Study in La Rochelle, France

About La Rochelle

La Rochelle is a port city on the Atlantic coast of western France, in the Charente-Maritime department of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. It had 79,851 inhabitants in 2023, according to INSEE. Its old harbour and historic centre sit close to the university campus, which makes it a compact, walkable place to study.

Students come for a young, mid-sized public university with a strong focus on the coast and the environment, for a large business school and for French courses. It suits students who prefer a smaller city to a large metropolis.

Studying in La Rochelle

Our directory lists three schools in La Rochelle: two in higher education and one upper-secondary school.

• La Rochelle Université is a multidisciplinary public university, created by decree on 20 January 1993; its IUT (university institute of technology) dates from 1968. It covers law, economics and management (IAE), sciences and health, arts, letters and languages, and social sciences, and has 8,125 students, 11.2% of them foreign, from 106 nationalities. It coordinates EU-CONEXUS, a European University alliance of 9 member and associate universities that offers programmes taught in English.
• Excelia (listed in our directory as Graduate School of Language and Business La Rochelle) has been teaching in La Rochelle since 1988. Its programmes include a state-accredited Bachelor in Business, a BBA International, a Bachelor in Tourism Management and a range of MSc programmes. The school states that it holds the AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA accreditations and that it has 1,700 international students (25%) from 80 nationalities.
• Lycée Léonce Vieljeux is a public upper-secondary school with 1,700 pupils and students. Besides general, technological and vocational baccalaureate courses, it offers post-baccalaureate BTS programmes and a CPGE TSI (preparatory class for engineering schools).

To learn French, the university's language institute (IUL-FLE) offers the DUEF, a one-semester diploma in French studies at four levels from A2 to C1 (A1 and C2 are not available), costing €1,600 per semester since January 2026, as well as DELF/DALF exams, courses for exchange students and summer courses. For degree programmes taught in French, Campus France recommends level B1 or B2; 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 a meal in a university restaurant costs €1.

• Housing: the Crous runs the university residences, open to La Rochelle Université students; places are limited, applications (dossier social étudiant) open on 20 January for the following academic year, and students without a grant can also apply. The cité universitaire has 252 furnished rooms of 9 to 12 m² with their own shower and WC. The ARHPEJ association manages more than 600 homes on the campus and near the old port, and the university's partner platform Studapart lists rentals for 1 to 24 months.
• 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, plus the €105 CVEC student life contribution. Excelia sets its own fees.
• Transport: the public transport pass for students costs €100 a year and covers buses, TER trains within the conurbation and park-and-ride, according to the university.

Getting around and daily life

The Yélo network serves the conurbation. Illico lines 3 and 4 cross the campus about every 10 minutes, and there are Yélo self-service bike stations near every university building. TGV high-speed trains run several times a day from Paris-Montparnasse; the journey takes about 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 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

Can I learn French in La Rochelle?

Yes. La Rochelle Université's language institute offers the one-semester DUEF from level A2 to C1 for €1,600 per semester, plus summer courses and DELF/DALF exams.

Which universities and schools are in La Rochelle?

La Rochelle Université, a public multidisciplinary university with 8,125 students, and the Excelia business school, which offers bachelor's, BBA and MSc programmes. Lycée Léonce Vieljeux offers BTS and CPGE courses after the baccalaureate.

How much is public transport for students in La Rochelle?

The student public transport pass costs €100 a year and includes buses, local TER trains and park-and-ride.

How far is La Rochelle from Paris?

About 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours by TGV from Paris-Montparnasse.