Aix-Marseille University
Aix-Marseille Université
A 1409 foundation turned into France's largest university, with campuses from Aix old town to the Calanques.
- Students
- 84,000
- International
- 14%
- of students
- Tuition
- €2,902
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1409
About AMU
Aix-Marseille University (AMU) traces its roots to the University of Provence, founded in Aix-en-Provence in 1409 by Louis II of Anjou, Count of Provence. Its current form dates from 1 January 2012, when the region's three universities merged. With about 84,000 students, including 12,000 international students, it is the largest multidisciplinary university in the French-speaking world.
AMU is spread over five major campuses: Aix-en-Provence (law, political science, arts, languages and humanities), Marseille Centre around Saint-Charles and La Canebière, Marseille Étoile (sciences and engineering), Marseille-Luminy at the gateway to the Calanques National Park, and Marseille-Timone next to the city's big teaching hospitals for medicine, pharmacy and dentistry. There are 17 schools, faculties and institutes, about 2,500 teacher-researchers and 60 ERC grant winners, with close ties to national research bodies such as CNRS, INSERM and CEA.
As a French public university, most bachelor's degrees (licences) are open to anyone with a baccalauréat or equivalent and cost very little, but teaching is in French and non-EU students now pay the national differentiated fees. AMU suits independent students who want a big, research-intensive university by the Mediterranean, in either elegant Aix or lively Marseille.
Why students choose AMU
Tuition for EU students is the national licence fee of 178 euros a year, and even non-EU students pay 2,902 euros a year for a licence in 2026-27.
The Luminy campus sits in 1,000 hectares of nature at the gateway to the Calanques National Park, with around thirty research laboratories.
The breadth is unusual: law in Aix, medicine at Timone, engineering at Polytech Marseille, journalism at EJCAM and sport science all belong to one university.
AMU runs a Buddy System with ESN, on-campus welcome desks for international students, and a new preparatory 'Classes Internationales' year in French for those who need to improve their French before a licence.
Admissions
Rentrée September 2027 (2026-27 procedures and 2027 dates where published)
Selectivity
French public universities do not publish an overall admission rate. Most first-year licences are non-selective for holders of the baccalauréat or an equivalent, although demand can exceed places; selective first-year programmes such as the BUT (IUT), PEIP, CMI and CUPGE are always applied for through Parcoursup, even by non-EU applicants.
Typical entry requirements
| Baccalauréat or equivalent secondary school diploma | A qualification giving access to higher education in your country; Parcoursup applicants are assessed on their school record |
|---|---|
| French language (non-EU applicants) | Licences are taught in French; DAP applicants normally take a paid language test, and AMU's Classes Internationales year offers intensive French before a licence |
| English language | Licence programmes are taught in French, so English tests are not the entry requirement. AMU's programme catalogue can be filtered for courses taught in English. |
Deadlines
- Études en France / DAP (non-EU applicants, first-year licence) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~2 months15 December 2026
For 2027/28 entry Campus France lists the DAP application window as 1 October to 15 December 2026, with university responses by 30 April 2027. Your file is examined by the three universities you choose.
- Parcoursup (EU/EEA applicants, French or European baccalauréat holders, and all selective first-year programmes) Non-bindingMid-March (12 March 2026 for 2026 entry)
In the 2026 cycle, choices were entered from 19 January to 12 March and confirmed by 1 April 2026, with offers from 2 June 2026. Campus France indicates January to March 2027 for choices and April 2027 for confirmation; exact 2027 dates have not been published.
The DAP/Études en France window for 2027 entry (1 October to 15 December 2026) is published by Campus France. The exact Parcoursup 2027 calendar was not yet available, so the 2026 dates are shown for reference.
How to apply
Your route depends on nationality and residence. French, EU/EEA and Swiss applicants, and anyone with a French or European baccalauréat, apply for a first-year licence (L1), PASS, BUT, PEIP, CMI or CUPGE through Parcoursup. Non-EU applicants living in one of the countries covered by 'Études en France' apply for L1 through that Campus France platform; non-EU applicants living elsewhere use the white DAP file sent to the French embassy, and those already living in France use the green DAP. Selective programmes such as the BUT go through Parcoursup for everyone.
What admissions looks for
- A secondary school qualification that gives access to higher education.
- For Parcoursup programmes, a school record that matches the expectations published on each programme's page.
- For non-EU applicants, a sufficient level of French for a French-taught licence.
- For selective programmes (BUT, PEIP, CMI, CUPGE), strong grades in the relevant subjects.
Tips for applying to AMU
- 1 Work out your procedure first: AMU's application page sorts candidates by nationality, residence and programme, and applying on the wrong platform wastes a year.
- 2 Non-EU applicants should budget for the full differentiated fee: since the 19 May 2026 decree, new non-EU students at AMU pay it in full at enrolment, with no three-instalment option.
- 3 Tick the partial-exemption box during online enrolment: AMU can refund 75% of the differentiated fee to some students within the national cap, and tells recipients from December.
- 4 Apply for a CROUS residence early; AMU's handbook budgets about 600 euros a month for a private studio in the area.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Under decree no. 2026-385 of 19 May 2026, new non-EU students at AMU pay the full differentiated fees from 2026-27; some may receive a 75% partial exemption within the national quota, decided centrally by AMU after enrolment closes. French government scholarship holders and students under reciprocal cooperation agreements are fully exempt, and refugees, long-term residents and students tax-resident in France for over two years pay the national rate. AMU also has its own scholarships and relays French government schemes.
