University of Lille
Université de Lille
One of France's largest universities, with 78,000 students on ten sites and 178-euro licence fees for EU students.
- Students
- 78,000
- International
- 13%
- of students
- Tuition
- €2,902
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 2018
About ULille
The University of Lille in its current form was created in 2018 by merging Lille's three universities (Lille 1, 2 and 3), which had been split apart in 1968; in 2022 it became a new institution that also integrates four grandes écoles. Its roots go back to a university founded in Douai in 1559, and to Lille's Faculty of Sciences, created in 1854 with Louis Pasteur as its first dean. Today it has about 78,000 students in its faculties, 9,900 of them international, plus about 3,900 more in its partner schools.
It covers almost every field through faculties such as Humanities, Law, Economics and Social Sciences, Health and Sport (UFR3S), Science and Technology, Psychology and Education, Languages, the IUT, Polytech Lille and IAE Lille, alongside Sciences Po Lille, the ESJ journalism school, the ENSAIT textile engineering school and the ENSAPL architecture school. It has 64 research units and campuses on ten sites around the Lille metropolitan area, including the Cité scientifique in Villeneuve-d'Ascq.
Bachelor's degrees (licences) are taught in French and require French at B2; 100% English-taught programmes are at master's level. French and EU students pay national fees of 178 euros a year for a licence, while most non-EU students pay differentiated fees of 2,902 euros. It suits independent students who want a broad choice of subjects at low cost in a lively student city.
Why students choose ULille
Very low fees for French and EU students: 178 euros a year for a licence in 2026/27, plus the 105 euro CVEC.
Breadth: 180 degree programmes across 13 fields, from medicine and law to journalism, architecture and textile engineering.
A long list of 100% English-taught master's programmes for 2027-28, from data science and quantum technologies to international economics.
Labelled 'Bienvenue en France' by Campus France for its support to international students, with a third star awarded in 2024.
Admissions
2027/28 entry
Selectivity
French universities do not publish a single admission rate. Most licences are open to holders of a baccalaureate or equivalent, with places allocated through Parcoursup; health (access to medicine and related studies) and some programmes are selective.
Typical entry requirements
| French baccalauréat, European Baccalaureate, or students already in French post-baccalaureate study | Apply through Parcoursup |
|---|---|
| Non-EU/EEA/Swiss school-leaving diploma (first year of licence) | Demande d'Admission Préalable (DAP): proof that you can enter higher education in the country where you finished school, plus French at the level required for the programme (generally B2) |
| English language | Licences are taught in French. For the English-taught master's programmes the university requires B2 in the language of instruction unless otherwise specified (some require C1). |
Deadlines
- DAP / Études en France, first year of licence (2025/26 notice, past) Non-binding Passed15 December 2024
The 2025/26 DAP ran from 1 October to 15 December 2024; universities replied by 30 April 2025 and applicants had until 31 May to accept. The university's latest published notice is for 2025/26; check Études en France for the 2027/28 dates.
- Parcoursup (2026 cycle, past) Non-binding Passed12 March 2026 (choices); 1 April 2026 (complete file)
Registration and choices ran from 19 January to 12 March 2026. The Parcoursup 2027 calendar had not been published at the time of checking.
For 2027 entry, key orientation dates are the Salon du lycéen et de l'étudiant (14–16 January 2027) and the university open day (30 January 2027). DAP applicants for 2027/28 should expect the same autumn window as in previous cycles and confirm it on Études en France.
How to apply
EU/EEA/Swiss students and holders of a French or European baccalaureate apply through Parcoursup (up to 10 choices). Non-EU students applying for the first year of a licence use the DAP: online via Études en France if their country uses it, otherwise the 'dossier blanc' sent to the French embassy, or the 'dossier vert' if they live in France. Up to three choices are allowed.
What admissions looks for
- Eligibility for higher education in the country where you finished secondary school.
- French at a level suited to the programme, generally B2, certified by DELF/DALF, TEF or TCF unless you are exempt.
- A school record and project that match the licence you choose (assessed through Parcoursup or the DAP file).
- For English-taught master's, B2 or C1 in English depending on the programme.
Tips for applying to ULille
- 1 If you need the TCF for the DAP, register early: the test is paid and must be passed, but passing alone does not guarantee admission.
- 2 Use the university's online guidance tool ('Candidater à l'Université de Lille > Candidater comme étudiant international') to find the right procedure for your profile.
- 3 Non-EU students should check whether they qualify for standard fees (for example tax residence in France for two years or refugee status) before budgeting for differentiated fees.
- 4 Try a Lille immersion day (November and February) to sit in on classes before choosing.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Students with French social-criteria grants (bourses sur critères sociaux) or French government scholarships are exempt from tuition. Non-EU students first enrolled at Lille in 2025/26 at master's or engineering level pay standard instead of differentiated fees for the whole cycle, and other students can ask the university's fee-exemption commission (for 2026/27, requests by 31 October 2026 for licence and master's). Decree 2026-385 of 19 May 2026 changed the conditions for exemptions granted by universities; students exempted in 2025-26 keep the old rules until the end of their licence or master's cycle. Lille also relays Eiffel excellence scholarships (master's and PhD) and its own Moblilex mobility grants.
