1 · The types of schools
France has around forty public écoles supérieures d'art overseen by the Ministry of Culture — national (Beaux-Arts de Paris, Villa Arson, ENSP Arles…) or regional (ENSBA Lyon, HEAR, EESAB…). Add to these the national schools with their own degrees (ENSAD, ENSCI, La Fémis) and many private schools with much higher fees — always check whether their degree is recognised by the French state.
Browse the directory of public schools →
2 · The degrees: DNA and DNSEP
Studies at the écoles supérieures d'art are organised in two cycles:
- DNA — diplôme national d'art, 3 years, equivalent to a bachelor's degree. Three tracks: art, design, communication.
- DNSEP — diplôme national supérieur d'expression plastique, 5 years, equivalent to a master's degree.
Some national schools award their own degree of equivalent rank (the ENSAD, ENSCI and La Fémis diplomas, the DNSAP of the Beaux-Arts de Paris).
3 · Applying for the first year
Most public schools recruit after the baccalauréat via Parcoursup ↗ (applications open early in the calendar year), followed by an entrance exam specific to each school:
- review of your portfolio;
- practical and/or general-culture tests depending on the school;
- an interview with a jury.
Each exam has its own calendar and registration fees — apply to several schools to maximise your chances, and check the dates on each school's website from autumn onwards.
4 · Joining mid-programme
Already in higher education? Schools also admit students into year 2, 3 or 4 through an equivalence committee: a portfolio of work plus an interview, with recognition of prior study. This is the classic route after a bachelor's degree, a long prep programme or a foreign school.
5 · The portfolio
The centrepiece of any application. What juries look for:
- a selection of 10 to 20 recent personal works — not school exercises;
- diversity: drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, video, research notebooks…;
- the process as much as the result: sketches, trials, abandoned directions;
- at the interview: being able to talk about your references (artists, exhibitions, readings) and what you are searching for.
6 · Preparatory classes
A year of artistic prep helps you build your portfolio and prepare for the exams. The public network APPÉA ↗ brings together some twenty public preparatory classes with moderate fees — a serious alternative to costly private prep schools.
7 · What it costs
- Public schools: registration fees of a few hundred euros per year; means-tested grants (CROUS) apply.
- Private schools: several thousand euros per year — compare degree recognition carefully.
Advice from the editors
- Go to the open days (usually in winter): nothing replaces visiting the studios.
- Start your portfolio several months in advance.
- Apply to several schools — the exams differ, and so do the juries.
- Follow our news and exhibitions : training your eye is part of the preparation.