CY Cergy Paris University
CY Cergy Paris Université
A young university on Paris's north-west edge that puts degrees, engineering and design schools on one campus network.
- Students
- 26,000
- International
- 18%
- of students
- Tuition
- €2,902
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1991
About CY Cergy Paris Université
CY Cergy Paris University was created in January 2020 from the University of Cergy-Pontoise (founded 1991) and the engineering school EISTI, and it became a grand établissement in 2025. It is a public university about 25 kilometres from central Paris, with more than 26,000 students, 4,764 of them international, and around 1,200 researchers.
What makes it distinctive is the mix under one roof. Alongside licence and master degrees in law, humanities, languages, economics and sciences, it houses CY Tech (an engineering school with institutes for economics-management and for science and technology), a nine-department IUT, a design school in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, a hospitality and gastronomy school in Gennevilliers, and Sciences Po Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which recruits by national competition. It also leads the CY Alliance of partner institutions and, with ESSEC Business School, the CY Initiative research programme.
Teaching is mostly in French. Non-EU applicants for a first-year licence apply through Campus France's Etudes en France procedure or a paper DAP, and pay a differentiated fee of 2,902 euros a year for 2026/27, although the university can grant partial exemptions down to the national rate. It suits students who want a Paris-region degree at public-university prices, are comfortable studying in French, and like a professionally oriented, multi-site university rather than a single central campus.
Why students choose CY Cergy Paris Université
Public tuition is low: EU/EEA students pay 178 euros a year for a licence, and non-EU students pay 2,902 euros a year, with partial exemptions to the national rate possible on academic and social grounds.
One university offers licence and master degrees, engineering (CY Tech), nine IUT departments, a design school and Sciences Po Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
The Cergy-Pontoise conurbation has 216,000 inhabitants and lies 25 kilometres from Paris, next to the Vexin regional nature park.
More than 90 student associations, a 38-member student parliament and a free sports offer of over 40 disciplines funded by the CVEC student contribution.
Admissions
2027-28 academic year (entry September 2027)
Selectivity
CY does not publish an overall acceptance rate. First-year licence places are allocated via Parcoursup (EU/EEA applicants and residents of France) or the DAP (non-EU applicants abroad); each programme sets its own selection criteria on its course page at formation.cyu.fr.
Typical entry requirements
| Non-EU applicants living abroad, first-year licence (L1) | Preliminary admission request (DAP) via Campus France's Etudes en France platform if you live in one of the participating countries, otherwise a DAP form filed with the French embassy; up to three universities examine the request at once |
|---|---|
| Non-EU applicants, L2/L3, M1, M2 | Apply via Etudes en France (participating countries) or the individual mobility file; requirements are set programme by programme on CY's course pages |
| EU/EEA applicants and residents of France | Parcoursup for L1; e-Candidat for L2, L3 and M2; Mon Master for M1 |
Deadlines
- DAP / Etudes en France (non-EU, L1 entry 2027-28) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~2 months1 October 2026 to 15 December 2026
Campus France timetable for 2027-2028. Universities answer before 30 April 2027, and you must reply before 31 May 2027.
- Parcoursup (EU/EEA and residents of France, L1) Non-bindingChoices to be completed by April 2027
Platform opens December 2026, registration January to March 2027, main admission phase June to July 2027 (Campus France timetable).
- Mon Master (M1) Non-bindingApplications February to March 2027
Campus France timetable for 2027-28; for the previous cycle CY listed applications opening 2 February 2026 and admissions from 4 June 2026.
Dates are from Campus France's timetable for the 2027-2028 academic year. Parcoursup and Mon Master are given by month only; check the platforms for exact days.
How to apply
Non-EU students who have never studied in French or European higher education contact CY's international office and apply through Campus France's Etudes en France procedure (or a DAP form for countries outside it). EU/EEA students and residents of France apply through Parcoursup (L1), e-Candidat (L2/L3, M2, professional licence) or Mon Master (M1). CY Tech and the INSPE have their own application sites.
What admissions looks for
- For non-EU applicants, the quality of the academic file is the main criterion, and it is also used when CY decides on partial exemptions from the differentiated fee.
- Each programme sets its own admission criteria, which CY publishes on its course pages (formation.cyu.fr).
- Social and financial situation is taken into account in fee-exemption decisions.
Tips for applying to CY Cergy Paris Université
- 1 Non-EU students living in an Etudes en France country must use that platform: registration opens on 1 October 2026, and Campus France advises finishing early, ideally in November.
- 2 Ask for the fee exemption early: applicants coming through Campus France can request it from April after their preliminary acceptance, which helps before a visa application.
- 3 Send exemption requests to the exemption committee by its deadline; the university notes a 10 percent ceiling on exemptions, so a strong academic file matters.
- 4 Use the French Language Centre (CLF), which holds the French-as-a-foreign-language quality label, if you need to strengthen your French before or during your studies.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
CY can grant partial exemptions that reduce the differentiated fee to the national fee, judged on academic quality and social criteria and capped at 10 percent of enrolled students. Some students are not subject to the differentiated fee at all (for example long-term residents, refugees, Quebec nationals, and students whose tax household has been in France for two years). Campus France also lists automatic full waivers for holders of French government scholarships and notes that a May 2026 decree changed the rules for institutional waivers.
