Study in Dijon, France

About Dijon

Dijon is the historic capital of Burgundy, in eastern France, and the main city of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. It had 161,830 inhabitants in 2023, according to INSEE. It is a mid-sized university city: most of its students study on the university campus, reached by tram from the centre.

Students choose Dijon for its university, for French courses on campus and for business studies, including wine business. The city is well connected by train to Paris and Lyon, which makes it an easy base for a semester or a full degree.

Studying in Dijon

Our directory lists three higher-education institutions in Dijon; two of them are entries for the same business school, so in practice there are two to compare:

• Université Bourgogne Europe (UBE), the former University of Burgundy, is the city's public university. A university was created in Dijon in 1722, at first with only a Faculty of Law. Today UBE has six campuses in Burgundy and, according to the university, 33,348 students, 28,195 of them in Dijon, including 3,326 international students of 120 nationalities.
• Centre International d'Études Françaises (CIEF) is the university's centre for French as a foreign language, on the Dijon campus. It runs intensive summer courses, intensive courses all year round, semester courses and special programmes, and is a DELF and DALF exam centre. Courses are open to anyone aged 18 or over who has completed secondary school; placement tests are held at the start of each session, and ECTS credits are possible.
• Burgundy School of Business (BSB), listed in our directory also under its former name Groupe ESC Dijon Bourgogne, is a business school with campuses in Dijon and Lyon. It offers Bachelor, Master in Management and MSc programmes with January, March and September intakes, and has a School of Wine & Spirits. The school states that students from more than 80 nationalities are on campus and that students can study entirely in English.

At the university, most degree programmes are taught in French. Campus France recommends level B1 or B2 for bachelor's and master's studies; French is not required for programmes taught in English.

Cost of living for students

Campus France notes that the French spend about €300 a month on food on average and that a meal in a university restaurant costs €1; prices in large cities are often close to those of Paris.

• Housing: the Crous offers single rooms, small studios and furnished flats in residences, all eligible for housing benefit (APL and ALS). The CIEF's Résidence Internationale d'Étudiants, served by the tram and 15 minutes from the centre, has 300 furnished single rooms and 100 flats; a room costs €406 a month and a flat from €450 (one room) to €724 (three rooms).
• Tuition at public institutions (2026-27): €178 a year for a bachelor's and €255 for a master's for EU, EEA and Swiss students; €2,902 and €3,950 for other international students. The CVEC student life contribution adds €105. CIEF and BSB publish their own fees.
• Transport: the Divia monthly PASS 18/25 for 18 to 25-year-olds costs €26; students on a needs-based grant at a higher-education institution in Dijon Métropole pay half, €13.

Getting around and daily life

Divia runs the city's buses and trams. Tram line T1 towards Quetigny serves the university campus (stops CHU Hôpitaux, Erasme and Université). Dijon station is one of the main stations outside Paris: according to the university, Paris is 1 hour 35 minutes away with 15 return services a day, Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport also 1 hour 35, Lyon 1 hour 45 and Strasbourg 2 hours.

Students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland need a long-stay student visa for studies of more than three months; European students do not need a visa. International students may work up to 964 hours a year, the equivalent of 60% of full-time hours.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dijon a good place to learn French?

Yes. The CIEF of Université Bourgogne Europe teaches French on the university campus all year round, with intensive, semester and summer courses, and is a DELF and DALF exam centre. Its course calendar runs from 1 June 2026 to 28 May 2027.

Which universities and schools are in Dijon?

The public Université Bourgogne Europe, with about 28,000 students in Dijon, and Burgundy School of Business, which teaches bachelor's, master's and MSc programmes in French and English.

How much does student accommodation cost in Dijon?

At the CIEF's international residence, a furnished room costs €406 a month and a flat €450 to €724. Crous residences are another option and qualify for housing benefit.

How long does it take to get from Dijon to Paris?

About 1 hour 35 minutes by train, with 15 return services a day, according to the university.