Founded in 2012 from the merger of three universities (with older roots), AMU is the largest French university by student numbers. It offers comprehensive programs including strong science, engineering, and health faculties.
Aix-Marseille Université is the largest French-speaking university, with about 78,000 students and 8,000 staff, and roughly 10 percent of the students from abroad. It was created in 2012 by merging three universities of the region: Provence, Mediterranée and Paul Cézanne. The campuses are split between Aix-en-Provence, a historic university town with fountains and plane trees, and Marseille, a large port city on the Mediterranean.
In Marseille, the scientific campus of Luminy lies inside the Calanques national park, the Timone site is the medical centre, and Saint-Charles and Chateau-Gombert cover sciences and technology. The Aix sites cover law, humanities and economics, with the engineering school Polytech Marseille and the Centrale Mediterranée engineering school in the wider community. Students therefore choose a city as much as a subject, and the two are linked by a 30-minute train or bus ride.
Research includes physics, materials, environmental science and engineering, with specific strengths in particle physics, neuroscience, marine biology and mathematics. The Centre de Physique des Particules de Marseille works on the ATLAS experiment at CERN, and the nearby ITER project at Cadarache, building a fusion reactor with an international consortium, relies on regional universities for researchers. Partnerships also cover Mediterranean studies, energy and health.
Registration fees follow the low national rates, at under three hundred euros for bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and non-EU students may be subject to differentiated fees that the university can reduce. Most bachelor programmes are in French, and a growing list of master’s degrees is in English. Applications go through Parcoursup, the national master portal and Campus France.
Living costs are lower than in Paris, though Marseille rents have risen. The climate is sunny, and the sea and the Calanques are close to the Luminy campus, which makes the university attractive for students who want an outdoor lifestyle alongside their studies.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Food Science, Geotechnics, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Marine Science, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Robotics, Software Engineering, Sound Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Member of Udice, CIVIS European University Alliance. Extensive Mediterranean and international partnerships.
Think of Université de Lille when astroscience, aerospace and food science is the priority: it has almost the same size, at about 74,000 students, and is also a public institution.
For students who like the sound engineering, astroscience and marine science focus of this institution but want another option nearby, Université Grenoble Alpes fits well: it is slightly smaller, at about 59,000 students against roughly 78,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of astroscience, food science and bioinformatics can consider Université de Strasbourg, and it is slightly smaller, at about 57,000 students against roughly 78,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Sorbonne Université overlaps with this institution on sound engineering, astroscience and marine science, so the two are easy to compare, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and is slightly smaller, at about 55,000 students against roughly 78,000 here.
A good alternative in the same country is Université de Bordeaux, which likewise covers astroscience, marine science and aerospace; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
On content, Universität Hamburg in Germany and this institution are close, as both teach sound engineering, astroscience and marine science; it is smaller, enrolling about 43,000 students against roughly 78,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Wuhan University in China is the nearest foreign match on astroscience, marine science and bioinformatics; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
For astroscience, aerospace and bioinformatics outside the home country, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza in Italy is a natural reference; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and is larger, enrolling about 120,000 students against roughly 78,000 here.
If this institution is on your list for astroscience, marine science and aerospace, Osaka University in Japan deserves a comparison, because it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Beyond national borders, Zhejiang University stands out as a comparable school for astroscience, marine science and aerospace; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is Aix-Marseille Université?
The administrative address is 58 boulevard Charles Livon in Marseille. Campuses are in Marseille and Aix-en-Provence.
How large is it?
About 78,000 students and 8,000 staff, which makes it the largest French-speaking university.
How was it created?
In 2012, by merging the universities of Provence, Mediterranée and Paul Cézanne.
Where is the science campus?
The Luminy campus in Marseille lies inside the Calanques national park. Other science sites are Saint-Charles and Chateau-Gombert.
What is it known for?
Physics, materials, environmental sciences, engineering, neuroscience, marine biology and medicine.
Is there a link to ITER?
Yes. The ITER fusion project at Cadarache, near Aix, works with regional universities, including Aix-Marseille.
What does it cost?
Registration fees are under three hundred euros for bachelor's and master's degrees. Non-EU students may pay higher differentiated fees.
In which language are courses taught?
Most bachelor programmes are in French and a growing number of master's degrees are in English.
How do you apply?
Through Parcoursup for bachelor's degrees, the national master portal for master's degrees and Campus France for international students.
Is Marseille cheaper than Paris?
Living costs are lower, though rents in Marseille have risen in recent years.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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