- Licence 2,902 euros; master's 3,950 euros
- Differentiated fees 2026-27 (non-EU)
- 75% of the differentiated fee, within the national cap
- Partial exemption for non-EU students
- 105 euros
- CVEC student life contribution 2026-27
- 615 euros per month
- Minimum resources required for a French student visa
Academics
Law (Licence en droit)
Taught by the Faculty of Law and Political Science in the centre of Aix-en-Provence, whose law school dates back centuries and produced Portalis, a main author of the Napoleonic Civil Code.
PASS (health access year)
The first-year route into health studies; AMU's Timone campus next to the AP-HM hospitals teaches medicine, midwifery, pharmacy and dentistry.
Sciences at Luminy
Science licences on a campus with some thirty internationally known laboratories inside the Calanques area.
Polytech Marseille (PEIP integrated preparatory cycle)
Polytech Marseille's integrated preparatory cycle (PEIP) is a selective first-year route into engineering, applied for through Parcoursup.
BUT at IUT d'Aix-Marseille
Professionally focused technology bachelor's degrees (BUT) at the IUT, recruited through Parcoursup.
Research
- 60 ERC grant winners, 21 establishment institutes and 22 international laboratories.
- The A*Midex foundation has invested 103 million euros in 484 projects.
- The Luminy science park and the Timone health campus host major research laboratories alongside national bodies such as CNRS, INSERM, IRD and CEA.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Law and Political Science
- Faculty of Arts, Letters, Languages and Human Sciences (ALLSH)
- Faculty of Economics and Management
- Faculty of Sciences
- Faculty of Medical and Paramedical Sciences
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Faculty of Sport Sciences
- Polytech Marseille
- IUT d'Aix-Marseille
- IAE Aix-Marseille
- EJCAM (School of Journalism and Communication)
- INSPE (teacher education)
Student life
With campuses in two very different cities, student life at AMU depends on where you study: historic, compact Aix-en-Provence for law and humanities, or the port city of Marseille for sciences, health and much else. AMU counts about 150 student associations, and the Erasmus Student Network runs a Buddy System that pairs international students with local students. CROUS runs university restaurants and residences, and AMU's handbook budgets about 1,131 euros a month for living costs after arrival.
- About 150 student associations across the campuses.
- Buddy System with ESN for international students, plus welcome desks on campus all year.
- Luminy campus at the edge of the Calanques National Park.
- Summer schools: 12 programmes in 15 disciplines.
Housing. You can apply for a room in a CROUS university residence; private student residences cost more, and AMU's handbook estimates around 600 euros a month for a private studio.
Location
AMU straddles Aix-en-Provence, a historic town in Provence, and Marseille, France's big Mediterranean port city, with further sites in Arles, Avignon, Gap and elsewhere. Marseille campuses range from the city-centre Saint-Charles site to Luminy by the Calanques. Students under 26 can buy a Pass Annuel Métropole Étudiant for 360 euros a year covering buses, trams, metro and ferries across the metropolitan area, including bus 50 between Marseille Saint-Charles station and Aix, or an Aix en Bus student pass for 100 euros.
Nearest airport: Marseille Provence Airport (MRS)
Notable alumni
- PC Paul CézannePost-Impressionist painter; enrolled in the law faculty of the University of Aix in 1859
- FM Frédéric MistralProvençal poet and Nobel Prize in Literature laureate (1904); studied law in Aix from 1848 to 1851
- AT Adolphe ThiersHistorian and statesman, later President of France; studied at the Aix faculty of law from 1815
- FM François MignetJournalist and historian of the French Revolution; studied law in Aix
- JP Jean-Étienne-Marie PortalisJurist and one of the main drafters of the Napoleonic Civil Code; studied at the University of Aix
- JW Jens WeidmannPresident of the Deutsche Bundesbank from 2011 to 2021; studied economics at Aix-Marseille
Frequently asked questions
How much does Aix-Marseille University cost for international students?
For 2026-27, non-EU students pay the differentiated licence fee of 2,902 euros a year (3,950 euros for a master's), plus the 105 euro CVEC. EU/EEA and Swiss students pay 178 euros a year for a licence.
Does AMU still exempt non-EU students from differentiated fees?
Not automatically any more. Since the 19 May 2026 decree, new non-EU students pay the full fee at enrolment, and some can later receive a 75% partial exemption within a national cap. French government scholarship holders remain fully exempt.
How do I apply to Aix-Marseille University from outside the EU?
For a first-year licence, apply through Études en France if you live in a Campus France country, or with the white DAP file via the French embassy otherwise. For 2027 entry the window runs from 1 October to 15 December 2026.
Are bachelor's degrees at AMU taught in English?
Licences are taught in French, and non-EU applicants usually take a French test with the DAP. AMU offers a preparatory Classes Internationales year of intensive French for students who need it.
Is Aix-Marseille University in Aix or Marseille?
Both. Law, political science and the humanities are mainly in Aix-en-Provence, while sciences, health and several other faculties are on four Marseille campuses: Centre, Étoile, Luminy and Timone.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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