University of Rennes
Université de Rennes
Brittany's research university, rebuilt in 2023 from Rennes 1 and five grandes écoles, with state-set fees and a French-language licence.
- Students
- 36,000
- International
- 10%
- of students
- Tuition
- €2,902
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1461
About Univ Rennes
The University of Rennes presents itself as the direct heir of the first university in the region, founded in Nantes in 1461 by Francis II, Duke of Brittany. That ducal university was dissolved in 1793 and replaced in 1808 by an imperial university in Rennes. In 1970 the University of Rennes split into Rennes 1 and Rennes 2, and on 1 January 2023 Rennes 1 became the new University of Rennes, an experimental public institution that brings together its faculties and five grandes écoles: EHESP, ENSC Rennes, ENS Rennes, INSA Rennes and Sciences Po Rennes.
The wider institution counts 36,000 students, 5,000 staff and 36 research units across seven campuses, including Beaulieu (sciences), the Central Campus (law, economics), the Villejean health campus and technology institutes in Lannion, Saint-Brieuc and Saint-Malo. Faculties cover law and political science, economics and management (including IGR-IAE Rennes), medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, philosophy, sciences, and engineering schools such as ESIR and ENSSAT. Research is organised in five clusters with CNRS, INRAE, Inria and Inserm, around three transitions: environment, digital and global health.
First-year licence teaching is in French, with a generalist first year (portail) before specialising. English-taught options are concentrated at master's level. Fees follow national rules: 178 euros a year for a licence for EU students in 2026-27 and a differentiated 2,902 euros for most non-EU students, with exemption conditions changed by a decree of 19 May 2026.
Why students choose Univ Rennes
The licence starts with broad first-year 'portails' such as Informatique, Sciences et Technologies du Numérique or Droit - Science politique, so you can specialise progressively in years two and three.
The university's research is organised with CNRS, INRAE, Inria and Inserm; mathematics was ranked 76th worldwide in ARWU's 2023 subject rankings.
A broad set of English-taught master's programmes, including Cybersecurity, Cloud and Network Infrastructures, the International Master in Public Policies and Erasmus Mundus MaMaSELF.
Rennes has about 70,000 students, including 8,000 international students, and is 1 hour 30 minutes from Paris by high-speed train.
Admissions
First-year licence, 2027-28 entry
Selectivity
The University of Rennes does not publish an overall admission rate. Licence places are allocated through Parcoursup for French and EU applicants, and through the DAP (Études en France or paper white file) for most non-EU applicants, who can list up to three universities.
Typical entry requirements
| French baccalauréat, European or International Baccalaureate | Apply through Parcoursup (up to 10 choices), including non-EU students who hold the French bac from a lycée français or the European Baccalaureate |
|---|---|
| Non-EU secondary school diploma | Demande d'Admission Préalable (DAP), via Études en France in Campus France countries or the white paper file from the French embassy elsewhere |
| Language | Licence teaching is in French; non-EU applicants are assessed in the DAP process, including an interview at the Espace Campus France in Études en France countries |
| English language | First-year licence programmes are taught in French. The English-taught offer is mainly at master's level (for example Cybersecurity, Cloud and Network Infrastructures, IMPP, IMABEE), plus the Business & Applied Economics bachelor's track in Economics and Management. |
Deadlines
- DAP / Études en France (non-EU applicants to first-year licence) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~2 months15 December 2026
Applications open 1 October 2026. Interviews at Espace Campus France by mid-March; universities answer by 30 April 2027; students decide by the end of May.
- Parcoursup: registration and wishes Non-bindingMarch 2027
Registration and wishes January to March 2027, confirmation in April 2027, main admission phase from June 2027. Exact 2027 dates were not yet on parcoursup.gouv.fr; the 2026 wish deadline was 12 March 2026.
2027-28 dates are from Campus France. The 2026 Parcoursup session (wishes 19 January to 12 March 2026) and the 2026-27 DAP deadline have passed.
How to apply
EU/EEA and Swiss applicants, and anyone with a French, European or International Baccalaureate in the relevant cases, apply through Parcoursup (up to 10 wishes). Non-EU applicants living in an Études en France country apply online through Études en France (DAP, up to 3 universities) and attend an interview at their Espace Campus France; others living abroad use the white DAP file from the French embassy's cultural service, and non-EU students already living in France use the green DAP file.
What admissions looks for
- A secondary qualification that gives access to higher education, submitted through the right procedure for your nationality and residence.
- For non-EU applicants, a coherent study plan and French proficiency assessed through the DAP and the Campus France interview.
- For Parcoursup, a complete file with school grades and a motivated choice of portail.
Tips for applying to Univ Rennes
- 1 Work out your procedure first: the university's application page sorts candidates by nationality, country of residence and diploma, and each route has a different platform.
- 2 Non-EU students in Campus France countries must submit the Études en France file by 15 December 2026 for entry in September 2027.
- 3 Choose your portail carefully: the first licence year is generalist (for example Mathematics and applications, or Physics, Chemistry, Earth Sciences and Mechanics) and specialisation comes later.
- 4 Budget for the full differentiated fee of 2,902 euros if you are non-EU: the national decree of 19 May 2026 changed the rules for fee exemptions, and the university's 2027-28 exemption policy was not yet published.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Until 2025-26 the university granted non-EU students a partial exemption, charging 650 euros instead of 2,895 euros for a licence. Decree no. 2026-385 of 19 May 2026 changed the conditions under which universities can exempt non-EU students; students already exempted for 2025-26 keep the old rules until the end of their licence or master's cycle. Check the university's current exemption policy before budgeting. Campus France lists non-EU students who are not charged differentiated fees, such as those coming under agreements with reciprocal full fee exemption, and the University Foundation offers excellence grants for research-oriented master's students and support for new international PhD students.
