Université Côte d'Azur
Nice's research university, built around the former University of Nice and an IdEx excellence label, between sea and Alps.
- Students
- 35,000
- Tuition
- €2,902
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1965
- QS World Ranking
- 711-720
- 2027 edition
About UniCA
Université Côte d'Azur (UniCA) is the public university of Nice and the French Riviera. Its academic core is the former University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, created by decree in 1965 and merged into the new institution in 2019; since January 2020 it has had the status of a grand établissement. It reports around 35,000 students from more than 100 countries, with campuses in Nice (including the Valrose science campus around a 19th-century château), Sophia Antipolis, Cannes, Grasse and Menton.
UniCA won France's IdEx 'Initiative of Excellence' label in 2016, placing it among the small group of research-intensive French universities with that status. It federates 18 academic players, including component institutions such as the Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur and the Villa Arson art school, and works with CNRS, Inria, Inserm and INRAE. It hosts 3IA Côte d'Azur, one of France's four interdisciplinary artificial intelligence institutes, and is a founding member of the Ulysseus European university alliance.
Undergraduate study is organised into portals by broad subject so students can specialise gradually, alongside a technology institute (IUT) for Bachelor of Technology degrees, the Polytech Nice Sophia engineering school and the IAE Nice management school. Bachelor's (licence) teaching is in French, and fees are the low national rates, so it suits students who can study in French and want a research university on the Mediterranean.
Why students choose UniCA
National tuition rates apply: €178 a year for a licence (bachelor's) for French and EU students in 2026-27, and €2,902 for non-EU students.
It holds the IdEx excellence label and hosts 3IA Côte d'Azur, one of France's four national AI institutes.
Engineering at Polytech Nice Sophia and technology bachelor's degrees at the IUT, including a Bachelor of Technology in data science, sit alongside the traditional licence degrees.
The Sophia Antipolis campus sits in what the university describes as Europe's largest science park.
Admissions
2027-28 academic year (first-year entry September 2027)
Selectivity
UniCA publishes no overall admission rate. First-year places are allocated through Parcoursup (French/EU) or the DAP procedure via Études en France (most non-EU applicants), and each course sets its own examination criteria.
Typical entry requirements
| French baccalauréat or EU secondary diploma | Apply through Parcoursup; each course publishes the criteria it uses (grades, motivation, skills) |
|---|---|
| Non-EU secondary school leaving certificate | Must give access to higher education in your country; apply through the DAP (preliminary admission request), online via Études en France in the listed countries. All foreign-language documents must be translated into French by an accredited translator |
| English language | Bachelor's (licence) courses are taught in French, so English tests are not the relevant requirement: non-French-speaking applicants need a strong level of French, assessed as part of the DAP/Études en France process. English-taught study at UniCA is mainly at master's level (the MSc programmes). |
Deadlines
- DAP via Études en France (non-EU, first year) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~2 months1 October to 15 December 2026
Universities respond by 30 April 2027 and students must reply by 31 May 2027; no answer counts as a refusal. Campus France prints the closing date as '15 December 2027', evidently a typo for 2026.
- Green DAP (non-EU residents in France) Non-binding In ~2 months1 October to 15 December 2026
File submitted to UniCA's International Development and Europe Department; only complete files are processed.
- Parcoursup (French/EU applicants) Non-bindingRegistration and choices January to March 2027; file completion April 2027
Platform opens December 2026; main admission phase June to July 2027. Exact 2027 dates not yet published (the 2026 cycle ran 19 January to 12 March 2026 for choices, now past).
Campus France has published the 2027-28 timetable (DAP from 1 October to 15 December 2026; Parcoursup opening December 2026, registration January to March 2027). Parcoursup's exact 2027 dates were not yet online in September 2026; the 2026 cycle's dates are past.
How to apply
French and EU/EEA/Swiss nationals (including those living abroad) apply on Parcoursup. Non-EU nationals living in one of the countries covered by Études en France (a list of around 70 on UniCA's page) apply through the Études en France platform (DAP), listing up to 3 universities; non-EU students resident in France use the 'green DAP' paper file. Other non-EU applicants contact the French embassy. After admission you pay the CVEC (€105 for 2026-27) and complete online administrative registration.
What admissions looks for
- A secondary diploma that gives access to higher education in your country.
- For Parcoursup courses, the criteria listed on each course page: school results, motivation, skills and teachers' assessments.
- Enough French to follow a licence taught in French.
- A complete file on the right platform: UniCA rejects applications made through the wrong procedure automatically.
Tips for applying to UniCA
- 1 Check which platform applies to you before anything else: Parcoursup for EU nationals, Études en France/DAP for most non-EU applicants, or the green DAP if you already live in France.
- 2 Non-EU applicants should start the DAP in October: the window closes mid-December 2026 for September 2027 entry.
- 3 Budget for the differentiated fee (€2,902 a year for a licence in 2026-27) unless you fall into an exempt group such as long-term residents or French government scholarship holders.
- 4 Get your transcripts and diploma translated into French by an accredited translator early; registration requires it.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
French and EU students holding means-tested state grants (bourses sur critères sociaux) and French government scholarship holders are fully exempt from registration fees and the CVEC. New non-EU students must pay the differentiated fees but may apply for a partial exemption through the social services, which brings fees down to the EU rate if granted. Fees can be paid in 3 or 5 instalments online.
