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
Cost of living in Lyon
Estimates for the 2026 academic yearA student in Lyon should budget around 982 € a month. The heaviest line by far is rent: a room in a shared flat goes for about 500 €, and most land between 420 € and 620 €.
- Room in a shared flat usually 420 € – 620 €
- 500 €
- Food and groceries
- 250 €
- Student travel pass
- 32 €
- Health insurance
- 25 €
- Phone, internet, electricity
- 65 €
- Books, sport, going out
- 110 €
- Monthly total
- 982 €
Ranked 7 of 8 on cost among the cities we cover in France, cheapest first.
Cheapest on our list: Grenoble, at about 902 € a month. →What things cost here, against the EU
Across the whole shopping basket France sits at 107.9, where the EU average is 100 (2024).
EU average = 100
Consumer prices rose 0.9% over 2025.
Where these numbers come from
The monthly budget is our own estimate, compiled from what student unions, universities and national student services publish. Use it to plan with — it is not a quote.
The price levels, inflation and rent figures are published statistics: Eurostat purchasing power parities and, for German states, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
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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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