Université Grenoble Alpes
A large public university founded in 1339, next to Europe's big physics facilities and surrounded by the Alps.
- Students
- 57,000
- International
- 19%
- of students
- Tuition
- €178
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1339
About UGA
Université Grenoble Alpes traces its origins to the University of Grenoble, founded in 1339, whose motto Veritas Liberabit it keeps. The university split into separate institutions in 1970; three of them merged in 2016 to recreate a single university, and in 2020 Grenoble INP, Sciences Po Grenoble and the Grenoble school of architecture joined as component schools. Today UGA has about 57,000 students and 14,000 staff across 30 schools, faculties and institutes, on 15 sites across six départements, mainly in the Grenoble area and in Valence.
Grenoble is one of Europe's main science cities. UGA works alongside six international research infrastructures, including the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) and the Institut Laue-Langevin neutron source, and it counts 69 research units, 2,900 doctoral students and 137 European Research Council grants since 2007. About one in five students is international, from 150 nationalities.
Bachelor's degrees (licences) are taught in French and are open to all qualified applicants through Parcoursup, or through Études en France or the DAP procedure for non-EU students living abroad; about 30% of master's programmes are taught in English. UGA suits students who want a large, research-led public university with low EU fees, strong physics, engineering and computing, and the mountains on the doorstep.
Veritas Liberabit
“The truth will set you free” — university motto
Why students choose UGA
EU students pay national fees of EUR 178 a year for a licence, and UGA has committed to keep welcoming international students, applying fee exemptions as widely as the new national rules allow.
Grenoble hosts the ESRF synchrotron, the Institut Laue-Langevin and other international research facilities that UGA works with closely.
UGA counts 137 ERC grants since 2007 and 32 CNRS medals since 2001, and its alumni include Turing Award winner Joseph Sifakis.
Student life includes about 200 student associations, 39 sports open to all and libraries open 83 hours a week, including evenings and weekends.
Admissions
Rentrée September 2027
Selectivity
French public universities do not publish an overall admit rate. On Parcoursup, programmes answer 'yes', 'yes, if' (admission with a personalised support course), 'waiting list' or, for selective programmes only, 'no'.
Typical entry requirements
| Baccalauréat or equivalent | A school leaving qualification giving access to higher education; Parcoursup applicants are assessed on their school record and the Fiche Avenir from their school |
|---|---|
| French language (non-EU applicants) | Proof of French, usually through the TCF, checked in the Études en France or DAP procedure; licences are taught in French |
| English language | Licence (bachelor's) programmes are taught in French. English requirements apply only to the English-taught master's programmes (about 30% of UGA's master's). |
Deadlines
- Études en France, first-year licence (non-EU) Non-binding15 December (2025 date for 2026 entry)
For 2026 entry the platform opened on 1 October 2025 and closed on 15 December 2025 for L1; university responses by 30 April and final choice by 31 May 2026. Dates for 2027 entry had not been published by UGA.
- DAP blanche (non-EU living abroad, first-year licence) Non-binding15 December (2025 date for 2026 entry)
File submitted to the French embassy's cultural service by 15 December 2025 for 2026 entry; responses by 30 April 2026.
- Parcoursup Non-bindingMid-March (12 March 2026 for 2026 entry)
In the 2026 cycle, choices were made from 19 January to 12 March 2026 and confirmed by 1 April; offers from 2 June 2026. The 2027 calendar has not yet been published.
As of 29 September 2026, UGA's pages and parcoursup.gouv.fr still show the 2026-entry calendar; the Parcoursup 2027 calendar and the 2027 Études en France/DAP dates had not been published. Expect similar timing for 2027 entry, with the Études en France and DAP deadlines around mid-December 2026.
How to apply
Students in the French system and EU applicants apply for first-year licences through Parcoursup (up to 10 choices, confirmed with the Fiche Avenir). Non-EU students living in a Campus France country apply through Études en France (up to three first-year choices across all institutions); non-EU students in other countries use the DAP blanche file via the French embassy. Some schools and institutes run their own procedures, so check yours first.
What admissions looks for
- A school record that matches what each licence says it expects of applicants on its Parcoursup page.
- For non-EU applicants, a sufficient level of French, usually shown through the TCF.
- A complete Fiche Avenir with your school's opinion, grades and motivation.
- For selective programmes, strong grades in the relevant subjects.
Tips for applying to UGA
- 1 Check which procedure applies to your programme and your school or faculty before you start: some UGA schools, such as Grenoble INP-UGA, have their own rules.
- 2 Non-EU applicants should book the TCF early: it is compulsory for the DAP unless you qualify for an exemption.
- 3 If you are a non-EU student, request the differentiated-fee exemption form with your application (eCandidat) or from your faculty's student office before enrolling.
