Marie and Louis Pasteur University (formerly University of Franche-Comté)
Université Marie et Louis Pasteur
A multi-campus public university founded in 1423, with an in-house French-as-a-foreign-language centre (CLA).
- Students
- 24,000
- International
- 13%
- of students
- Tuition
- €2,902
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1423
About UMLP
The university traces its origins to 1423, when it was founded at Dole; it moved to Besançon in 1691. Known for centuries as the University of Franche-Comté, it was renamed Université Marie et Louis Pasteur (UMLP) in 2025, after the scientist from the region and his wife. Rankings publishers such as QS still list it under the old name.
It describes itself as a multidisciplinary university of human size. It reports nearly 27,000 learners including trainees, of whom more than 24,000 are students, and it is spread across six university towns: Besançon, Belfort, Montbéliard, Vesoul, Lons-le-Saunier and Dole. Its components include six UFR faculties (health, language and social sciences, sciences and technology, law-economics-politics-management, industrial sciences and management, and sports sciences), two IUT technology institutes, the ISIFC engineering school, the IAE business school and the Centre de linguistique appliquée (CLA), which teaches French as a foreign language.
Teaching is mainly in French, so international students should plan for language preparation; the CLA offers a semester-long University Diploma in French Studies (DUEF) and a university-methods preparation course. About 12.7 percent of enrolled students were international in 2022-23. The university suits students who want a regional French public university at national-level fees, with a strong language-support option and a choice between a mid-sized city campus in Besançon and smaller sites in the Nord Franche-Comté industrial area.
Why students choose UMLP
The Centre de linguistique appliquée (CLA) offers the DUEF, a semester-long French-language, culture and society programme, plus a university-methods preparation course and French-test preparation (DELF/DALF, TCF).
Public tuition is low: in 2026/27 EU/EEA students pay 178 euros for a licence, and non-EU students pay a published 2,902 euros unless exempt.
Six UFR faculties, two IUTs, an engineering school (ISIFC), an IAE business school and 19 research units are grouped in one university across six towns.
Belfort and Montbéliard sit in an industrial region with Techn'hom, a business park of about 120 companies, and the Peugeot site.
Admissions
2027-28 academic year (entry September 2027)
Selectivity
The university does not publish an overall acceptance rate. Each degree sets its own capacity and criteria, published on the course catalogue at formations.univ-fcomte.fr.
Typical entry requirements
| Applicants from the 67 countries in the Etudes en France procedure (outside the EU) | Apply through Campus France's Etudes en France platform |
|---|---|
| Non-EU applicants from other countries (first year) | Preliminary admission request (DAP), filed with the French embassy; for L2 to doctorate apply to the university directly |
| EU/EEA applicants | Parcoursup for first year; the university directly (e-Candidat) from L2 to doctorate; 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 the 2027-2028 year. Universities answer before 30 April 2027 and you must reply before 31 May 2027.
- Parcoursup (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; the platform opens in February 2027.
The university's admission site points applicants to Campus France for dates, so the dates above are from Campus France's 2027-2028 timetable. Administrative enrolment opens from late June, depending on the component.
How to apply
The platform depends on your nationality and place of residence: Etudes en France via Campus France for the 67 listed non-EU countries, a DAP for other non-European applicants, Parcoursup for EU applicants to first year and e-Candidat or Mon Master for later years. After admission you pay the CVEC student contribution, then enrol online at admission.umlp.fr from late June, upload your documents and complete your teaching enrolment.
What admissions looks for
- Each degree publishes its own admission capacity and criteria in the course catalogue.
- For international applicants, the file is examined via Etudes en France, DAP or the direct application route depending on the country.
- Sufficient French: the CLA offers language preparation for students who need it before starting.
Tips for applying to UMLP
- 1 Check whether your country is in the Etudes en France list (67 non-EU countries) before choosing between that platform and a paper DAP.
- 2 Consider the DUEF or the Prépa Université at the CLA before your degree if your French or study methods need strengthening.
- 3 Budget for the CVEC student contribution, which must be paid on the national CVEC site before you can enrol.
- 4 Ask the Welcome Desk about the differentiated-fee position for your degree: the university's own page confirming automatic partial exemptions dates from 2024-25.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
For the 2024-25 start the university said that non-EU students subject to differentiated fees, whatever their financial situation, systematically received a partial exemption bringing their fees down to the national rate. No statement of the exemption position for 2026/27 was found on umlp.fr on 30 September 2026, and a decree of 19 May 2026 (no. 2026-385) has changed the rules on exemptions, so confirm with the Welcome Desk. Campus France lists automatic full waivers for holders of French government scholarships. The university's Victor Hugo scholarship for Latin American and Haitian master's students includes a fee waiver, housing, meals and two months of intensive French.
- 29.4% (university 'in figures' page)
- Students on higher-education scholarships
- Not stated for 2026/27 on umlp.fr (checked 30 Sep 2026); the latest statement, for 2024-25, said systematic partial exemption to the national rate
- Exemption position for 2026/27
Academics
French as a foreign language (CLA)
The CLA offers the DUEF, the Prépa Université, FLE courses and DELF/DALF and TCF preparation, and runs a master's in the field.
