Studying in Lyon: universities, costs, housing and student life

Universities and schools in Lyon

Lyon is France's second largest student city after Paris, with a mix of public universities, engineering schools and business schools spread across the metropolitan area. The main public universities are Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 for science, technology and health, Université Lumière Lyon 2 for humanities and social sciences, and Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 for law, management and political science.

Alongside the universities, Lyon hosts several selective grandes écoles. INSA Lyon trains engineers over a five-year integrated program, École Centrale de Lyon offers a general engineering track with strong research links, and EM Lyon Business School runs undergraduate and graduate management programs, several taught in English.

Degree structure in France follows the standard European Bologna model: a three-year licence, a two-year master and a doctorate, all measured in ECTS credits. A licence carries 180 ECTS and a master adds 120 ECTS on top, so credits transfer if you study in another European country later.

How to apply

If you already live in France or hold an EU baccalaureate equivalent, apply for a licence through Parcoursup, the national platform that centralizes applications to French public universities and many schools. Applications open in January and you rank your preferences before the platform matches you to places over the following months.

If you live outside France, apply through Campus France and its Etudes en France procedure, which many countries require before you get a student visa. Grandes écoles such as INSA Lyon and Centrale Lyon run separate admissions, often with an entrance exam or a file review plus interview, so check each school's own calendar rather than relying on Parcoursup dates.

Every student enrolling in French higher education pays the CVEC, a mandatory annual contribution that funds student health, sport and cultural services. The fee is 105 euros for the 2026-2027 academic year , paid online before you complete university enrollment. Keep the confirmation certificate, since your university asks for it during registration.

Housing in Lyon

Lyon's CROUS (regional student welfare center) manages a network of subsidized student residences across the city and in nearby Saint-Étienne. To apply, fill in a Dossier Social Étudiant (DSE) on the national student services portal, then submit your residence preferences through trouverunlogement.lescrous.fr . Rent varies by residence and room type, so check the current listing for each building before you rank your choices.

Demand for CROUS rooms in Lyon outstrips supply every year, especially for the September intake, so submit your DSE as soon as the portal opens rather than waiting until summer.

If you do not get a CROUS place, the private market is the main alternative. Private studios and shared apartments cluster around the university campuses in the 7th and 8th arrondissements and in Villeurbanne, home to the La Doua science campus.

Tenants in France, students included, apply for CAF housing aid (APL), a monthly payment that reduces the rent you pay, calculated from your income, your rent amount and your address. Apply through the CAF website once you sign a lease and move in, since the aid does not backdate far before your application date.

Choosing where to live

The 7th arrondissement, home to the Lyon 2 and part of the Lyon 3 campuses, and the Gerland district further south, both put you within walking or short tram distance of humanities and social science lectures. Villeurbanne, technically a separate town but functionally part of Lyon, sits around the La Doua science and engineering campus and offers a livelier, more affordable student scene than the city center.

The Presqu'île, Lyon's central peninsula between the two rivers, and the hillside Croix-Rousse district give you a more traditional, less student-dense setting with higher rent, better suited if you want easy access to nightlife and the historic center over proximity to a specific campus. Check the metro and tram map against your faculty's address before committing to a neighborhood, since commute time varies a lot across Lyon's spread-out campus network.

Getting around Lyon

TCL, Lyon's public transport operator, runs four metro lines, a tram network, a funicular up to Fourvière hill and a bus system that covers the metropolitan area. Students under a set age qualify for a discounted annual pass, and the network connects every major campus to the city center and to Part-Dieu, Lyon's main train station.

Lyon is also a walkable and increasingly bike-friendly city, with a public bike-share scheme and cycle lanes expanding each year. Many students combine walking or cycling for short trips with a transport pass for longer journeys across town.

Arrival admin to plan for

Non-EU students need a long-stay student visa before arrival, then validate it online with the French immigration office once they land, a step that also grants a residence permit for the length of the course. Register with the French national health system (Assurance Maladie) and your university's own student health service soon after arrival, so you avoid paying full price for doctor visits.

Open a French bank account early, since it makes paying rent, receiving CAF payments and setting up a phone plan simpler. Most banks ask for proof of address and your student enrollment certificate, so bring copies of your lease and admission letter to the appointment.

Scholarships and funding

International master's and PhD students often look at the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme, run by the French government through Campus France, which funds selected candidates at French institutions including those in Lyon. EU exchange students on a partner program access Erasmus+ funding through their home university, while INSA Lyon, Centrale Lyon and EM Lyon each run their own merit or need-based scholarships for select programs.

Check eligibility and deadlines directly on Campus France and on each institution's own scholarship page, since criteria and application windows differ by program and by nationality. Apply for external scholarships well before your university application deadline, since most funding decisions arrive before enrollment closes.

Working while you study

EU/EEA students in Lyon work under the same rules as French citizens, with no special permit required. Non-EU students holding a student residence permit work part time alongside their studies, capped at a share of full-time hours set by French immigration rules, so confirm the current limit with your university's international office or the local prefecture before you commit to a job.

Part-time student jobs in Lyon include tutoring, retail, hospitality and campus roles such as library or lab assistant positions. Many university career centers post student job listings directly, which is often a faster route than general job sites for finding employers used to hiring around a class schedule.

Student life in Lyon

Lyon sits where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet, and its historic center, Vieux Lyon, holds UNESCO World Heritage status. The city is widely regarded as the food capital of France, with a dense cluster of bouchons, the traditional Lyonnais restaurants, and a large indoor food market, which makes eating out part of local student culture even on a budget.

Every university and grande école in Lyon runs student associations (BDE) that organize welcome events, sports clubs and cultural outings, a practical way to meet people and settle into the city during your first weeks. Fourvière hill, the Croix-Rousse district and the riverside quays give students plenty of free, walkable places to spend time outside class.