residence Permit (VLS-TS - Visa Long Séjour valant Titre de Séjour). Key requirements include: an official Letter of Acceptance from the University of Toulouse, ISAE-SUPAERO, or TBS Education, completion of the Campus France EEF procedure, proof of financial maintenance funds (minimum €615 per month, totaling approx. €7,380 for one academic year in a personal bank account), proof of accommodation in Toulouse, and valid passport. International students are legally permitted to work part-time up to 60% of the annual working time (approx. 20 hours per week) and benefit from free French public health insurance (Sécurité Sociale Étudiante). Graduates of Master's degrees qualify for the 1-year RECE Job Search and Creation Residence Permit in France.