France · Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Study in Lyon: business, science and student life beyond Paris
Lyon is France’s second economic and student hub, with more than 150,000 students and a quality of life that consistently ranks among the best in the country. It costs noticeably less than Paris while keeping you close to top business and engineering schools, a UNESCO old town, and fast trains to the Alps, Italy and the capital.
Why Lyon
A compact, liveable city with the academic and economic weight of a much bigger one.
- France’s second student city, strong in business, engineering, life sciences and health
- Home to emlyon business school, INSA Lyon (engineering) and the three universities of the Université de Lyon
- A major economy: pharma and biotech (Sanofi, the Lyonbiopôle cluster), banking, chemicals, gaming and gastronomy
- Two hours from Paris by TGV and close to the Alps and Italy
Universities & popular bachelor’s
Lyon covers both the public-university route and the international business-school route.
- emlyon business school: a top European school with an English-taught Global BBA, built around internships and exchange semesters abroad
- INSA Lyon: one of France’s leading engineering schools, a five-year integrated programme from bachelor level
- Université Lyon 1 (Claude Bernard): sciences, health and technology; Lyon 2: humanities and social sciences; Lyon 3: law, business and languages
- Curriculum flexibility: business and engineering tracks here lean heavily on internships, double degrees and study-abroad semesters
Career prospects & ROI
A real second job market in France - especially if your field is business, engineering or life sciences.
- Industry connections: pharma/biotech, banking, chemicals and a growing tech and video-game scene recruit locally
- emlyon and INSA both have strong corporate networks and structured internship pipelines into first jobs
- Post-study: master’s-level graduates qualify for the 12-month job-search permit (APS); many bachelor students continue to a master’s in Lyon
- Lower cost base than Paris means a better return on the same tuition investment
Success stories
Students who crossed the bridge
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What it costs
Clearly cheaper than Paris while keeping big-city opportunities.
- Public tuition: roughly €2,900/year for a non-EU bachelor; business schools like emlyon cost more but include exchanges and career services
- Living costs: about €800–€1,100/month, with CROUS student residences the cheapest housing
- Proof of funds: about €615/month for the visa - bank statement or sponsor declaration, no blocked account
- Part-time work: up to 964 hours a year; housing aid (CAF/APL) available to international students
Life, safety & culture
Big-city amenities with a calmer, more affordable rhythm than the capital.
- Daily language is French; English-taught programmes exist but B1–B2 French makes life and part-time work far easier
- A walkable UNESCO-listed centre, strong public transport, and a famous food culture
- Safe, student-friendly city with a large international community and active student associations
- Well connected: TGV to Paris, easy weekends in the Alps and northern Italy
How to apply & the bureaucracy
Public universities go through Campus France; the business and engineering schools run their own admissions.
- Apply to public universities via “Études en France” / Campus France in your country
- emlyon and INSA have their own application timelines - check deadlines a year ahead
- French-taught bachelor’s: plan for DELF/DALF B2; English-taught Global BBA accepts IELTS/TOEFL
- Once admitted, start the student-visa process the same week - allow 4–12 weeks
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