Université Clermont Auvergne

Key Highlights

• Public French university operating as an experimental EPSCP
• Present merged university established on 1 January 2017
• Official snapshot reports about 36,000 students and 21 educational components
• Teaching and research presence across seven campus cities or areas

Student Life & Environment

Student life is distributed across UCA’s multiple sites, so the available associations, sports, cultural activities, health services, and study spaces differ by campus. At the Cézeaux campus in Aubière, the Maison de la Vie Étudiante serves as a center for student initiatives and associations. It contains work and computer rooms, reservable music-practice rooms, association offices, meeting space, and a multipurpose event hall. The building also brings together student-health, disability-support, orientation, career, and student-life services, with a CROUS cafeteria nearby. Housing is not automatically included with university admission. UCA directs students toward CROUS residences, the Maison Internationale Universitaire, and other public or private options. International students can use the university’s Digital Welcome Desk for guidance on settling in France and everyday administration. The wider student welcome service provides information about housing, food, scholarships, jobs, health, transport, culture, and sport, as well as assistance with residence permits, health insurance, CAF housing-support procedures, and CROUS applications. Students needing disability accommodations can request adjustments to study and examinations. UCA also identifies arrangements for high-level athletes, artists, reservists, and students with significant civic or association responsibilities. Applicants should contact the relevant campus service early because support, housing capacity, and local arrangements are not identical across the university network.

Location & Surroundings

UCA’s main base is Clermont-Ferrand in central France, but it is not a single-site university. The official campus list also includes nearby Aubière and the regional cities of Aurillac, Le Puy-en-Velay, Montluçon, Moulins, and Vichy. A student’s day-to-day setting may therefore range from the Clermont metropolitan area to a smaller Auvergne city. Program pages should be checked carefully because the database city does not establish the teaching location of every course. Within the Clermont area, university facilities are spread across urban sites, including central Clermont-Ferrand and the Cézeaux science campus in Aubière. Housing decisions should account for the specific faculty location and commute rather than proximity to a generic university address. UCA’s 2026 international-student guide identifies bus and tram services, reduced or solidarity transport pricing for eligible users, and free weekend public transport, subject to local rules. Clermont-Ferrand provides the administrative and service center for much of the university, while the wider network offers access to different regional communities. International students should budget for initial accommodation, local travel, insurance, deposits, and administrative costs before arrival; admission does not guarantee a CROUS room.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For 2026–2027 national qualifications, UCA published annual registration charges of €178 for licence-level programs, €255 for master’s programs, €398 for doctorates, and €630 for engineering programs. Eligible students in initial education must also account for the €105 Contribution de vie étudiante et de campus. Scholarship holders may qualify for exemptions under national rules. Fees for university-specific diplomas, continuing education, work-study arrangements, and some international situations can differ, so the amount attached to the exact program takes precedence. International students should budget beyond tuition. UCA’s indicative 2026 Clermont-Ferrand budget shows that rent varies substantially by housing type and that admission does not secure a CROUS room. It also identifies food, utilities, communications, insurance, transport, leisure, and initial setup expenses. These figures are planning estimates, not guaranteed prices or a complete cost of attendance. Career preparation is available through internships, work-study opportunities in selected programs, workshops, interviews, conferences, and the university’s orientation and professional-integration services. UCA Pro connects students with other students, alumni, teaching staff, and professionals to support networking and employment preparation. The university describes internships as an important first step toward professional integration. However, no verified institution-wide salary, employment-rate, or employer-outcome figure was found in the selected current sources. Prospective students should compare program-level internship requirements, apprenticeship availability, graduate surveys, professional accreditation, and local industry links before deciding.