France has been gaining tremendous popularity among Indian students as a study abroad destination. In this article, Nilesh Gaikwad, Country Manager, EDHEC Business School writes about France as a top study abroad destination for Indian Students.
Study in France
By Nilesh Gaikwad, Country Manager, EDHEC Business School
France is quite often looked up to for its rich culture, beautiful monuments and a sophisticated way of life. It is of no surprise that France leads the world in the field of tourism with an estimated 85M+ tourists annually. But here is another piece of information that has remained unnoticed, France is ranked 4th leading host country for International Students!
Each year, an estimated 300K+ international students join France’s leading educational institutions to complete their studies and get a feel of ‘la belle vie’ – the beautiful life!
Here are some reasons why France has become an ideal Education Destination!
With a whopping 7% of GDP spend; Education has always been a top priority for the French.3500+ Public and Private Institutions offer a plethora of studying options. Not to forget, most of its leading French Institutions are ranked amongst the best in the world. Each year, the French government spends approx. €14K/student on post-secondary education.
Academically speaking, France has something to offer for everybody – be it engineering, management, arts or humanities. With 1200+ courses taught completely in English, France is fast becoming the next destination for the English speaking audience.70+ Public Universities offer programmes in all disciplines while doubling up as the Primary Academic Research Centres. The ‘Grande Ecole’ offer 5-yr diploma equivalent to a Master’s degree. These grandeecole are specialist institutions for engineering, scientific, management etc. learnings.
Highest number of Business Schools
After the United Kingdom (20); France (15) has the highest number of Business Schools with a Triple-Crown Accreditation – EQUIS, AMBA & AACSB. This speaks a lot about the emphasis on providing quality education. Consider this, the Top 5 Business Schools providing Masters programmes in Finance(Financial Times Rankings), belong to France.
While the Cost for Education has skyrocketed in most Western Countries, France’s student friendly-policies ensure education remains affordable. Annual Fees of Public Institutions range between €200- €700, while this range for Private Institutions is between €1500 – €17000. The French government offers Caissed’AllocationsFamiliales (CAF), a form of Housing Allowance to every student enrolled in a French institution. Student discounts on public transport, museums etc. ensure the costs remain within a certain limit. The minimum cost of living in France is €615/month.
All-round performance in academic
As part of the Selection process, institutions tend to look for an all-round performance in academic, extra-curricular and recommendations. Some colleges will make it mandatory for the student to appear for entrance exams like GMAT, GRE etc.
France relaxed its Visa norms for Indian students
International offices of Campus France – 13 in India, help students in multiple ways from Visa Application process, providing scholarships, post-studies networking assistance etc. The Eiffel Scholarship offered by the French Education Ministry is the most prestigious scholarship available. Alternatively, the French Embassy in India also awards the Charpak Scholarship in addition to multiple Co-Financed Scholarships in partnership with different French Institutions.
In recent times, France has relaxed its Visa norms for Indian students studying in France. Most of the programmes in France require the student to intern as part of the curriculum. Long Term Student Visa – offered to full-time studies of at least 1yr duration, doubles up as a Resident Permit. Thus eliminating the need to apply for a separate Work Visa. Post successful completion of a ‘grandeecole’ programme, students can apply for an up to 2-yr Autorisationprovisoire de Séjour(APS) or Job Search Visa. To top it all, every Indian student graduating with a Master or a higher degree is eligible to apply for the up to 5-yr Schengen Circulation Visa.
Considering these initiatives taken up from France in the last decade, it is quite clear why it has become a go-to destination for Indian students off late. And you know what, the trend seems to be gathering momentum!