HEC Paris: Admission, Programmes and Tuition Fees

HEC Paris is a private business school affiliated with the Paris Île-de-France Chamber of Commerce, based on a residential campus in Jouy-en-Josas, about 16 km from central Paris. International applicants usually target one of three entry points: the Master in Management (MiM) after a bachelor's degree, a one-year specialised MSc, or the MBA after several years of work. Teaching is almost entirely in English. There is no stand-alone French undergraduate programme: the only bachelor's is a joint degree with Bocconi that starts in Milan. For the 2027 intake the two-year MiM costs $66,960 (€58,970), non-EU students pay an extra $2,840 (€2,500), and the MBA costs $115,820 (€102,000) in total.

What HEC Paris is, and what it is not

HEC is a grande école, not a university: a small, selective institution that runs its own admissions and awards its own degrees. Since January 2016 it has operated as an EESC, an autonomous, privately governed body owned by the regional Chamber of Commerce, the HEC Foundation and the alumni association. That is why the low tuition rates of French public universities do not apply here.

The name causes confusion. HEC Montréal, HEC Lausanne and HEC Liège are separate institutions in Canada, Switzerland and Belgium, with their own admissions. For a wider comparison of French schools, see our guide to business schools in France and the profile of ESSEC Business School.

Is HEC the right fit?

If you are still comparing countries and levels, start with universities in France for international students and master's degrees in France.

Programmes and entry points

Two Mastère Spécialisé programmes (Droit et Management International; Médias, Art et Création) are taught in French, and HEC recommends B1 French for the MSc X-HEC Entrepreneurs.

How the MiM is structured

The first year covers core management: finance, strategy, marketing, operations and law. In the second year you choose a specialisation, such as strategic management, international finance, marketing, digital business, quantitative economics and finance or sustainability, or move to a double-degree partner. HEC lists Bocconi, ESADE, St. Gallen, NUS, Tsinghua, Keio and IIM Ahmedabad among them. An optional gap year between M1 and M2 is used for internships or a personal project. The catalogue offers 150 electives, 70 exchange destinations and more than 30 double degrees.

Applying to the Master in Management

Eligibility is short: a completed bachelor's degree of at least three years in any field, and little or no professional experience by the programme start. Final-year students apply with an enrolment certificate and later prove completion.

Your file is submitted online before the round deadline and includes:

• degree certificate or enrolment certificate, plus transcripts from every higher-education programme, exchanges included;
• a one-page CV;
• an official GMAT, GMAT Focus, GRE or TAGE MAGE score;
• C1-level English: TOEFL, IELTS, TOEIC (all four parts) or Cambridge;
• programme-specific essays;
• one academic reference submitted through the portal;
• a photo and a non-refundable fee of $200 (€180) in the 2027-intake cycle.

Native speakers, and graduates whose entire degree was taught in English, are exempt from the English test. There is no minimum management-test score, but HEC suggests aiming for GMAT Focus 645–655, a GRE of about 320 or a TAGE MAGE of about 440, and the test cannot be waived. Our guides to the GMAT and the GRE compare formats and preparation time.

Rounds for the September 2027 intake

Shortlisted candidates have a 30-minute Zoom interview in English with programme directors and alumni. Anything uploaded after the deadline is ignored, and decisions are final.

An alternative route is Join a School in France, a single application to five French business schools, with a $280 (€250) fee for the 2027 intake and its own deadlines (2 October 2026; 7 January, 26 February and 19 April 2027). You may use only one route: if you apply both directly and through the platform, HEC processes whichever application was validated first.

Preparing for the interview

The interview is about judgement and direction, not subject knowledge. Prepare three or four examples with measurable outcomes and a clear answer to why the MiM suits you better than an MSc or a job offer.

Applying to the MBA

The MBA expects professional experience. There is no strict minimum, but HEC strongly recommends at least two years, and the Class of 2025 averaged six; students come from more than 60 nationalities. Without a bachelor's degree you may still apply with five years of experience, three of them in management.