- 10% of enrolled students (regulatory ceiling, stated on CY's differentiated-fees page for 2026-27)
- Exemption committee cap
- Social rate of at most 1 euro
- Student meals at Crous restaurants
Academics
Law (CY Faculty of Law)
Teaches over 3,100 students in licence, master and doctorate.
International studies (FE2I)
Trains experts in international and intercultural cultures.
CY Tech engineering and science
Combines an engineering school with institutes of economics-management and of science, whose science institute has eight departments including biology, chemistry, civil engineering and computer science.
IUT of Cergy-Pontoise
Nine teaching departments in a vocational university-technology institute.
Sciences Po Saint-Germain-en-Laye
A social-science grande école that recruits by national competition, in the first and fourth year.
CY School of Design
A design school on the Saint-Germain-en-Laye site.
Research
- CY Initiative is the joint strategy of CY and ESSEC Business School, awarded the I-SITE label by the French state in February 2017.
- Labex MME-DII is a laboratory of excellence in mathematical and economic modelling of uncertainty and interaction.
- CY Générations is a PIA4 investment fund for projects on the environmental and social transition.
Schools & faculties
- CY Faculty of Law
- CY International Studies and Intercultural Faculty (FE2I)
- CY Humanities and Social Sciences (LSH)
- CY Tech Engineering School
- CY Tech Institute of Economics and Management
- CY Tech Institute of Science and Technology
- IUT of Cergy-Pontoise
- CY School of Design
- CY Gastronomy Hospitality
- CY EPSS
- CY ILEPS
- INSPE of the Academy of Versailles
CY reports 3,400 graduates in 2025 and describes its vocational programmes as leading to an excellent graduate employment rate, without publishing a figure on the pages consulted.
Student life
CY is a multi-site university, so student life depends on which campus you are on: Cergy-Pontoise (Les Chênes, Saint-Martin, Neuville) is the largest, with others at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Gennevilliers, Sarcelles and elsewhere. There are more than 90 student associations and a student parliament of 38 members. The university sports service offers over 40 sports and arts activities free of charge, funded by the CVEC contribution. Crous restaurants serve lunch at a social rate of at most one euro, paid through the Izly account.
- More than 90 student associations across the sites
- Student parliament with 38 members
- Over 40 free sports and arts activities from September to May through the university sports service
- Crous meals at a social rate of at most 1 euro with an Izly account
- Holds the Bienvenue en France label (two stars in 2024, valid to 2029) for its support of international students
Housing. CY works with the Studapart housing platform (10 percent off booking fees), and students can apply each year for a Crous residence through the Crous de Versailles website.
Location
Cergy-Pontoise is a conurbation of 216,000 inhabitants and the administrative capital of the Val-d'Oise department, about 25 kilometres from Paris and at the gateway to the Vexin regional nature park. Its 13 municipalities host 14,000 businesses. Life here is quieter than in central Paris, with urban areas and natural space side by side.
Nearest airport: Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Notable alumni
- GB Geoffroy BoulardFrench politician and Mayor of the 17th arrondissement of Paris since 2017; DESS in European project management at the University of Cergy-Pontoise (predecessor of CY)
- VB Vincent BrugeasComic-book writer; master's degree in contemporary history from the University of Cergy-Pontoise in 2005
- OD Oumar DiawFrench actor; DEUG in history at the University of Cergy-Pontoise before leaving academia for acting
- IF Isabelle FromantinFrench nurse and researcher on tumour wounds; PhD in life and health sciences from the University of Cergy-Pontoise in 2009
- M MaghlaFrench video creator and streamer; licence in economics and management at the University of Cergy-Pontoise
- AM Anne-Solange MuisGeographer and novelist; doctoral studies in geography at the University of Cergy-Pontoise
- NA Ndolenodji Alixe NaïmbayeChadian politician, Minister of Justice since April 2026; DESS in languages and international trade in Cergy-Pontoise
Frequently asked questions
How much does CY Cergy Paris University cost for international students?
For 2026/27, non-EU students in a licence pay 2,902 euros a year and in a master or engineering cycle 3,950 euros a year, unless they are exempt or receive a partial exemption to the national fee (178 euros licence, 255 euros master).
Can non-EU students get an exemption from the higher fees at CY?
Yes. CY can grant partial exemptions to the national rate on academic and social criteria, within the regulatory ceiling of 10 percent of enrolled students (per its 2026-27 differentiated-fees page). Some groups, such as long-term residents, refugees and Quebec nationals, are not subject to the differentiated fee at all. Exemption rules changed by decree in May 2026, so check current conditions.
What is the DAP deadline for 2027 entry?
For the 2027-2028 academic year, Campus France lists the DAP / Etudes en France registration period as 1 October 2026 to 15 December 2026, for first-year licence applicants.
Do I need to speak French to study at CY?
Most programmes are taught in French, though CY's course catalogue has a filter for programmes taught in English, and its French Language Centre offers French as a foreign language courses.
Is CY Cergy Paris University in Paris?
No. It is in Cergy-Pontoise, about 25 kilometres from Paris, with additional sites in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Gennevilliers and elsewhere.
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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