Sorbonne Paris Nord University
Université Sorbonne Paris Nord
A multi-campus public university in Seine-Saint-Denis, formerly Paris 13, with a health campus and 27,000 students.
- Students
- 27,000
- Tuition
- €2,902
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1970
- QS World Ranking
- 901-950
- 2027 edition
About USPN
Sorbonne Paris Nord University (Paris 13 until it took its current name on 1 January 2020) is one of the thirteen universities that succeeded the University of Paris after 1968, and it was created in 1970. It sits in Seine-Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on five sites: Villetaneuse, Bobigny, Saint-Denis, La Plaine Saint-Denis and Argenteuil.
By its own count (1 March 2025) it has about 27,000 students, 1,289 teachers and academic staff, 506 doctoral students and 32 laboratories, organised into five UFR faculties, three IUT technology institutes and one institute, and it offers more than 300 programmes. More than 4,000 of its students are international. The Bobigny site, renamed the Campus Santé au coeur de la société in 2026, hosts nearly 9,000 students and 13 research laboratories in health and medicine. The university coordinates the UNINOVIS European university alliance and is a founding member of the Campus Condorcet.
Teaching is mainly in French. Non-EU applicants for a first-year licence go through the DAP process; the published 2026/27 differentiated fees are 2,902 euros for a licence and 3,950 euros for a master. The university says it has never made differentiated fees its norm and has historically exempted non-EU students, but a national decree of 19 May 2026 now limits exemptions, so international applicants should confirm the position directly with the international office. It suits students who want a Paris-region public degree in a diverse, commuter-style setting.
Why students choose USPN
More than 300 programmes across five UFR faculties, three IUT technology institutes and one institute.
The Bobigny Campus Santé au coeur de la société concentrates health and medicine teaching with 13 research laboratories and nearly 9,000 students.
A Welcome Desk (the Bienvenue en France office) handles residence permits, social security, housing and work authorisation for international students in one place, and the Maison des Étudiants at Villetaneuse houses a permanent Préfecture de Police office.
Public fees are low: 178 euros for EU/EEA licence students in 2026/27, against a published 2,902 euros differentiated rate for non-EU students, with the university's position on exemptions set out on its fees page.
Admissions
2027-28 academic year (entry September 2027)
Selectivity
The university does not publish an overall acceptance rate. First-year licence places are allocated through Parcoursup, and each degree sets its own criteria (published as required data for Parcoursup and Mon Master applications).
Typical entry requirements
| Non-EU applicants with a non-European secondary diploma, first-year licence | Preliminary admission request (DAP): the white file if you live abroad (filed via Campus France's Etudes en France platform or the French embassy), the green file if you live in France |
|---|---|
| EU applicants and French baccalauréat holders, licence, BUT, CPGE, PASS/LAS | Parcoursup |
| Master 1 | Mon Master platform |
| L2, L3, professional licence, BUT2/3, Master 2 | e-Candidat |
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. The university's own DAP page still shows the previous cycle's closing date of 15 December 2025.
- Parcoursup (L1) Non-bindingRegistration January to March 2027
Campus France timetable for 2027-28: platform opens December 2026, choices completed by April 2027, main admission phase June to July 2027. The university's page for the previous cycle listed 19 January to 12 March 2026.
- Mon Master (M1) Non-bindingApplications February to March 2027
Previous-cycle dates on the university's site: 17 February to 12 March 2026.
The university's own admission pages still show 2026 dates (DAP closing 15 December 2025, Parcoursup 19 January to 12 March 2026, Mon Master 17 February to 12 March 2026). For 2027 entry, the DAP dates are from Campus France's 2027-2028 timetable; check the platforms for exact Parcoursup and Mon Master days.
How to apply
Applications depend on your status and level. Non-EU students with a non-European secondary diploma apply for a first-year licence through the DAP (the university's dedicated DAP office handles files; applicants must not send them directly to the programme). Others use Parcoursup (L1), Mon Master (M1) or e-Candidat (other years). Enrolment then happens online at inscriptions.univ-spn.fr.
What admissions looks for
- Each degree publishes its own selection criteria as required data for Parcoursup and Mon Master, approved by the board (December 2025).
- For non-EU applicants to a first-year licence, the DAP file is examined together with the language test result.
- The university stresses inclusion and complementarity of profiles in its self-description.
Tips for applying to USPN
- 1 Check which DAP file applies to you: green if you already live in France, white if you live abroad. The university stresses that files sent by email are not examined.
- 2 Plan for the paid language test (75 euros on the university's DAP page) unless you are exempt from it.
- 3 Ask the international office how exemptions from differentiated fees will apply to you for 2026/27 before you commit, as the rules changed by decree in May 2026.
- 4 Budget for housing without the APL housing benefit: from 1 July 2026, non-EU students who are not on social-criteria scholarships no longer qualify, according to the university's housing page.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
The university says it has never made differentiated fees its norm and has historically exempted non-EU students, but a decree of 19 May 2026 (no. 2026-385) changes and limits exemptions (its board motion of 9 June 2026 refers to a cap that would fall to 20 percent). The university's fees page says the exemption arrangements were to be voted on 10 July 2026 and does not publish the outcome, so the exemption position for 2026/27 should be confirmed with the international office. Students in financial difficulty can also apply for an exemption from administrative fees (the CVEC contribution remains payable) if they are not on CROUS or French government scholarships.
