Aix-Marseille University (AMU): Admission, Fees and Campuses

Aix-Marseille Université (amU) is the largest multidisciplinary university in the French-speaking world, with 80,000 students, nearly 8,000 staff, five major campuses in Aix-en-Provence and Marseille and sites in seven more towns across southern France. It also hosts more international students than any other French university, over 12,000 a year. If you live in a country covered by Études en France, you apply via Campus France; for Russian residents, first-year files for 2027/28 close on 15 December 2026 and master's files on 30 January 2027. The key budget fact: in 2026/27 AMU could exempt only about 1,800 of the 5,500 international students affected by the new national decree, so a new non-EU student should plan for the differentiated rate of $3,300 (€2,902) a year for a licence and $4,490 (€3,950) for a master's.

What AMU is and how it is organised

After the 1968 reforms, the university was split into Université de Provence (Aix-Marseille I), Université de la Méditerranée (Aix-Marseille II) and Université Paul-Cézanne (Aix-Marseille III). They merged in 2012 as Aix-Marseille Université. The old names still appear in some listings, but applications go only to amU.

Because the university is spread across the region, choosing a programme largely means choosing a campus:

Aix-en-Provence and Marseille are about 30 km apart, so look for housing near your own campus rather than simply "in Marseille".

Who AMU suits

Our guide to universities in France for international students compares AMU with other options.

Programmes and teaching language

AMU covers almost every field, from law and economics to medicine, life sciences and the arts. The main teaching language is French. English-taught programmes exist mainly at master's level; you can filter the AMU programme catalogue by teaching language and see the academic and language requirements. Our guide to English-taught degrees in France lists alternatives at other institutions.

Classes Internationales: a French preparatory year

AMU's new Classes Internationales programme is designed for international students whose French is not yet strong enough for a licence. It combines intensive French, cultural immersion, introductory subject courses and study-skills training, and prepares you to join a French-taught AMU licence. Our guide to DELF, DALF and TCF explains the level needed for direct entry.

How to apply

The route depends on where you live: residents of Études en France countries use that procedure, while others usually apply through eCandidat. Dates for applicants resident in Russia (2027/28):

First year: school leavers from outside the EU file a DAP preliminary request naming up to three universities, with B2 French. See bachelor's degrees in France.

Master's: with a bachelor's degree you enter at M1. Panels compare your previous degree with the programme and review grades, motivation and language level. See master's degrees in France.

Documents

Besides your passport and language certificate, the file needs your school-leaving certificate or degree, transcript supplement and grades, a CV and a statement of purpose. Documents in other languages are translated into French, or into English for fully English-taught programmes, and the translation is certified. Request dated certificates a few weeks before submitting, because Campus France accepts them only if they are less than a month old.

Fees

Tuition and exemptions in 2026/27

Decree 2026-385 of 19 May 2026 capped exemptions at 30% of affected students in 2026/27. AMU has explained publicly how it used that quota:

• about 5,500 of its 12,000 international students fall under the new rules, and about 1,800 will be exempted;
• exemptions range from 75% to 100% and are decided case by case;
• priority goes to students moving to a new cycle (for example from licence to master's) who were already exempt, students from conflict zones, including Lebanese and Palestinian students and people displaced from Ukraine (full exemption), and winners of excellence scholarships;
• doctoral candidates, engineering students, long third-cycle health students and students already partway through a cycle at AMU are outside the scheme.

If you do not belong to a priority group, budget at the differentiated rate. AMU has not yet published its 2027/28 rules, and the national cap tightens: according to the ministry, 25% in 2027/28 and 20% from 2028. French Government scholarship holders are fully exempt, and AMU mentions other grounds such as French tax residence.

Living in Marseille and Aix-en-Provence

Campus France notes that prices in large cities often approach Paris levels, so plan near the top of these ranges. France's visa threshold is $1,000 (€877.50) a month; AMU's international-student guide still showed the former $700 (€615) figure on our check date, so rely on service-public.fr.

Scholarships

• Excellence scholarships: AMU names their winners as a priority group for fee exemptions; conditions are published in its international-student section.
• Eiffel Excellence Scholarship: a French government award with a monthly allowance for master's students up to 29, nominated by the university. In the 2026 cycle institutions submitted files to Campus France by 8 January 2026.
• Country-specific French Government scholarships through French embassies.