- 4 Keep checking Parcoursup from June: a 'yes, if' offer means admission with a personalised support course.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
A decree of 19 May 2026 restricts how French universities exempt non-EU students from differentiated fees, capping exemptions progressively at 20% of requests and basing them on financial need. UGA is treating 2026-27 as a transition year, granting exemptions widely within the caps, and from 2027-28 will assess requests on social and financial criteria; all net revenue is to be reinvested in support for international students. French government scholarship holders and exchange students remain automatically exempt.
- EUR 178 a year
- Licence fee, EU and exempted students (2026-27)
- EUR 2,902 a year
- Differentiated licence fee, non-EU (2026-27)
- EUR 105
- CVEC student life contribution (2026-27)
- Eventually 20% of requests
- Cap on differentiated-fee exemptions (new decree)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Physics and materials science
Taught next to the ESRF synchrotron and the Institut Laue-Langevin's 58 MW research reactor, which hosts 1,500 researchers a year.
Computer science and applied mathematics
Turing Award winner Joseph Sifakis studied and earned his doctorates in Grenoble; English-taught master's tracks include MOSIG, SIAM and cybersecurity.
Engineering at Grenoble INP - UGA
A component school of UGA since 2020, with its own admissions and fee rules.
Political science at Sciences Po Grenoble - UGA
Joined UGA as a component school in 2020.
Earth sciences and glaciology
Research strengths in seismology and geophysics, e.g. Michel Campillo's work at the Institute of Earth Sciences.
Research
- Six international research infrastructures in Grenoble, including the ESRF, one of the four largest synchrotrons in operation, and the Institut Laue-Langevin neutron source.
- 137 European Research Council grants since 2007 and 32 CNRS medals since 2001.
- 69 research units, 13 Labex and 7 Equipex projects, and 2,900 doctoral students.
Schools & faculties
- Grenoble INP - UGA
- Sciences Po Grenoble - UGA
- École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Grenoble - UGA (Ensag)
- Plus faculties and institutes: 30 schools, faculties and institutes in total
Student life
UGA's main campus, the Domaine Universitaire in Saint-Martin-d'Hères and Gières, is a large campus close to Grenoble, set against the surrounding mountains. The university lists about 200 student associations, including an orchestra, a dance company, two choirs and a student radio, more than 130 cultural events a year and 39 sports open to all students. Libraries open 83 hours a week, including evenings and weekends, and there are nearly 40 student houses and living spaces across the campuses.
- About 200 student associations.
- 39 sports open to all and 600 high-level student athletes.
- Three arts venues, including the Amphidice and the Maison de la création et de l'innovation.
- Libraries open 83 hours a week.
Location
Grenoble sits in the French Alps, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and hosts international research facilities such as the ESRF synchrotron and the Institut Laue-Langevin. The main university campus, the Domaine Universitaire, spans Saint-Martin-d'Hères and Gières, with other sites in Grenoble itself, a health campus in La Tronche, and a campus in Valence.
Nearest airport: Grenoble Alpes-Isère Airport (GNB)
Notable alumni
- JS Joseph Sifakis2007 Turing Award winner; studied computer science and earned his doctorates at the University of Grenoble
- HE Hazem El BeblawiFormer Prime Minister of Egypt; postgraduate degree in economics (1961)
- PK Paul Kaba ThiebaPrime Minister of Burkina Faso 2016-2019; DEA and doctorate at Pierre Mendès-France University
- RC Rajaâ Cherkaoui El MoursliMoroccan nuclear physicist who worked on the Higgs boson discovery; doctorate in physics at Joseph Fourier University
- MT Mélissa TheuriauFrench journalist and TV news anchor; diploma from the IUT at Pierre Mendès-France University
- YS Yousef SaadComputer scientist known for numerical linear algebra; doctorates from the University of Grenoble
- JG Joanna GoslingBritish broadcaster and former BBC News presenter; Erasmus year at the University of Grenoble
Frequently asked questions
How much does Université Grenoble Alpes cost for international students?
EU students pay EUR 178 a year for a licence plus the EUR 105 CVEC. Non-EU students face the national differentiated fee of EUR 2,902 a year unless UGA grants an exemption, which from 2027-28 will be based on financial situation under a new national decree.
How do non-EU students apply to a bachelor's at UGA?
Through Études en France if you live in a Campus France country, or with the DAP blanche file via the French embassy otherwise. For 2026 entry both had a 15 December deadline for first-year licences.
Are UGA's bachelor's programmes taught in English?
Licences are taught in French, and non-EU applicants usually need the TCF. About 30% of master's programmes are taught in English.
When is the Parcoursup deadline for Grenoble?
In the 2026 cycle, choices closed on 12 March 2026 and had to be confirmed by 1 April. The 2027 Parcoursup calendar has not yet been published.
How international is UGA?
About 11,000 of its 57,000 students (1 in 5) are international, from 150 nationalities, and 42% of doctoral students come from abroad.
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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