- 105 euros
- CVEC (2026-27)
- 2,902 euros per year
- Differentiated fee, licence (non-EU)
- Online in one payment or in 3 instalments (for enrolments up to 31 October 2026)
- Payment
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Health studies (UFR3S)
Lille's health and sport faculty trains doctors, pharmacists, dentists and midwives, and runs English-taught master's such as the European Master of Neurotechnology.
Master in Data Science (English-taught)
One of the Faculty of Science and Technology's 100% English-taught master's for 2027-28.
Master in Quantum and Photonic Technologies (English-taught)
An English-taught physics master's in the Faculty of Science and Technology.
Journalism at ESJ Lille
ESJ Lille, one of the university's four integrated grandes écoles, has about 750 students.
Textile engineering at ENSAIT
A specialist engineering school for textiles, integrated into the university in 2022.
Research
- 64 research units across the sciences, health, humanities and social sciences.
- Louis Pasteur was the first dean of Lille's Faculty of Sciences, created in 1854.
- 37 start-ups created from the university in the past five years.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Humanities (FHUMA)
- Faculty of Economics, Social Sciences and Territories (FaSEST)
- Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences (UFR3S)
- Faculty of Science and Technology (FST)
- Faculty of Legal, Political and Social Sciences (FSJPS)
- Faculty of Languages, Cultures and Societies (LCS)
- Faculty of Psychology and Education (PsySEF)
- IUT (University Institute of Technology)
- Polytech Lille
- IAE Lille University School of Management
- Sciences Po Lille (integrated school)
- École supérieure de journalisme de Lille (ESJ Lille, integrated school)
Student life
With about 78,000 students, Lille is a big-city university spread over ten sites in the Lille metropolitan area, including the Cité scientifique in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, home to the round LILLIAD learning centre. Lille has a developed public transport network with metro, tram, buses and V'lille bikes. The university runs immersion days for final-year school students, parents' evenings and a student life master plan covering daily life, solidarity, health and well-being. Lille holds the 'Bienvenue en France' label for its welcome of international students.
- Open day on 30 January 2027 and immersion days in November and February.
- Exchange programmes including Erasmus+, ISEP and more than 400 bilateral agreements in over 40 countries.
- 'Bienvenue en France' label with three stars (2024) for welcoming international students.
- Four integrated schools: Sciences Po Lille, ESJ Lille, ENSAIT and ENSAPL.
Location
Lille is a large student city in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. The university's sites are spread across the metropolitan area, including the Cité scientifique in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, and are linked by metro, tram, buses and V'lille bikes. Lille Airport, at Lesquin, is 7 km south-south-east of the city. The Cité scientifique campus has its own metro station on line 1.
Nearest airport: Lille Airport (LIL)
Notable alumni
- FT Faustin-Archange TouadéraPresident of the Central African Republic; doctorate in mathematics from Lille University of Science and Technology (Lille 1), 1986
- ÉD Éric Dupond-MorettiCriminal defence lawyer and French Minister of Justice (2020–2024); studied law at Lille
- RS Roger SalengroMayor of Lille and French Minister of the Interior (1936); enrolled in literature at the University of Lille in 1909
- CG Caleb GattegnoMathematics educator and psychologist; Docteur ès lettres (philosophy) from the University of Lille (1952)
- IM Iris MittenaereMiss Universe 2016; studied dentistry at Lille 2 University of Health and Law
- EG Eve GillesMiss France 2024; studied mathematics and computer science at the University of Lille
Frequently asked questions
How much does the University of Lille cost for international students?
In 2026/27, EU/EEA/Swiss students pay 178 euros a year for a licence. Most non-EU students pay differentiated fees of 2,902 euros a year for a licence (3,950 euros for a master's). Everyone also pays the 105 euro CVEC.
Can I study a bachelor's in English at the University of Lille?
Licences are taught in French and generally require B2 French. The 100% English-taught programmes are master's degrees.
How do non-EU students apply to the first year at Lille?
Through the Demande d'Admission Préalable (DAP): online via Études en France in connected countries, or with the paper 'dossier blanc' via the French embassy. You can list up to three choices and must show B2 French unless exempt.
Do EU students use Parcoursup to apply to Lille?
Yes. EU/EEA/Swiss applicants, and anyone with a French or European baccalaureate, apply through Parcoursup. In 2026, choices had to be entered between 19 January and 12 March.
Can non-EU students at Lille get their fees reduced?
Yes, in some cases. French government scholarship holders are exempt, non-EU students first enrolled in 2025/26 at master's or engineering level keep standard fees for their whole cycle, and others can apply to the university's exemption commission (for 2026/27, by 31 October 2026 for licence and master's). Decree 2026-385 of 19 May 2026 changed the exemption rules, but students exempted in 2025-26 keep the old rules until the end of their cycle.
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 de Lille: Fiche d'identité
- Université de Lille: Composantes et établissements-composantes
- Université de Lille: Droits d'inscription 2026-2027
- Université de Lille: Droits différenciés 2026/2027 (PDF)
- Université de Lille: Exonération des droits d'inscription
- Université de Lille International: Hors programme d'échange (international applicants)
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