- €178 per year
- Licence fee, French/EU 2026-27
- €2,902 per year
- Licence fee, non-EU 2026-27
- €105 for 2026-27
- CVEC (all students)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (September start)
Polytech Nice Sophia engineering programmes
An integrated five-year route (two-year prep cycle then three-year engineering cycle) inside the university, based at Sophia Antipolis.
Bachelor of Technology (BUT) in Data Science and Computer Science
Three-year technology degrees at the IUT, charged at the standard licence rate.
Sport sciences (STAPS)
UniCA reports being the only French university in ShanghaiRanking's 2025 sport science ranking (151-200 worldwide).
Law (licence)
Taught at the Trotabas campus by the faculty whose predecessor was created in Nice in 1962.
English-taught MSc programmes
UniCA's main route in English, at master's level, for students who complete a French or foreign bachelor's first.
Research
- Home to 3IA Côte d'Azur, one of France's four interdisciplinary institutes of artificial intelligence.
- IdEx 'Initiative of Excellence' label since 2016, with research partners including CNRS, Inria, Inserm and INRAE.
- The Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur is one of UniCA's component institutions.
- The university reports ranking 12th nationally among academic institutions in the Nature Index 2025.
Schools & faculties
- Undergraduate portals: Economics and Management; Letters, Languages, Arts and Communication; Life Sciences; Human and Social Sciences
- Law, Political, Economic and Management Sciences
- Sciences (Valrose campus)
- Medicine
- Odontology
- Sport Sciences (STAPS)
- University Institute of Technology (IUT)
- Polytech Nice Sophia (engineering school)
- IAE Nice Graduate School of Management
- INSPE (teacher training)
- University Research Schools (EUR) for master's and PhD study
Student life
UniCA is a city university spread over several campuses rather than one enclosed site: sciences at Valrose around its château and gardens, law at Trotabas, humanities at Carlone, economics at Saint-Jean d'Angély, medicine at Pasteur, and engineering and computing at Sophia Antipolis. Students live in CROUS residences or private flats across Nice and the coast, and campus life runs through student associations, university sport and cultural programmes. Every student pays the national CVEC (€105 in 2026-27), which funds campus life, health and sport services.
- The Valrose campus is set in the park of a 19th-century château.
- Students come from more than 100 countries.
- UniCA belongs to the Ulysseus European university alliance, which opens exchange routes with partner universities.
- University sport, culture and student associations are open to all enrolled students.
Housing. Students apply for CROUS university residences or rent privately; the university's welcome services give guidance on housing but first-year rooms are not guaranteed.
Location
Nice sits on the Mediterranean between Cannes and Monaco, with the mountains of the Alpes-Maritimes behind it. UniCA's campuses are spread across the city and along the coast to Cannes, Grasse, Menton and the Sophia Antipolis technology park, so where you live depends on your course. Housing on the Riviera is in demand, so apply for CROUS residences or start looking for a flat early.
Nearest airport: Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE)
Notable alumni
- JM J. M. G. Le ClézioNobel Prize in Literature 2008; finished his undergraduate degree at Nice's Institut d'études littéraires
- MV Mohammed VIKing of Morocco; PhD in law from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis (1993)
- YA Yukiya AmanoDirector General of the International Atomic Energy Agency; studied at the University of Nice
- WB William BoydNovelist; studied at the University of Nice before Glasgow and Oxford
- PK Philippe KahnFounder of Borland, credited with creating the first camera phone; studied mathematics at Nice (master's)
- AC Adrian ConstantinMathematician; BSc 1991 and MSc 1992 from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis
- FT Fatoumata TambajangFormer Vice-President of the Gambia; BA in French from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis
- GT Gilles TonelliMonegasque engineer, diplomat and former Minister of Finance and Economy; master of advanced studies in mathematics from Nice
Frequently asked questions
How much does Université Côte d'Azur cost per year?
For 2026-27 a licence (bachelor's) costs €178 a year for French and EU students and €2,902 for non-EU students, plus the €105 CVEC. Students on French means-tested grants pay nothing.
Can I study a bachelor's in English at Université Côte d'Azur?
Bachelor's (licence) courses are taught in French. English-taught options are mainly the MSc programmes at master's level.
How do international students apply to Université Côte d'Azur?
EU nationals use Parcoursup. Most non-EU applicants submit a DAP through Études en France between 1 October and 15 December 2026 for 2027 entry; non-EU residents of France use the green DAP.
Did the 2026 fee decree change fees for non-EU students?
UniCA says non-EU students exempted in 2025-26 keep their exemption under the decree of 19 May 2026. New non-EU entrants pay the differentiated fees but can apply for a partial exemption that brings fees down to the EU rate.
What is Université Côte d'Azur's QS ranking?
It is in the 711-720 band in the QS World University Rankings 2027, and 501-600 in ARWU 2026.
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.
- Université Côte d'Azur: Droits d'inscription 2026-2027
- Université Côte d'Azur: Tuition fees (English, 2025-26)
- Université Côte d'Azur: Candidater en Licence 1 / BUT / PASS / Prépa ingénieur
- Université Côte d'Azur: Apply and register (international students, DAP)
- Université Côte d'Azur: Before applying
- Université Côte d'Azur: Université (key figures)
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