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Law Schools and Programs in France

15 schools in France teach Law.

Law Studies in France

Law in France is taught mainly in the law faculties of the public universities, and almost entirely in French. The degree follows the European three-cycle structure of licence (bachelor's degree), master and doctorate, and the content is French law, a civil-law system built on written codes. SpainExchange lists 15 schools in France with law programmes, most of them public universities.

How the law degree is organised

According to Campus France, the national agency for international students, a bachelor's degree (licence) takes six semesters and gives 180 ECTS credits, and a master's degree takes four more semesters and 120 ECTS credits. A doctorate follows the master's degree.

  • Licence en droit: three years (L1, L2, L3). Nantes Université describes teaching as a mix of lectures (cours magistraux) and tutorials (travaux dirigés) in groups of about thirty students.
  • Master: two years (M1, M2), in which students specialise. At Nantes, the third year of the licence already has tracks such as general private law, general public law and political science.
  • Double and special tracks: Poitiers offers double licences in law and applied foreign languages (LEA) and in law and philosophy. Nantes has a Europe track and a Franco-British and Irish track.
  • Licence professionnelle: a vocational bachelor's degree, such as Métiers du notariat (notarial careers), offered at both Poitiers and Nantes.

Admission and language

The route depends on nationality and country of residence. European students apply for the first year of a licence through the Parcoursup platform. Non-European students file a preliminary request for admission (DAP); for the 2027-28 academic year, registration opens on 1 October 2026 and closes on 15 December 2026. Residents of the 75 countries and territories covered by the Etudes en France procedure apply online through that platform. For a national master's degree, the application platform is monmaster.gouv.fr.

French is the working language. At the law faculty in Poitiers, all courses are in French except six political science courses in English, and applicants from non-French-speaking countries need a French certificate at TCF level 4 or DELF B2. Each institution decides on the recognition of earlier studies; the ENIC-NARIC centre issues a statement on a foreign diploma for 120 euros per request, which some institutions ask for.

Tuition fees

Public universities charge nationally set fees. For the 2026-27 academic year, according to Campus France, students from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland pay €178 per year for a bachelor's degree and €255 per year for a master's degree. Students from outside these countries pay differentiated fees of €2,902 per year for a bachelor's degree and €3,950 per year for a master's degree, unless an exemption applies. Private institutions set their own fees.

Where to study law in France

Most of the listed schools are universities in regional cities. Examples:

  • The Université de Poitiers has a law faculty created in 1431. According to the faculty, it has about 3,000 students, more than 200 of them from abroad.
  • At Nantes Université, the first two years of the licence can be taken in Nantes or in La Roche-sur-Yon.
  • In the west and centre: the Université d'Angers, the Université de Rennes, Le Mans Université, La Rochelle Université and the Université d'Orléans.
  • Elsewhere on the mainland: the Université de Lorraine, the Université Le Havre Normandie, Avignon Université and, in the Paris region, the Université Paris 8 Vincennes - Saint-Denis and the Université Paris-Saclay.
  • Overseas: the Université de La Réunion and the Université de la Polynésie française.

Qualification and careers

A French law degree is an academic qualification; the profession of avocat (lawyer) is regulated. According to the Conseil national des barreaux (CNB), the national bar council, it is open to holders of the certificat d'aptitude à la profession d'avocat (CAPA), and since 1 January 2025 candidates also need a master's degree (M2) in law. The steps are:

  • An entrance exam to a regional training centre (CRFPA), held once a year and organised by universities. Candidates need the first 60 credits of a master's degree in law. University institutes of judicial studies (IEJ) offer optional preparation.
  • Training at one of the 11 lawyers' schools, in three six-month periods: practical courses, an individual project and an internship in a law firm. The CNB gives the training fee as 1,900 euros.
  • The CAPA exam, followed by registration with a bar.

The CNB also lists nationality conditions: French or EU/EEA nationality, or a state that gives French nationals the same access. Lawyers who qualified abroad have separate admission routes. Law graduates also work in notarial offices, companies and the public service, where posts are usually filled through competitive exams.

Frequently asked questions

Can I study law in France in English?

Law faculties teach mainly in French. The law faculty in Poitiers, for example, teaches everything in French except six political science courses, and asks non-French-speaking applicants for TCF level 4 or DELF B2.

How much does a law degree cost in France?

At public universities in 2026-27, EU, EEA and Swiss students pay €178 per year for a bachelor's degree and €255 for a master's degree. Other students pay €2,902 and €3,950 per year unless they are exempt.

Can a foreign student become a lawyer in France?

The French bar requires a master's degree (M2) in law and the CAPA, and sets nationality conditions: French or EU/EEA nationality, or a state that gives French nationals the same access.