See scholarships in France for more.

Housing and support

You request a CROUS room in spring through the Dossier Social Étudiant (DSE). International welcome desks operate on campus all year, and the ESN Buddy System pairs each newcomer with a local student. AMU publishes a guide for international degree students in French and English. From 1 July 2026, a non-EU student qualifies for APL housing aid only with a CROUS grant, a job or a work-study contract. Our student housing guide explains how to search.

Visa

After recording your admission in Études en France, apply for a long-stay student visa (VLS-TS) at the French visa centre no earlier than three months before classes, with a passport valid three months beyond your studies. Once in France, you have three months to validate the visa online and pay the $110 (€100) fee. Part-time work is capped at 964 hours a year. Step-by-step visa advice is in our French student visa guide; points specific to Russian applicants are covered in studying in France as a Russian citizen.

Rankings

AMU is in the 151–200 band of ARWU 2026. That ranking counts publications and research awards, so for a master's it is more useful to look at the laboratory behind the programme: the Luminy science park hosts about thirty and the Timone campus about twenty.

Common mistakes

• Treating an exemption as the norm. In 2026/27 about a third of affected international students received one, mostly in priority groups.
• Choosing housing without checking the campus. Aix, Luminy and Timone are at opposite ends of the metropolitan area.
• Using the old $700 (€615) figure. The visa now requires $1,000 (€877.50) a month.
• Looking for Université de Provence or Paul-Cézanne. Since 2012 there has been one university.
• Applying for a licence without B2 French. Consider the Classes Internationales preparatory year.
• Missing the spring DSE window. Without it, CROUS rooms are hard to find in autumn.

FAQ

Can I apply to Aix-Marseille University straight after high school?

Yes, to a licence. The DAP white file goes through Études en France (for Russian residents, by 15 December 2026 for 2027/28), names up to three universities and needs B2 French by 1 March 2027; weaker French speakers can start with the Classes Internationales year.

How much does AMU cost for international students?

Assume the differentiated rate applies: in 2026/27 that meant $3,300 (€2,902) per licence year and $4,490 (€3,950) per master's year. About 1,800 of 5,500 affected international students were exempted that year. Add the $120 (€105) CVEC and at least $1,000 a month for living costs.

Does AMU offer programmes in English?

Yes, mostly at master's level, although most teaching is in French. Use the teaching-language filter in the AMU catalogue to find them. Undergraduate teaching is almost entirely in French.

Where would I actually study?

It depends on the programme: law and humanities mainly in Aix-en-Provence, medicine at Timone, sciences at Saint-Charles and Luminy, engineering at Étoile, and some programmes in Arles, Avignon, Gap and other towns.

Who gets a fee exemption at AMU?

In 2026/27 priority went to students continuing into a new cycle with an existing exemption, students from conflict zones and excellence-scholarship winners. Exemptions range from 75% to 100%, are decided individually, and the decision rests with the university.

What support does AMU offer new international students?

Welcome desks on campus all year, an ESN Buddy System that pairs you with a local student, and an international-student guide in French and English. Housing is still your responsibility, through CROUS or the private market.

Can StudyU help me apply to AMU?

Choosing an AMU programme and campus, budgeting for the differentiated fee, checking documents and translations, the Études en France file and the visa application are provided under an agreement with StudyU. The university decides on admission and fee exemptions, and the French consulate decides on the visa.

Sources

• Aix-Marseille Université: campuses and key figures
• Aix-Marseille Université: how it allocated exemptions under Decree 2026-385
• Aix-Marseille Université: international degree students, Classes Internationales and guide and international student support
• Wikipedia (French): the 2012 merger
• Campus France: public-university rates for 2026/27 and the decree of 19 May 2026, student costs, May 2026 and Eiffel
• French Ministry of Higher Education: FAQ on exemption caps (30/25/20%)
• Campus France Russia: 2027/28 calendar and documents and visa information
• Service-public.fr: CVEC, $1,000 (€877.50) resources and validation fee, APL and work
• Ranking: ARWU 2026
• ECB rate, 29.09.2026: $1.1355 per €1. Rounding: $1 below $100, $10 above.

Our Study in France hub explains how French higher education fits together. Choosing an AMU programme and campus for your profile is provided under an agreement with StudyU; the university makes the admission decision. To start, send us a request.

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.