Whether being the land of wine and arts, or the seventh largest economy in the world. France is a leading country in the global platform for so many reasons, such as the Rafale Jet, the Automobile Renault group, renowned Brands like L’Oréal, Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, etc. Robust banking firm BNP Paribas and more. Even some of the well-respected names always find a spot in Fortune’s top 500 companies, such as telecommunication firm Orange, French automobile brand Peugeot, Axa Insurance, Consulting firm Capgemini, etc.
But recently France has been gaining popularity amongst International students,, specifically among Indian students, because of several reasons such as quality education, lucrative scholarships, pessimistic view of Canada, Australia, and the USA towards Indian students, and so on. Of course, France is an amazing destination to study abroad, but it was pretty much underestimated because of the top 4 English-speaking dominators study destinations such as the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia, plus the perception of having French proficiency to study in France. Everything became clear when the French President visited in 2024 as the chief guest for Republic Day. He said we are eager to welcome Indian students to the French soil and decided to achieve the target of 30,000 Indian students by 2030.
As far as the current scenario is concerned, as per the education ministry data shared by Sukanta Majumdar, Union Minister of State for Education, France is witnessing an increase in enrollment. In 2022, 6,406 Indian students chose France to pursue their further studies, whereas in 2023, the number increased to 7,484; the same trend was followed in the 2024 figure, where 8,536 Indian students decided to fly to France to complete different study programs.
How France is emerging as a hot destination amongst Indian Students
- Affordable Education and Financial Aid
- Blend of programs and Recognition
- Job Opportunities and CDI
- Fashion Capital and a High standard of living
- Strengthening Indo-French Ties
- Affordable Education and Financial Aid
The most interesting thing about France is that the government supports the education system, and for Public Universities, the French government covers a major portion, 70-80%, of the total cost. Apart from this, to mitigate the financial burden, the French government also offers lucrative scholarships that do not just cover the living expenses but also provide a monthly stipend. Some of the reputed scholarships are the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship, which offers a monthly stipend of 1181 for master’s, and another one is the Charpak Scholarship, which applies to students from bachelor’s, master’s, and exchange programs.
- Blend of programs and recognition
France boasts its extraordinary education system. The one thing that makes the French education system unique is that it offers a combination of different fields of study, such as humanities programs like psychology, cognitive science, etc.; business and tech combination programs like tech management, digital business, etc.;. The institutions in France allow dual degrees and even partnerships with universities abroad. France routinely comes in at number five in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Countries for Education rankings. Beyond academics, students are attracted to France because it is a centre of the arts, culture, cuisine, and fashion.
- Job Opportunities and CDI
France is a developed country with a stable market. It is the second largest economy in Europe after Germany, and job opportunities can be found in every industry, such as Hospitality, Tourism, Luxury, Fashion & Design, STEM, Finance, and sustainable development, etc. France is a founding member of the European Union, the G7, the OECD, and the Eurozone. There is one surprising fact about France job market is that there you can not be terminated or fired easily unlike other countries where if the company is not making profit or any xyz reason unable to provide you salary they can fire you but in France if you are on Contrat à Durée Indéterminée or CDI contract you can not be fired by your employer unless you can have done a blunder or any big issue to the company. Interesting, right… to have a job for a lifetime. CDI or permanent contract also attracts a huge number of Indian students because of its extraordinary feature.
- Fashion Capital and a High standard of living
We all know Paris is globally recognized as the land of love and the capital city of the world. Whether it is the city centre or the outskirts of Paris, you can easily feel the amazing vibe of fashion and many reputed brands belong to French soil, such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior, etc. Some of these popular brands also find a spot in the Top 500 Fortune firms. France has one of the best healthcare and public transportation systems in the world. It also finds a good ranking in the human development and life satisfaction index and offers work-life balance.
- Strengthening Indo-French Ties
During French Prez Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India, the French president gave a clear sign to make the relationship healthier and would be happy to assist 30,000 Indian students on French soil. Over 500 MoUs signed between India and French Institutions. A separate body has been assigned, known as Campus France India, which operates under the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, facilitating higher education in France.
Is it necessary to learn French?
The answer of the following question would be Yes and No at the same time. Since French people respect their mother tongue they would love to speak in their local language so for daily survival and long term future aspects makes it bound to learn French but it is also true that there are around 1600 programs which are taught in English language by different french institutions which makes it totally easier for International students to take the academia in English and feel the French culture at the same time.
The French people are friendly in nature, and when it comes to quality of life, France ranked 16th in the list and 12th overall as per US News and World Report. It has well well-established public education system with strong, reputed universities such as HEC Paris, Sorbonne University, PSL University, University of Paris Saclay, etc. Since it is a part of the Schengen area also allows great exposure to the Indian students who love to travel to other countries such as Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, etc. France has all the attractions to lure Indian students, plus Indian students would have access to high-quality education and robust infrastructure. In return, France would have a talent pool of Indian students who can shape the local economy, plus also provide global visibility to France.
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