Health sciences (UFR Santé)
Includes medicine and pharmacy, with the university's Hauts du Chazal campus in Besançon located next to the university hospital.
Engineering (ISIFC and UFR STGI)
ISIFC in Besançon and the STGI faculty at Belfort and Montbéliard, in an industrial region.
Sciences and technology (UFR ST)
Based at Besançon, alongside the FEMTO-ST institute and the Mathematics Laboratory of Besançon.
Sport sciences (UFR STAPS)
Home to the university's Campus Sports service and sports association.
Law, economics, politics and management (UFR SJEPG)
A single faculty covering legal, economic and management studies, plus the IAE and IPAG.
Research
- The university lists 19 research units, including the FEMTO-ST institute, the UTINAM institute, the Mathematics Laboratory of Besançon and the Chrono-environnement laboratory.
- The new MesoBFC supercomputing mesocentre pools the two historic computing centres of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region.
- The university is involved in several France 2030 projects and holds the HRS4R European researcher-HR label.
- It participates in the STARS EU alliance of nine European higher-education institutions.
Schools & faculties
- UFR Sciences de la santé
- UFR Sciences du langage, de l'homme et de la société (SLHS)
- UFR Sciences et techniques (ST)
- UFR Sciences juridiques, économiques, politiques et de gestion (SJEPG)
- UFR Sciences, techniques et gestion de l'industrie (STGI)
- UFR STAPS
- IUT Nord Franche-Comté
- IUT Besançon-Vesoul
- ISIFC (engineering school)
- IAE (business administration institute)
- IPAG
- INSPE
- Centre de linguistique appliquée (CLA)
The pages consulted publish no graduate employment rate; the university runs an orientation and job placement service and a Sefocal continuing education and work-study service.
Student life
Student life is spread across six towns, with Besançon the main hub: a compact riverside city surrounded by hills, where the largest campus, La Bouloie, welcomes nearly 8,000 students a year. The university lists around a hundred student associations, and Campus Sports offers about forty leisure activities that are free to students, plus university competitions on Thursday afternoons. A welcome month called Bienvenue aux étudiants runs each September, and the ESN association runs a buddy system and the Nuit des Étudiants du Monde for international students.
- About a hundred student associations
- Campus Sports: about forty free sports activities at lunchtime and in the evening
- Bienvenue aux étudiants welcome events every September on all campuses
- ESN buddy system and the Nuit des Étudiants du Monde for international students
- Bienvenue en France label for international student services
Housing. Housing and meals run mainly through the Crous, which offers student residences applied for via the Dossier Social Étudiant online, and university restaurants.
Location
Besançon sits in a bend of the Doubs river, ringed by seven hills and dominated by its citadel, and is described by the university as a student city known for its quality of life. The university's other sites are in Belfort and Montbéliard (an industrial area around the Peugeot factory), Vesoul, Lons-le-Saunier and Dole, so where you live depends on your course. The Hauts du Chazal campus is served by the tram.
Nearest airport: EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (BSL)
Notable alumni
- YA Yukiya AmanoJapanese diplomat and Director General of the IAEA (2009-2019); studied at the University of Franche-Comté from 1973 to 1975 (non-degree study abroad)
- JM Jean-Luc MélenchonFrench politician; degree in philosophy from the University of Franche-Comté
- DV Dominique VoynetFrench politician and doctor; studied medicine at the Besançon faculty from 1977 to 1982
- AG Annie GenevardFrench politician; two licences (classical literature and art history) at the University of Franche-Comté
- YJ Yves JégoFrench politician and businessman; law master's degree (maîtrise) from the University of Franche-Comté in 1983
- JL Jean-Luc LagarcePlaywright; enrolled at the Besançon philosophy faculty from 1975 and founded a theatre company as a student
- HT Hubert-Félix ThiéfaineFrench singer-songwriter; studied law and psychology at the University of Besançon
- AM Abdellatif MiraouiMoroccan academic and former Minister of Higher Education; PhD in engineering sciences from the University of Franche-Comté (1992)
Frequently asked questions
Is the University of Franche-Comté the same as Marie and Louis Pasteur University?
Yes. The University of Franche-Comté was renamed Université Marie et Louis Pasteur in 2025, and its web addresses are moving from univ-fcomte.fr to umlp.fr. QS still lists it as Université de Franche-Comté.
How much are tuition fees for non-EU students in 2026/27?
The national differentiated rates for 2026/27 are 2,902 euros a year for a licence and 3,950 euros for a master, against 178 and 255 euros for EU students. The university said that in 2024-25 non-EU students automatically received partial exemptions to the national rate, but no 2026/27 position is published on umlp.fr, so confirm before applying.
What is the DAP or Etudes en France deadline for 2027 entry?
Campus France lists 1 October 2026 to 15 December 2026 for the 2027-2028 academic year.
Can I learn French at the university before starting a degree?
Yes. The Centre de linguistique appliquée offers the DUEF, a semester-length language, culture and society programme, and a Prépa Université, along with preparation for DELF/DALF and TCF tests.
Where are the university's campuses?
Besançon (campuses La Bouloie, city centre, Hauts du Chazal, TEMIS Sciences), Belfort, Montbéliard, Vesoul, Lons-le-Saunier and Dole.
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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