Choose France

to study art and architecture

The diversity and uniqueness of Art and Architecture Schools are the wealth of the French system and its history. France sets the international standard in the fields of art and culture, in part because the country has always creative excellence in all of the arts: architecture, fashion, design, the visual and graphic arts, film, and even comic art and graphic novels.
The nation’s privileged position rests on a strong artistic tradition that is expressed both in public access to art and culture and in the presence of a network of educational institutions that offer a great array of training programs in art. In France more than 450,000 people are employed in cultural and culture-related businesses, attesting to the economic vitality and impact of the nation’s passion for the arts. In France more than 450,000 people are employed in cultural and culture-related businesses, attesting to the economic vitality and impact of the nation’s passion for the arts.

French arts, crafts, and know-how are found in more than 38,000 workshops, 100,000 artisanal enterprises, and 217 different occupations grouped into many specialty areas—including jewelry and watchmaking, woodworking, the graphic arts, the performing arts, precious metalworking, calligraphy and illumination, engraving, bookbinding, restoration (drawings, prints, paintings), decorative arts, costume making, furniture making, framing, manufacture of stringed instruments, basket making, and so on—all of which exemplify the living traditions that help account for France’s international influence.

Because of the quality and variety of the available programs

Training is available in every conceivable field : the graphic arts, architecture, design, interior architecture, theater sets, film, visual communication, infographics, digital arts, photography, animation and multimedia, fashion design, model-making, and crafts, as well as related fields such as museum management, cultural interpretation, art restoration, art dealing, and art history and theory.

Postsecondary programs subsidized<br>and guaranteed by the French government

Tuition rates are low in public Higher education institutions because the French government subsidizes higher education. The true cost of education is the same as it is elsewhere in the world—around €10,000 a year. The difference is that in France the government assumes a large share of that cost. Postsecondary degrees, based on the European structure of Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate, are regulated by the government.

Because you are sure to find a program that matches your goals

Pursue a career as an artist: Choose a postsecondary school of art or applied arts, or a private school of art, that offers a program that precisely matches your interests and talents.
Become an art critic, academic, manager, or conservator: Look for appropriate programs in France’s universities.

Because your degree will be recognized around the world

There are over a thousandart and architecture schools in France.

  • France’s postsecondary schools of art and applied arts, like its universities, are excellent public institutions that award national diplomas recognized by the French government and transferable credits under the European Credit Transfer System.
  • Some private schools, including those administered by local chambers of commerce, can issue occupational titles recognized by the Répertoire Nationale des Certifications Professionnelles (RNCP).

A pleasant and satisfying style of life in the heart of Europe

Situated in the very heart of Europe, France is the world’s top tourist destination in terms of number of foreign visitors (OMT, 2014). For the third consecutive year, Paris has been named the world’s best city for students (QS Best Student Cities, 2014). France ranks  third in the world in the responsiveness of its health services to the needs of the population (IMD, 2014).

An art of living "à la française"

More than 40,000 monuments and protected sites, 39 cultural sites appearing on UNESCO’s world heritage list, 8,000 museums, 2,000 cinemas, and more than 500 festivals attest to the richness of French cultural life. French artists are influential in every creative field. With 15 winners, France is home to the largest number of laureates of the Nobel prize in literature (Patrick Modiano won in 2014).