You submit essays, two recommendations, an English CV, passport copy, transcripts, a GMAT, GMAT Focus, Executive Assessment or GRE score, and a $230 (€200) fee for the 2027 intakes. The current class averages 635 on the GMAT Focus.

Applications run all year with roughly monthly deadlines, for example 18 October and 15 November 2026, then 11 January and 15 February 2027, with decisions about five weeks later. You may apply once per cycle, which covers a September intake and the following January. For comparison, see our guides to the MBA in the UK and the MBA in the USA.

Tuition fees and living costs

Master in Management

HEC describes these amounts as indicative, and double degrees are priced separately. The deposit is due within two weeks of the final result.

MBA and other programmes

Living costs

HEC budgets about $1,700 (€1,500) a month for housing, food, compulsory insurance, sport and leisure. The campus has more than 1,750 rooms and studios in 18 residences. Published 2024/25 rents are $640–730 (€560–639) a month for a room with a shared kitchen and $710–890 (€624–780) for a room with its own kitchen. Off campus, HEC's partner Studapart lists the TWENTY residence next to the campus. All admitted students get access to the housing portal at the same time, around mid-June.

Scholarships

Master's applicants can receive merit-based or need-based awards. Merit awards reach $17,030 (€15,000), and HEC scholarships cannot be combined. HEC offers no fully funded awards apart from the Imagine Fellowship, which is assessed case by case. The application fee is waived only for specific groups, such as CROUS grant holders and pre-selected students from partner universities.

Every admitted MBA candidate is considered automatically for the Excellence and Diversity scholarships, each worth up to 50% of tuition. Dedicated awards exist for women, such as Forté at up to $29,520 (€26,000), and for some nationalities, but combined awards cannot exceed half of the fee. The HEC Foundation provides more than $1.1 million (€1 million) in MBA aid each year.

External awards can be combined with an HEC scholarship. The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship, funded by the French foreign ministry for master's students up to 29, works through nominations by the school, and HEC considers only round 1 applicants for it. For 2026/27 the French Embassy in Russia also offered Russian master's students $980 (€860) a month. More options are listed in our guide to scholarships in France.

Visa and Études en France

HEC states that every non-EU student must obtain a student visa independently and that the school cannot apply on your behalf. In countries covered by Campus France, the first step is an online Études en France file.

HEC admits students through its own portal, so an applicant who lives in Russia goes through Études en France only after HEC's decision, as a candidate who is already admitted. Campus France Russia publishes a separate guide for this route. The calendar that ends on 30 January 2027 applies to applicants who use the platform to apply to institutions, not to candidates who already hold an offer. The sequence is:

1. Receive HEC's decision and pay the deposit. HEC then issues the certificate of enrolment you need for the visa.
2. No earlier than three months before the programme starts, create the Études en France file, record your admission and submit it to your regional Campus France office.
3. Pay the registration fee and complete the Campus France interview.
4. Book an appointment at the French visa centre and apply for the long-stay student visa, with a passport valid for at least three months after your studies end.

All Campus France and visa-centre steps fall within the last three months before the start, so prepare certified translations of your degree and proof of funds as soon as HEC admits you. Applicants from other countries follow their own Campus France office's rules.

At the visa stage you must show at least $1,000 (€877.50) a month in resources. The visa must then be validated online within three months of arrival, for a $110 (€100) fee. Our French student visa guide covers the full process, and the article on studying in France as a Russian citizen covers country-specific points. With a valid student permit you may work up to 964 hours a year.

Rankings

Business-school rankings measure individual programmes, so read the line for your programme:

• Financial Times European Business Schools 2025: 2nd in Europe;
• FT Masters in Management 2026: MiM 5th worldwide;
• FT Masters in Finance (pre-experience) 2026: MSc International Finance 7th worldwide;
• FT MBA 2026: 6th worldwide; QS Global MBA 2027: 6th.

