Study in Rennes, France

About Rennes

Rennes is the capital of Brittany, in western France. It had 230,890 inhabitants in 2023, according to INSEE, the French statistics office, up from 209,860 in 2012.

It is a university city above all: its two public universities alone have around 57,000 students between them, according to their own figures. Students choose Rennes for its wide range of public university programmes, from law, economics and sciences to arts, languages and the humanities.

Studying in Rennes

Our directory lists three higher-education institutions in Rennes:

• The Université de Rennes has about 37,000 students, 10% of them international, and received the "Bienvenue en France" label for welcoming international students in 2019. Its Beaulieu campus, on 60 hectares in the east of the city, hosts the sciences, engineering and an IUT; the city-centre campus hosts law, political science, economics and the IGR-IAE management school.
• Université Rennes 2, founded in 1969, specialises in arts, literature, languages and the humanities and social sciences. It has 20,000 students in 24 departments, including 2,500 international students. Its largest campus, Villejean, also houses the Cirefe, the university's centre for French as a foreign language.
• SUPINFO Rennes Campus is the Rennes site of a private school of computer science.

Other public schools share the university campuses, such as INSA Rennes (engineering) at Beaulieu and Sciences Po Rennes in the centre. Most degree courses are taught in French: Campus France recommends level B1 or B2 for bachelor's and master's studies, though French is not required for programmes taught in English. For French courses, Campus France suggests centres with the "qualité FLE" label.

Cost of living for students

• Tuition at public universities (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. Every student also pays the CVEC student life contribution, €105 for 2026-27. Private schools set their own fees.
• Housing: according to Campus France, a room in a Crous university residence costs about €350 a month on average outside Paris, but places are hard to get because demand far exceeds supply.
• Food: the French spend about €300 a month on food on average, and a meal in a university restaurant costs €1.

Getting around and daily life

The STAR network covers Rennes Métropole, while Illenoo coaches and SNCF TER trains serve the rest of Brittany. The Université de Rennes describes the city's network of cycle paths and bike parking as fairly extensive, and STAR also rents bikes. The KorriGo Services card holds transport tickets and is also used at the university for photocopiers, library loans and meals in the university restaurant.

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

Which universities are in Rennes?

Two public universities: the Université de Rennes (about 37,000 students, strong in sciences, law, economics and health) and Université Rennes 2 (20,000 students, arts, languages, humanities and social sciences).

Can I learn French at a university in Rennes?

Yes. Université Rennes 2 runs the Cirefe, its international centre for French as a foreign language, on the Villejean campus.

Are courses in Rennes taught in English?

Most degree courses are taught in French, and Campus France recommends level B1 or B2. Programmes taught in English do not require French.

How do students get around Rennes?

By STAR public transport, by bike on a fairly extensive cycle network, or with STAR's bikes. The KorriGo Services card is used for transport tickets and for university services.