- 178 euros
- National licence fee 2026-27 (EU/EEA/Swiss)
- 2,902 euros
- National differentiated licence fee 2026-27 (non-EU)
- 650 euros instead of 2,895 euros
- Rennes partial exemption, licence (2025-26, before the decree)
- 105 euros
- CVEC 2026-27
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Portail Informatique, Sciences et Technologies du Numérique (licence)
Entry route into computer science on a campus that hosts master's programmes in Cybersecurity and Cloud and Network Infrastructures.
Portail Mathématiques et applications (licence)
Mathematics was ranked 76th worldwide in the ARWU 2023 subject rankings cited by the university.
Portail Droit - Science politique (licence)
Leads into the Faculty of Law and Political Science, the discipline the university has taught since 1735 in Rennes.
Business & Applied Economics (bachelor's, English-taught)
The university's English-taught bachelor's option within Economics and Management.
Access to health studies (PASS/LAS)
Route into medicine, dentistry and pharmacy on the Villejean health campus.
Research
- Five research clusters (Biology-Health, Environment, Materials, Mathematics-Digital Technology, Humanities and Social Sciences) built with CNRS, INRAE, Inria and Inserm.
- Since 2007 the university has taken part in more than 90 EU-funded research projects worth over 35 million euros, including 22 Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions and 5 ERC grants under Horizon 2020.
- Joint PhD (cotutelle) degrees with international partner universities lead to two doctorates.
- Awarded the Bienvenue en France label for welcoming international students in 2019.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Law and Political Science
- Faculty of Economics
- IGR-IAE Rennes (Graduate School of Management)
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Dentistry
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Faculty of Philosophy
- Sciences (including ISTIC, School of Computer Science and Electronics)
- ESIR (Rennes School of Engineering)
- ENSSAT (Lannion)
- IUTs of Rennes, Lannion, Saint-Brieuc and Saint-Malo
- Member grandes écoles: EHESP, ENSC Rennes, ENS Rennes, INSA Rennes, Sciences Po Rennes
Student life
Most students are based on the Beaulieu science campus, the Central Campus in the city centre or the Villejean health campus, with smaller campuses in Lannion, Saint-Brieuc and Saint-Malo and biological stations at Paimpont and Bailleron. The university runs a show venue, Le Diapason, on the Beaulieu campus, student associations and inter-university sport through SIUAPS. Rennes itself is a big student city, known for its music scene and the Transmusicales festival each December, and easy to get around by bike.
- Le Diapason, the university's show venue on the Beaulieu campus.
- Inter-university sport through SIUAPS.
- Les Transmusicales music festival every December and Les Tombées de la Nuit street-arts festival in spring and summer.
- EDUC European University alliance and Erasmus+ exchanges.
Location
Rennes is the capital of Brittany, 1 hour 30 minutes from Paris by high-speed train, with about 70,000 students, 8,000 of them international. The centre mixes half-timbered houses with 18th-century squares, the Vilaine river runs through it, and the Thabor gardens are a popular green space. Les Champs Libres houses the Musée de Bretagne, a science museum and the central library.
Nearest airport: Rennes-Bretagne Airport (RNS)
Notable alumni
- PR Paul RicœurPhilosopher; bachelor's degree from the University of Rennes (1932)
- YC Yves CoppensPalaeoanthropologist and co-discoverer of 'Lucy'; graduate of the University of Rennes
- LL Leconte de LisleParnassian poet; completed his education in Rennes
- EH Edmond HervéMayor of Rennes 1977-2008 and senator; public law graduate
- JR Jean RouxelSolid-state chemist who pioneered soft chemistry; studied at Rennes before his Bordeaux PhD
- LD Louis Le DuffFounder of Brioche Dorée and Groupe Le Duff; PhD in management sciences
- VI Valérie IssarnyComputer scientist at Inria; PhD and habilitation from the University of Rennes I
Frequently asked questions
How much does the University of Rennes cost for international students?
For 2026-27 the national licence fee is 178 euros for EU students and a differentiated 2,902 euros for most non-EU students, plus the 105 euro CVEC. Rennes used to cut the non-EU licence fee to 650 euros, but a decree of 19 May 2026 changed the rules for such exemptions, so check the university's current policy.
How do non-EU students apply to a licence at Rennes?
Through the Demande d'Admission Préalable: online via Études en France if you live in a Campus France country, or with the white DAP file from the French embassy otherwise. For 2027-28 the deadline is 15 December 2026.
Do EU students use Parcoursup?
Yes. EU applicants, and non-EU applicants with a French or European Baccalaureate, apply through Parcoursup, with wishes made between January and March 2027.
Can I study a bachelor's in English at the University of Rennes?
Only in a limited way: licence teaching is in French, with an English-taught Business & Applied Economics track. Most English-taught programmes are master's degrees.
Is the University of Rennes the same as Rennes 2?
No. The original university split in 1970; Rennes 1 became the University of Rennes on 1 January 2023, while Université Rennes 2 remains separate and is associated with it.
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 Rennes: L'Université de Rennes en bref (key figures and history)
- University of Rennes: Presentation
- University of Rennes: A University with an International Outlook
- University of Rennes: Programmes Taught in English
- University of Rennes: Research and training units, faculties, schools and institutes
- University of Rennes: Campuses and Biological Stations
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