Finance Schools and Programs in France

Finance Studies in France

Capitol of Toulouse square, France

Finance in France is taught in two kinds of institution. Public universities award national degrees at nationally set fees and teach mostly in French. Business schools, most of them Grandes Écoles, select their students, set their own fees and teach much of their finance in English. SpainExchange lists 5 schools in France with finance programmes, three of them in Paris.

How finance studies are organised

France uses the European three-cycle structure. 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. At universities, finance is usually a specialisation inside a degree in economics, management or applied mathematics, and the specialisation becomes sharper at master's level.

Campus France describes the Grandes Écoles as public and private institutions recognised by the State, with very selective admission. Their finance programmes are usually called Master in Finance or MSc in Finance. The examples below show the range:

• IÉSEG School of Management: the Master in Finance is a 120 ECTS programme taught fully in English on the Paris campus. It is part of the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program, and graduates receive the state-recognised Grade de Master.
• ESCP Business School: the MSc in Finance lasts 15 months to 2 years and is taught first in Paris and then in London, either fully in English or in French and English. It includes an internship of at least four months and a master's thesis.
• Sorbonne Université: the second-year master's track Probabilités et Finance, part of the master's degree in mathematics and applications, covers probabilistic mathematical finance. It is co-accredited with the École Polytechnique and ends with an internship in a financial institution from 1 April to 30 September.
• American University of Paris: an undergraduate major in International Finance, focused on the application of economics in financial and non-financial institutions and markets.

Outside mainland France, the Université de La Réunion in Saint-Denis, the university of Reunion Island, is also listed.

Admission and language

For public universities the route depends on nationality and country of residence. European students apply for the first year of a bachelor's degree 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 through that platform. For a national master's degree, the application platform is monmaster.gouv.fr.

Business schools run their own admissions. ESCP, for example, asks for a bachelor's degree with at least 180 ECTS credits and proficiency in English, takes applications online and invites eligible candidates to a personal interview.

French is the usual language at universities, but Campus France counts over 1,400 higher education programmes in English in France. Each institution decides whether to accept an applicant. The ENIC-NARIC centre can issue an attestation on a foreign degree, which some institutions ask for; it costs 120 euros per request.

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 other countries pay €2,902 and €3,950 per year unless an exemption applies.

Private institutions set their own fees, which Campus France puts at approximately €6,000 to €18,000 or more per year in most cases. Specialised finance master's programmes at business schools cost more. In October 2026, IÉSEG lists its Master in Finance at €30,800 (fast track) or €33,800 (regular track), and ESCP gives total costs of €32,800 for students entering its MSc in Finance in September 2027, with a non-refundable deposit of €3,600 on admission.

Recognition of the qualification

University bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees are national degrees with the same academic value at every university. For a business school, the points to check are whether the diploma is certified by the ministry (diplôme visé), whether it carries the Grade de Master, and whether it is registered in the national register of professional certifications (RNCP). Both master's programmes above state that they carry the Grade de Master and an RNCP registration.

Careers

The schools describe similar destinations. IÉSEG names roles such as financial analyst, risk and compliance officer and treasury specialist. ESCP lists sales and trading, equity and credit research, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, rating agencies and regulators. Graduates of the Sorbonne track mostly join the research teams of financial institutions in France and abroad, and some continue to a doctorate.

Frequently asked questions

Can I study finance in France in English?

Yes. The Master in Finance at IÉSEG is taught fully in English, and the MSc in Finance at ESCP has a track fully in English. University programmes are mostly in French.

How much does a finance 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 unless they are exempt. Specialised master's programmes at business schools cost around €31,000 to €34,000 in total.

Is a business school master's degree in finance officially recognised?

It depends on the programme. Check for the Grade de Master, a diploma certified by the ministry (diplôme visé) or an RNCP registration, which are the forms of state recognition described by Campus France.