Study in Tours, France

About Tours

Tours is a city on the Loire, in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France, with 139,259 inhabitants in 2023, according to INSEE. It lies in the Loire Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is about one hour from Paris-Montparnasse by train.

Students come to Tours for its university and, above all, to learn French: the city has several schools of French as a foreign language, one of them open since 1912. It is a mid-sized city served by trams and buses, with long cycle routes along the Loire.

Studying in Tours

Our directory lists four schools in Tours: one university and three French language schools.

• Université de Tours has 19 sites in Tours and Blois and, according to the university, 31,510 students, 12.5% of them international (3,350 students of 130 nationalities). It has nine faculties, two institutes of technology (IUT) and an engineering school, Polytech Tours. Its CUEFEE centre teaches French to international students and prepares the TCF, DELF and DALF.
• Institut de Touraine has taught French to students from around the world since 1912, in historic buildings in the centre of Tours. It holds the Qualité FLE label, is an official DELF/DALF centre, is open all year and states that it has welcomed more than 250,000 students.
• Centre Linguistique pour Etrangers (CLÉ), founded in 1985, teaches adults in small groups: 20 hours of general French a week, at most seven students per class, with a new start every Monday.
• Tours Langues, in the historic centre, teaches general French and French for specific purposes and is an accredited TCF centre.

Degree programmes at the university are mostly 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 everyday life is slightly more expensive in Paris than elsewhere in France and that the French spend about €300 a month on food on average.

• 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. Language schools set their own prices.
• Housing: the Crous has ten university residences in Tours, next to the university sites, and all students are eligible. Applications go through the Student Social File between 15 January and 15 May before the start of studies, and rooms are allocated on social criteria. The free Visale scheme can act as a rental guarantor.
• Transport: the Fil Bleu Pass 19-25 costs €23 a month for unlimited bus and tram travel; for 10 months bought, two more are free.

Getting around and daily life

Fil Bleu runs the city's buses and tram. Trains from Paris-Montparnasse to Tours take about one hour, and from Paris-Austerlitz about 1.5 hours. From Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, direct TGV trains run to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (not Tours station), about two hours away; coaches from Paris take about five hours and cost less than €20. Tours Val de Loire airport has seasonal flights to London Stansted, Porto, Marrakech and Dublin. For cycling, the Loire à Vélo route has 900 km of bike paths, 160 km of them in Touraine.

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, 60% of full-time hours.

Frequently asked questions

Is Tours a good place to learn French?

Yes. Tours has three independent French schools in our directory, including the Institut de Touraine (founded in 1912), and the Université de Tours teaches French to international students at its CUEFEE centre, with TCF, DELF and DALF preparation.

How far is Tours from Paris?

About one hour by train from Paris-Montparnasse, and about two hours from Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport via Saint-Pierre-des-Corps.

How much does public transport cost for students in Tours?

The Fil Bleu Pass 19-25, for 19 to 25-year-olds, costs €23 a month for unlimited bus and tram travel.

Can international students get university housing in Tours?

Yes. All students may apply for the Crous's ten residences in Tours through the Student Social File, between 15 January and 15 May; places are allocated on social criteria.