- To be confirmed with the international office; fees page (checked 30 Sep 2026) still says arrangements depend on the application order and the board vote of 10 July 2026, no outcome published
- Exemption arrangements for non-EU students 2026/27
- From 1 July 2026, non-EU students who are not on social-criteria scholarships no longer qualify (university housing page)
- APL housing benefit
Academics
Health and medicine (UFR SMBH, Bobigny)
The Bobigny Campus Santé au coeur de la société hosts nearly 9,000 students, 13 research laboratories, and nursing training institutes integrated in 2025.
Law, political and social sciences (UFR DSPS)
One of five UFR faculties, with its own tutoring scheme for students.
Letters, languages, humanities and societies (UFR LLSHS)
A large humanities faculty with a tutoring scheme for work placements.
Institut Galilée (sciences and engineering)
A science and technology institute on the Villetaneuse campus.
BUT degrees at the three IUTs
Vocational university-technology degrees at Bobigny, Villetaneuse and Saint-Denis.
Economics and management (UFR SEG)
The university's economics and management faculty.
Research
- The university's research is multidisciplinary, with 32 laboratories and an ethics committee for research involving human subjects.
- It lists a Labex, an Equipex, ERC projects (including NanoBubbles) and an EUR among its research structures.
- The Bobigny health campus brings together 13 laboratories and more than 250 researchers.
- It coordinates the UNINOVIS European university alliance (Data for L.I.F.E.) of eight universities.
Schools & faculties
- Institut Galilée
- UFR Lettres, Langues, Sciences Humaines et des Sociétés (LLSHS)
- UFR Santé, Médecine, Biologie Humaine (SMBH)
- UFR Sciences de la Communication (SIC)
- UFR Droit, Sciences Politiques et Sociales (DSPS)
- UFR Sciences Économiques et de Gestion (SEG)
- IUT de Bobigny
- IUT de Villetaneuse
- IUT de Saint-Denis
The university awards about 8,000 diplomas a year and runs a service for guidance and professional integration (VOIE), but the pages consulted publish no graduate employment rate.
Student life
Sorbonne Paris Nord is a commuter-style university spread over five sites north of Paris, so student life is organised around each campus. The Maison des Étudiants at Villetaneuse supports student associations and hosts the international welcome services, and the university runs a yearly start-of-term Start Campus event. Sport is run by the DAPS, with daily activities from Monday to Saturday and outings such as skiing, diving and hiking. Crous restaurants and cafeterias serve each campus, and the university's guide lists a buddy system for international students.
- The Maison des Étudiants at Villetaneuse supports student associations and international students
- Sport for all through the DAPS, with activities Monday to Saturday and outings such as skiing and diving
- Crous restaurants and cafeterias on the Villetaneuse, Bobigny and Saint-Denis campuses
- Bienvenue en France label, with a Buddy System for international students
- Start Campus welcome event at the beginning of each academic year
Housing. The university has no housing of its own: students apply to Crous or private providers, with a Studapart partner platform, Visale guarantee and Loca-Pass loan advice offered by the university.
Location
The university sits in Seine-Saint-Denis, north of Paris, with its main campus at Villetaneuse and others at Bobigny, Saint-Denis, La Plaine Saint-Denis and Argenteuil. The setting is urban and multicultural, close to Paris but outside its centre, and connected by tramway to the Villetaneuse-Université station on the Île-de-France network. Student housing in Île-de-France is limited, so the university advises starting the search early.
Nearest airport: Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Notable alumni
- SG Simone GbagboFormer First Lady of Côte d'Ivoire and politician; master's degree in modern literature at Paris-XIII in 1976
- JD Julien DrayFrench politician; licence in history and geography at Paris XIII
- LF Laurent FignonTour de France winner (1983, 1984); spent one year of a DEUG in structure-of-matter science at Villetaneuse (non-degree study)
- MA Mouloud AounitFrench anti-racism activist; DEUG in economics at Paris-XIII in 1976
- ML Maurice LeroyFrench politician; master's degree in economics at Paris-XIII
- IT Isabelle ThomasFrench politician, Member of the European Parliament 2012-2019; studied law at Paris-XIII Villetaneuse
- TP Thomas PorcherFrench economist; licence at Sorbonne Paris Nord (later doctorate at Paris 1)
- AB Aïda BaFrench international rugby union player; studied sports science (STAPS) at the Bobigny UFR of Paris-XIII
Frequently asked questions
How much are the fees for non-EU students at Sorbonne Paris Nord for 2026/27?
The university lists differentiated fees of 2,902 euros a year for a licence and 3,950 euros for a master for 2026/27. EU/EEA students pay the national rate (178 euros licence, 255 euros master).
Can non-EU students be exempted from the differentiated fees?
Historically the university has exempted its non-EU students, but a decree of 19 May 2026 changes and limits exemptions. The university said the arrangements would be voted on 10 July 2026 and had not published the result on the pages consulted, so confirm the current position with the international office.
What is the DAP deadline for 2027 entry?
Campus France gives 1 October 2026 to 15 December 2026 for the 2027-2028 year. The university's own page still shows 15 December 2025, which was the previous cycle.
Does the university have its own accommodation?
No. It refers students to Crous and private providers and recommends starting the search early. From 1 July 2026, non-EU students not on social-criteria scholarships no longer receive the APL housing benefit.
Where is Sorbonne Paris Nord University?
In Seine-Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on five sites: Villetaneuse, Bobigny, Saint-Denis, La Plaine Saint-Denis and Argenteuil.
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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