France vs Australia: Which one is better for International Students?

Australia vs France: Australia is one of the biggest and most popular international student destinations, however, France is known for its business courses and some of the most popular brands. Students confused between Australia and France can make their own decisions based on the details provided for them in this article.

With more than 1,00,000+ Indian students studying in Australia and just 10,003 Indians studying in France in the year 2023, there is no doubt that Australia is the most preferred destination for study. However, there are a couple of parameters where studying in France can prove fruitful for Indian students. Check out in detail about France vs Australia in the following given sections.  

Aus vs France Country Highlights

Parameters	Australia	France
Area	7,617,932 km sq	5,47,557 sq km
Capital	Canberra	Paris
Currency	Australian Dollar (AUD)	Euros (€)
Top Cities for Study	Melbourne  Sydney Canberra Brisbane  Adelaide	Paris  Lyon Nice Toulouse  Grenoble
Average Cost of Living	AUD 29,710 (annual)	€12,000 in Paris (annual) | €7.200 apart from Paris (annual)
Average Cost of Studying (Annual)	UG: AUD 20,000 - AUD 45,000 PG: AUD 22,000 - AUD 50,000 Doctoral: AUD 18,000 - AUD 42,000	UG: €2,770 PG: €3,770 Doctoral: €2,770
Part-time Working Hours	48 hours a fortnight	20 hours a week
Top 5 Universities	UniMelb University of Sydney UNSW ANU Monash	Université PSL Institut Polytechnique de Paris Sorbonne University Université Paris-Saclay École Normale Supérieure de Lyon
PSW Visa Stay Back Period	Up to 6 years	1-2 years

Top Reasons to Study in France vs Australia

When international students decide to study abroad and get stuck between two options - Aus vs France, they can check out the following top reasons based on the choice of their country selection for admission. 

Top Reasons to Study in France

There are a couple of reasons to consider if aiming to study in France and they are as follows:

• Apart from quality education, France also offers research opportunities at par with other leading countries to students.
• The tuition rates in France are lower than in other leading countries like the US, Canada and UK.
• A wide variety of opportunities are available for international students during and after completing their education. 

There are other benefits also to studying in France which have been detailed at - Benefits of Studying in France.

Top Reasons to Study in Australia

A lot of international students hail to study in Australia for their popular universities and courses, apart from this there are other reasons as well to study in Australia and they are as follows:

• There are top-ranking Australian universities which have a good acceptance rate.
• Those who apply to Australian universities can get various opportunities for part-time work while studying.
• Also, the post-study work visa ranges from 4-6 years for those who have completed their education in Australia.

For more details check out in detail about Why Study in Australia? - Top Reasons

Australia vs France: Higher Education System

There is no stark difference between the education system of Australia and the education system of France. The higher education systems of Australia and France are similar, some of the key takeaways are as follows:

• The higher education that is, university/college level education is 3 years long in both Australia and France.
• The postgraduate degrees are two years long in Australia and France.
• While postgraduate research and postgraduate taught are two different terms used in Australia, LMD (license or bachelor’s, master's and doctoral) is another term used in France.
• Three years is the minimum to complete a doctoral degree at both Australian and French universities. 

In majority of the cases, the structure of the education system is similar but it may be denoted with different terms.

Top 10 Ranking Universities: Australia vs France

Based on QS World University Rankings 2025, the following universities have been ranked from Australia and France:

Top 10 Australian Universities	QS - WUR 2025	Top 10 Universities in France	QS - WUR 2025
The University of Melbourne	#13	Université PSL	#24
The University of New South Wales	#19	Institut Polytechnique de Paris	#46
The University of Sydney	#18	Sorbonne University	#63
Australian National University	#30	Université Paris-Saclay	#73
Monash University	#37	École Normale Supérieure de Lyon	#187
The University of Queensland	#40	Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne	#283
The University of Western Australia	#77	Université Paris Cité	#301
The University of Adelaide	#82	Université Grenoble Alpes	#334
University of Technology Sydney	#88	Sciences Po	#350
RMIT University	#123	Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (INSA)	#405

Please note: The rankings are dynamic and will vary each year. Thus, for the year 2024, the above-given universities have been ranked by QS. Categorically, we can see that a majority of Australian universities have made it to the top 100 universities globally in comparison to just four French universities. Thus, there is a clear winner here, which is Australia. 

Popular Courses Offered in Australia vs France

Some of the popularly opted courses in France and Australia are as follows:

Popular Course Options in Australia

The top courses offered and pursued in Australia widely by Indian students are as follows:

• BBA in Australia
• MBA in Australia
• BE/B.Tech in Australia
• Healthcare Courses in Australia
• Accountancy in Australia

Popular Course Options in France

Some of the most popular course options available in France for Indian students are as follows:

• BBA
• MBA
• B.Tech
• MIM
• MS

Applicants looking at courses to study in French can do so by learning the French language. For this, applicants must note, that they can study in French but will have to submit French language proficiency like TEF exam scores. 

Admission Guidelines to Study in Australia & France

More or less the admission requirements to study in Australia and France are similar but they vary based on their language requirements. Check out the following sections for understanding France vs Australia in terms of their admission requirements. 

Admission Requirements for Australia

The admission requirements for Australia include first and foremost, fulfilment of the eligibility criteria. Then based on the level of education the previous qualification will be required, like a bachelor’s degree for master’s admission and class XII scores for bachelor’s admission. 

