Photography Schools and Programs in France

Photography Studies in France

Photography in France is taught mainly outside the classic university faculties: in two national schools dedicated to the image, in public schools of art and design, and in private schools that award their own qualifications. Most public programmes are taught in French and admit students by competitive exam or portfolio. SpainExchange currently lists 1 school in France under photography, Parsons Paris.

How photography studies are organised

There are three main routes.

• National schools. The École nationale supérieure Louis-Lumière (ENS Louis-Lumière), a public school created in 1926 and now based at the Cité du Cinéma in Saint-Denis, near Paris, has three master's programmes: cinema, photography and sound. It recruits students who have completed two years of higher education and awards a five-year-level diploma after three years. The École nationale supérieure de la photographie (ENSP) in Arles takes applications for a master's programme, a doctorate and photography workshops through its own platform.
• Public schools of art and design. According to Campus France, nearly 50 public schools of art and design are overseen by the Ministry of Culture. They train students in two steps of three or five years and award national degrees. Applicants should check with each school how much photography its programme includes.
• Private schools. Some private schools award their own degrees. According to Campus France, the State guarantees a diploma that is certified by the ministry (diplôme visé) or registered in the national register of professional certifications (RNCP), so this is worth checking.

The Master Photographie at ENS Louis-Lumière shows what a technical programme covers: image capture in photography and video, image processing and post-production, and the management of imaging systems. The first year (third year of higher education) sets the foundations, the second is built around workshops, and the last ends with a dissertation that has a written part and a practical part.

Admission and language

Schools of art are selective. Campus France describes enrolment by application file, competitive entrance exam, interview or a combination of these. At ENS Louis-Lumière, admission is only through a single competitive exam, the same for French and international candidates, and 16 students are admitted to each master's programme. For the 2026 exam, candidates had to be under 27 on 31 December 2025 and to have completed two years of higher education; pre-registration ran from 1 December 2025 to 14 January 2026. Teaching is in French, and candidates without a French-language secondary diploma must present a French test at DELF B2 level or equivalent.

For many art schools, international students can apply through CampusArt, a network run by Campus France. Its catalogue has nearly 700 arts programmes, including photography, and one online application file reaches more than 140 schools. For the 2027-28 academic year, CampusArt registration opens on 1 October 2026 and closes on 28 February 2027. Residents of the 75 countries and territories covered by the Etudes en France procedure also go through that platform.

Tuition fees

Fees depend on the type of school. For programmes at public institutions under the ministry of higher education, Campus France gives the 2026-27 national fees: €178 per year at bachelor's level and €255 at master's level for students from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, and €2,902 and €3,950 for other students unless an exemption applies. Schools under the Ministry of Culture, which cover the visual arts, charge different rates. Private institutions set their own fees, which Campus France puts at approximately €6,000 to €18,000 or more per year in most cases.

Where to study

Parsons Paris is the Paris campus of Parsons School of Design, part of The New School in New York. It is an American art and design school, accredited in the United States by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Students interested in photography there should check the current programme list with the school. The two national schools named above are in Saint-Denis, next to Paris, and in Arles, in the south of France.

Careers

According to ENS Louis-Lumière, its photography graduates work in press, fashion and advertising photography, in post-production and retouching, in the management of image systems and in technical or commercial support. The school names employers in industry, cultural institutions, research, publishing and pre-press.

Frequently asked questions

Can I study photography in France in English?

The public national schools teach in French; ENS Louis-Lumière asks candidates without a French-language secondary diploma for DELF B2 or equivalent. Parsons Paris is an American school in Paris.

How do I apply to a French art school from abroad?

Many schools take applications through CampusArt, with one online file for more than 140 schools. Some schools, such as ENS Louis-Lumière, only admit students through their own competitive exam.

How long does a photography degree take?

Public art schools award national degrees after three or five years. The Master Photographie at ENS Louis-Lumière takes three years after two years of higher education.