France · Occitanie
Study in Toulouse: aerospace, economics and the sunny south
If your goal is aerospace, engineering, economics or mathematics, few cities in Europe beat Toulouse. It is the headquarters of Airbus and the heart of Europe’s aerospace and space industry, home to a world-top-ranked economics school, and one of France’s sunniest, most affordable big student cities.
Why Toulouse
A specialist city where your degree sits next to the industry that hires for it.
- Europe’s aerospace capital: Airbus, ATR, Thales Alenia Space and CNES (the French space agency) are all based here
- Toulouse School of Economics (TSE): one of the world’s top economics departments, with English-taught programmes
- A large, young student population in the warm “ville rose” (pink city) of the south
- Close to both the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts
Universities & popular bachelor’s
Strong, specific subject strengths - exactly the “top-10 for one field” situation worth choosing for.
- Toulouse School of Economics: an English-taught Bachelor in Economics and Mathematics, internationally respected
- ISAE-SUPAERO and ENAC: world-leading for aerospace and aeronautical engineering
- Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier: a major science university (engineering, computer science, mathematics, health)
- Toulouse Business School (TBS): an English-taught Bachelor in Management with international exchanges
Career prospects & ROI
One of the strongest links between a city’s universities and its employers in all of Europe.
- Industry connections: aerospace, space, electronics and a growing biotech sector recruit graduates directly
- Internships with Airbus and its suppliers are a realistic path for engineering and economics students
- Post-study: master’s-level graduates qualify for the 12-month job-search permit (APS); aerospace skills are in demand across the EU
- A specialised degree from Toulouse travels well internationally in aerospace, data and economics
Cost of living in Toulouse
Estimates for the 2026 academic yearA student in Toulouse should budget around 932 € a month. The heaviest line by far is rent: a room in a shared flat goes for about 450 €, and most land between 370 € and 560 €.
- Room in a shared flat usually 370 € – 560 €
- 450 €
- Food and groceries
- 250 €
- Student travel pass
- 32 €
- Health insurance
- 25 €
- Phone, internet, electricity
- 65 €
- Books, sport, going out
- 110 €
- Monthly total
- 932 €
Ranked 4 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
A major university city at southern-France prices.
- Public tuition: roughly €2,900/year for a non-EU bachelor; TSE and the engineering schools have their own (still moderate) fees
- Living costs: about €750–€1,000/month - one of the more affordable big student cities in France
- Proof of funds: about €615/month for the visa, by bank statement or sponsor declaration
- Part-time work: up to 964 hours a year; CROUS housing and CAF housing aid help keep costs down
Life, safety & culture
Sun, students and a relaxed southern lifestyle.
- Daily language is French; TSE and TBS run English-taught tracks, but B1–B2 French helps for daily life and internships
- A lively, youthful city with a famous rugby culture and easy access to mountains and coast
- Generally safe and very student-oriented, with a large international community
- Good rail and a growing metro; budget flights and trains across the south
How to apply & the bureaucracy
Public university via Campus France; the schools run their own English-taught admissions.
- Apply to Université Paul Sabatier via “Études en France” / Campus France
- TSE, TBS, ISAE-SUPAERO and ENAC have separate applications - check requirements and deadlines a year ahead
- English-taught programmes accept IELTS/TOEFL; French-taught ones need DELF/DALF B2
- After admission, book the student-visa appointment immediately (4–12 weeks)
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