University of Montpellier

University of Montpellier is one of Europe's oldest universities — founded in 1289, making it older than most English universities — and is ranked QS #451–500 globally (2025). The university has historically been a center of medicine (its School of Medicine traces to 1220, the world's oldest continuously operating medical school), law, and sciences. Montpellier is a rapidly growing tech and biotech city in Mediterranean France, with a large student population (40% of the city's population is student-related), vibrant outdoor lifestyle, and sunny climate averaging 300 days of sun per year.

For non-EU international students, the University of Montpellier charges €2,770–3,770/year. English-taught master's programs include bioinformatics, agronomy, environmental science, and computer science. Montpellier's growing tech ecosystem (IBM, Dell, Ubisoft, Sanofi, and dozens of startups have offices here) creates an expanding graduate employment market beyond Paris. Living costs are 35–40% below Paris, and the Mediterranean climate (beaches, outdoor activities) contributes to one of the highest student satisfaction rates in France.