Université de Lyon

Université de Lyon (specifically Claude Bernard Lyon 1 — the sciences and health faculty) is one of France's leading STEM research universities, ranked QS #391 globally (2025). Lyon 1 is the science and medicine division of the Lyon university cluster, with particular strengths in computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and health sciences. Lyon — France's second-largest city and a UNESCO heritage site — hosts Europe's largest pharmaceutical and biotech cluster (Sanofi, Boehringer Ingelheim, bioMérieux, Merck Serono) and is the world capital of gastronomic culture.

For non-EU international students, Lyon's universities charge €2,770–3,770/year. English-taught master's programs are available in computer science, mathematics, bioinformatics, and engineering. Lyon's cost of living is approximately 35–40% lower than Paris — making it a particularly cost-effective base for international studies at a high-ranking institution. The Lyon-Grenoble corridor (1 hour by train to Grenoble's tech cluster) is becoming France's most dynamic tech axis outside Paris.