France to host 30,000 Indian students in the next five years

France aims to enroll 30,000 Indian students by 2030, focusing on academic success and intercultural understanding, offering opportunities to study in internationally recognized institutions. The “Classes Internationales” program, born from an agreement between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, aims to welcome India’s brightest high-school graduates to France, regardless of their French language proficiency.

Launched in September 2024, this program invites top Indian high school graduates to spend a year in France learning French before starting their chosen courses. It offers a unique opportunity for Indian students to gain comprehensive French language training and potentially secure scholarships at the program’s end.

Announced by President Macron, the initiative was formalized in a joint statement with Prime Minister Modi on January 26, 2024.

Classes Internationales offers you access to some of the top French higher education institutions, where you can study in French. Classes Internationales is designed to send India’s most talented high-school graduates to France, regardless of their proficiency in French. Whether you have some prior experience with the French language or are a complete beginner, this program provides access to some of the most prestigious French universities.

For the second phase, the application deadline for complete beginners (A0 level) is March 31, 2025. Students with A2 proficiency have until mid-May 2025 to submit their applications. Students can opt for 4-years Bachelor’s study or 6-years Masters program. You have to look at the classes internationales as a foundation year. After that, a Licence (Bachelor) in France takes 3 years and a Master’s degree, 2 more years.

Level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) indicates the ability to understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).

The CEFR has 6 levels, ranging from A1 to C2. So A2 is a beginner level that can get you admitted to a higher education programme in France!

Many students who learnt French at junior or senior high school have taken a test (DELF, DELF Junior or TCF) and know where they stand in terms of the CEFR.

If you have a good knowledge of French but have never taken a test, the schools will refer you to us, the French Embassy, or the Alliances françaises, so that you can take a free placement test.

If your test shows that you have an A2 level, you will be able to continue the admission process at higher education establishments that offer an classes internationales.

If you do not have the A2 level, a specific programme has been created within the Alliances françaises in India to take you to this level and beyond.

Therefore, it is better to have the A2 level, but even complete beginners have a shot at an admission, provided they follow the courses that will lead them to the required level before boarding.