University of Bordeaux

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 5 November 2026.

About the University of Bordeaux

The University of Bordeaux was established by Pope Eugene IV on 7 June 1441. It was abolished in 1793, reopened in 1896 and split into several universities in 1970; since 2014 the earlier Bordeaux universities have been reunited under the University of Bordeaux.^[7] The university itself describes itself as “heir to a history of nearly six centuries”.^[6]

Its head office is in Talence, on the southern edge of Bordeaux.^[6] The university has 18 campus sites in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, on 187 hectares of campus land, and 38 university libraries. It has about 6,000 staff, including roughly 3,200 lecturer-researchers and researchers.^[1]

How is the University of Bordeaux ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, the University of Bordeaux is 485th in the world. In 2026 it was 494th and in 2025 it was 535th.^[2]

Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at the University of Bordeaux?

Teaching is organised in four colleges and several institutes:^[8]

• College of Law, Political Science, Economics and Management
• College of Health Sciences
• College of Human Sciences
• College of Science and Technology
• Institute of Technology, Institute of Education, Institute of Vine and Wine Science and the Apprentice Training Centre

Doctoral studies are coordinated by the Graduate Research School, which covers 8 doctoral schools and more than 2,000 doctoral students a year.^[9]

The university’s page of master’s programmes taught in English lists 23 programmes (our count of the list): 4 in economics, management and business, 2 in health, 1 in oenology (wine science) and 16 in science and technology. The page does not state an English language requirement, so check the programme page.^[5] Most other programmes are taught in French.^[4]

How much does the University of Bordeaux cost in 2026/27?

The university says these amounts for 2026/27 were published by the French government on 23 June 2026.^[3] The page’s table does not label its rows; we read the lower amounts as the standard rate and the higher ones as the international rate for non-EU students.

Who pays the standard rate anyway?

The higher rate does not apply to students from the EU, the EEA, Monaco, Andorra, Quebec or Switzerland, to holders of a resident card or equivalent permit, to refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, to students who have been tax residents in France (or attached to a tax household there) for at least two years, or to non-EU students re-enrolling in the same programme at the same level.^[3]

Partial exemption

A partial exemption from the international rate is not granted automatically; you must apply. Approved applicants pay the French/EU rate. The page describes fast-track routes with documents (for example a certificate of a previous exemption, disability recognition, a home-country scholarship or a place in an eligible programme) and, for social circumstances, a route where you first pay the international fee, then apply online; a committee reviews these applications in November with decisions in December, and an approved fee is refunded.^[3]

CVEC and other costs

Students must pay the compulsory Student and Campus Life Contribution (CVEC) to the CROUS before enrolling. The university’s page gives €105 a year and lists exempt groups such as scholarship holders, refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection.^[4] Tuition is only part of the bill: for rent and living costs, see our France guide and the Study in France guide.

How do you apply to the University of Bordeaux?

The route depends on level, nationality and the country you live in. The university’s admissions page for international students (updated 30 Jan 2024) describes these routes:^[10]

• Bachelor’s and master’s, countries with a Campus France centre (CEF): you apply on the Études en France platform; the centre and the university then examine applications and reply, followed by administrative and academic registration.^[10]
• Countries without a CEF: you consult the available programmes and apply on Apoflux; law and economics-management-AES programmes are excluded from this route.^[10]
• French baccalaureate: holders of a French baccalaureate obtained abroad, French or European nationals, or holders of an equivalent diploma apply through Parcoursup.^[10]
• Master 1: the national platform Mon Master applies to holders of a French bachelor’s or other French diploma that gives access to a master’s. Foreign nationals outside the EEA, Andorra, Switzerland and Monaco who live in a country covered by Études en France continue to use that procedure instead.^[11]
• Second or third year of a bachelor’s or BUT, vocational bachelor’s, Master 2: applicants not yet registered at the university use the eCandidat portal; IUT courses use CANDIUT. The page says it does not concern people living in a country covered by the Études en France procedure.^[12]
• Doctorate: register for the recruitment campaign on the ADUM portal; selection is handled by each doctoral school, so contact the school for your field.^[9]

We give no deadlines here because they change every year and differ by programme. Check the timetable of your programme before you start.

Which language level do you need?

The university states that a B2 level in French is compulsory, proven by a certificate (TCF or DALF). B1 is required for supervised mobility. You may not need a certificate if you come from a country where French is an official language or if your secondary education was mostly in French; graduates of certain French bilingual sections are also exempt.^[4] B2 is upper-intermediate on the CEFR scale, the European scale from A1 to C2.

The university is a TCF-DAP test centre; the page gives a test fee of €73. The certificate is requested when you make your preliminary application for admission.^[4] For programmes taught in English, the university’s list does not state an English requirement, so ask the programme.^[5]

More about studying in France

• France: best universities
• Study in France: complete guide
• Cost of Studying Abroad
• International Student Scholarships
• University Ranking Methodology

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