Commonly the following documents will also be required:

• Statement of purpose (SOP)
• Letters of recommendation (LOR)
• Admission essays
• Transcripts
• GRE or GMAT for PG admissions
• IELTS / TOEFL / Duolingo scores 

Admission Requirements for France

Majorly the admission requirements for studying in France are similar, but the language proficiency tests may vary. In a few cases, TEF may be required if the course offered in France universities is in French language. The rest remains the same for all levels of study for admissions. 

Cost of Studying: France vs Australia

The costs for studying in France are lower than those of Australia, including the living costs. The following sections will throw light on cost of studying in Australia and the cost of studying in France across various course types, along with other important details for admission.

Cost of UG Courses in France vs Australia

Check out the cost of pursuing undergrad courses in both France and Australia to draw a comparison along with some more related details in the following section:

Particulars	Cost of Undergraduate Courses in France	Cost of Undergraduate Courses in Australia
Average Tuition Fee	BSc: INR 2.48 Lakhs BTech: INR 3.23 Lakhs BBA: INR 2.58 Lakhs	BSc: INR 15.05 Lakhs BTech: INR 20.74 Lakhs BBA: INR 16.80 Lakhs
Average Living Expense	INR 3.92 Lakhs	INR 6.37 Lakhs
Duration	3-4	3-4 Years
Exams Accepted	TOEFL, TEF	IELTS, TOEFL

Cost of PG Courses in Australia vs France

Check out in detail about the cost of studying postgraduate courses in France and Australia along with their one year expenses and corresponding details in the table below:

Particulars	Cost of Postgraduate Courses in France	Postgraduate courses in Australia
Average Tuition Fee	INR 3.48 Lakhs	MA: INR 19.89 Lakhs MS: INR 26.18 Lakhs MBA: INR 90 Lakhs
Average Living Expense	INR 3.92 Lakhs	INR 6.37 Lakhs
Duration	2 Years	1-2 Years
Exams Accepted	TOEFL, TEF	IELTS, TOEFL

It can be concluded that costs are lower for Indian students for admissions in France in comparison to Australia.

Student Visa to Study in Australia vs France

To study abroad in Australia or France, Indian students will require a study visa. The study visa details for both countries are as follows.

Student Visa in Australia

There are three types of student visas in Australia, the visa is offered to an applicant based on his/her level of study chosen. 

• Subclass 500 Visa: AUD 1,600 (for bachelor’s courses applicants)
• Subclass 485 Graduate Visa: AUD 1,945 (for master’s level course applicants) 

Study Visa in France

There are three types of student visas in France - one is a short-duration study visa and the other is a long-term study visa which are two in number. The visas depend on the applicant’s study duration and are offered accordingly. Campus France processing fee for France student visa is 206.34 Euros. 

Post-Study Work Visa for Australia & France

Post graduating from either France or Australia, there is a provision for a post-study work visa. In this case, Indian students can apply for this PSW visa and stay on in the country to work.

Post-Study Work Visa in Australia

The post study work visa in Australia is available for Indian students for a period of four to six years. The bachelor’s degree-holding applicants can stay for four years, followed by postgrads with master’s degrees for five years and doctoral degree holders can stay up to six years. 

Post Study Work Visa in France

The post study work visa in France is applicable only for master’s level applicants and not for bachelor’s degree holding applicants. The master’s degree holders can stay for up to 24 months or 2 years.

Popular Job Sectors in France vs Australia

Any international student would choose to study in a foreign country based on its future prospects for a job. Check out the popular job sectors to aim for after graduation from French and Australian universities based on the country.

Popular Job Sectors in Australia

Some of the most popular job sectors in Australia are:

• Education
• Healthcare
• Construction
• Architecture
• Information Technology and Telecommunications

Popular Job Sectors in France

The most popular job sectors in France are as follows for Indian students:

• Agriculture
• Tourism
• Energy
• Manufacturing
• Transport and Technology

Scholarships Offered in Australia vs France

There are various types of scholarships available for Indian students to study in Australia and France. These scholarships are merit and need-based offered either externally or by the university. Following is a list of scholarships offered by universities in Australia and France to international students: 

France Scholarships	Australia Scholarships
HEC Foundation Excellence Scholarships	Griffith Remarkable Scholarship
Early Bird Scholarship for International MBA	Western Sydney International Scholarships – Undergraduate
Audencia Business School Excellence Scholarship	Federation University Future Leader Scholarship Package for Brisbane Campus
INSEAD L'Oreal Scholarship	Western Sydney University - Vice-Chancellor's Academic Excellence Undergraduate Scholarships
Burgundy School of Business International Postgraduate Student Scholarship	Monash International Scholarship For Excellence
ESC Early Bird Scholarship - PG	South Asia Excellence Scholarship
Masters of Science Excellence Scholarships	International Student Scholarship- Bachelor of Business

There are a few more scholarships in France and a few more scholarships in Australia are also available for Indian applicants. 

While Australia ranks among the top countries like UK, US and Canada for international students to study abroad, France is equally a good option. France is a smaller European country but is at par for its Fashion and Business communities with other top countries. Based on the popular choice of courses, applicants should be now able to make a choice between Australia and France for higher education. 

For more details on admissions and admission-related queries, sign up for free Shiksha Abroad Counselling and request a call back from our counsellors. Or you can write to us in the comments below.