French national rankings for 2026 (Le Figaro Etudiant, L'Etudiant) put the HEC MiM first. Salary figures published with rankings describe a specific graduating class, not a forecast for any individual.

Common mistakes

• Looking for an HEC bachelor's in France. The joint Bocconi degree is the only one, and you apply through Bocconi.
• Leaving the test to the last round. An incomplete file is not reviewed; HEC suggests applying a round later rather than with a weak score.
• Assuming partial English-medium study waives IELTS or TOEFL. Only a fully English-taught degree does.
• Applying both directly and via Join a School in France. Only the first validated application counts.
• Forgetting the non-EU supplement when budgeting.
• Confusing the Campus France calendar with the route for admitted students. The 30 January deadline applies to applications made through the platform; after an HEC offer you open the file no earlier than three months before the start, so prepare translations and financial documents in advance.

FAQ

Can I apply to HEC Paris straight after high school?

Not to a French-based programme. School leavers can apply only to the joint bachelor's with Bocconi, through Bocconi's portal, with year one in Milan. You need strong school grades, B2 English and an SAT, ACT or Bocconi test score. For the 2027 intake the remaining rounds close on 25 November 2026 and 8 April 2027; the first closed on 2 September 2026.

How much does HEC Paris cost for an international student?

The Master in Management costs $66,960 (€58,970) for two years for the 2027 intake, plus a $2,840 (€2,500) supplement for non-EU students. The MBA costs $115,820 (€102,000). HEC estimates living costs at about $1,700 (€1,500) a month.

Do I need French to study at HEC?

For most programmes, no: teaching and interviews are in English at C1 level. Two Mastère Spécialisé programmes require French and the X-HEC Entrepreneurs MSc recommends B1. Some French still helps with internships and daily life.

What GMAT score do I need for the MiM?

There is no minimum. HEC suggests aiming for GMAT Focus 645–655, GRE around 320 or TAGE MAGE around 440, and you must sit the test before applying. The current MBA class averages 635 on the GMAT Focus.

Can I study at HEC for free?

Usually not. HEC scholarships cannot be combined, master's merit awards stop at $17,030 (€15,000), and MBA awards cover at most half of tuition. Full funding exists only through the Imagine Fellowship, decided case by case; external grants such as Eiffel mainly help with living costs.

Where do HEC students live?

Many live on campus in Jouy-en-Josas, where 18 residences offer more than 1,750 rooms and studios. Booking opens for all admitted students at once around mid-June; those without a room rent in nearby towns.

Can StudyU help with an HEC application?

Programme selection, document review, essay and interview preparation and the Études en France file are provided under an agreement with StudyU. HEC Paris decides on admission, the school's committee or an external funder decides on scholarships, and the French consulate decides on the visa.

Sources

• HEC Paris: Master in Management admissions and 2026/27 rounds
• HEC Paris: Master in Management fees and financing
• HEC Paris: master's FAQ (tests, scholarships, housing, visa)
• HEC Paris: MSc International Finance fees and MSc Data Science & AI for Business X-HEC fees
• HEC Paris MBA: requirements, deadlines, fees and scholarships
• HEC–Bocconi bachelor's: admissions and fees
• HEC Paris: governance, history, key figures and rankings
• HEC Paris: on-campus accommodation
• Campus France Russia: route for already admitted candidates, visa information and French Embassy scholarship 2026/27
• Campus France: Eiffel Excellence Scholarship and age limits
• Service-public.fr: student residence permit, resources and validation fee and working while studying
• ECB rate, 29.09.2026: $1.1355 per €1. Rounding: $1 below $100, $10 above.

For an overview of the French system, see Study in France, and for other schools in the capital, universities in Paris. Choosing HEC programmes and planning application timing for your profile are provided under an agreement with StudyU; HEC makes the admission decision. To start, send us a request.

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