Lyon is one of the most exciting and beautiful cities in France. If you’re looking to study in one of its several universities and are looking for accommodation, you’ve come to the right place. Student.com lists some great options for student accommodation in Lyon. Whether you’re looking for a private room in a shared house, or a fully private studio apartment just for you, you’ll find it here.

If you have any questions about the private student accommodation we offer, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Just give us a call or send us a quick message on live chat in the bottom right-hand corner of this page. Our booking consultants are always happy to answer any questions you may have and help you find the perfect student home just for you!

Lyon at a glance

Lyon is the third-largest city and the second-largest metropolitan area in France. It’s located in central France, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) southeast of Paris. It’s home to about half a million people, with 2.3 million inhabitants in the whole Lyon metropolitan area.

It’s a city with a long history. Founded way back in 43BC, it was the capital of the Gauls during the Roman Empire. During the Renaissance era, Lyon became an important economic hub, largely thanks to being an important city for the production of silk. This long history is shown in the fact that the old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Today Lyon is known especially for its gastronomy and architecture. It’s also an important city for the film industry as it was here that the Lumière brothers invented the cinematograph.

Student life in Lyon

Lyon is not just a great city for tourists and fans of history and gastronomy, it’s also a great place to live as a student. The city has a good public transport system and a bike sharing scheme called Vélo'v, which makes it easy to get around the city.

Many students living in Lyon have said that some of the best things about the city are its friendly people and relaxed atmosphere. People watching on one of the waterfronts is a fun way to spend time in this city situated at the confluence of two rivers, the Rhône and the Saône.

Activities

When you’re not in class or studying in the library, there are many fun things you can do in Lyon. The areas of La Part-Dieu and La Confluence are great districts for shopping. If you want to have a nice cup of coffee, La Croix-Rousse has many cosy cafés. When you want to check out the gastronomy Lyon is famous for, the Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon) area has many good restaurants.

Lyon is also home to many interesting museums. Many of these offer discounts or even free entry to students, so you won’t have to break the bank to get your dose of culture either. As for festivals, make sure not to miss the famous Festival of Lights (Fête des Lumières), a magnificent city-wide celebration of light that happens every year in early December.

Great options after graduation

Lyon is not just a good city to be in when you’re a student, it’s also a great location after you’ve graduated. The city is a major centre for banking, chemical, pharmaceutical and biotech industries, and is the location of the headquarters of, among others, Euronews and Interpol, so there are also plenty of job opportunities available. Lyon is also a big player in the software industry, particularly in the field of video games.

Where to study in Lyon?

Lyon is a great city to study in. The well-known university ranking company QS ranked it as the 45th best city for students in the world in their Best Student Cities 2023 ranking. This meant Lyon was ranked as the second-best city in France, behind only Paris.

There are many good choices for anyone looking to study in Lyon.

The University of Lyon system

The University of Lyon is made up of 11 full members and 24 associated institutions. The three main members are Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, Lumière University Lyon 2 and Jean Moulin University Lyon 3. All these three focus on their own speciality.

Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 (Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1) focuses on health and science studies. It has almost 50,000 students and it’s the highest rated of the University of Lyon member institutions, ranked as one of the best 650 universities in the world according to QS World University Rankings 2023.

Lumière University Lyon 2 (Université Lumière Lyon 2) focuses on social sciences and arts. About 27,000 students study here and Lyon 2 is ranked as one of the 1,200 best universities in the world by QS.

Jean Moulin University Lyon 3 (Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3) is the third main wing of the University of Lyon. It focuses on law and humanities and, like Lyon 2, has about 27,000 students. QS has ranked it as one of the best 1,400 universities in the world.

The grandes écoles

A grande école is a specialised university in France that is separate, but usually connected with, the French public university system. They offer teaching and do research on a single academic field. Lyon is home to a couple of notable grandes écoles, most notably École normale supérieure de Lyon and Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon.

École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon) was founded in 1880. It’s one of the four prestigious écoles normales supérieures in France and is comprised of two academic units - arts and sciences. It is affiliated with the University of Lyon, but is still an independent institution. It was ranked as the 111th best university in the world according to the QS World University Rankings 2023, making it the highest ranked institution in Lyon, and 5th in all of France.

Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (INSA Lyon) was established in 1957 and specialises in training engineers. In the 2023 QS World University Rankings it was ranked 457th in the world, making it the second-highest rated institution in Lyon.

Frequently asked questions about student housing in Lyon

How do I apply for a private student residence in Lyon on Student.com?

Applying for a student rental is quick and easy on Student.com. First you’ll have to figure out which property is the right one for you. To help with this, you can use the filters on this page to find the properties that suit you best and the map to see where the different properties we offer are located.

Once you’ve chosen a property you like, go to the property page by clicking on ‘View rooms’. On the property page you’ll need to choose the room you want to live in. When you’ve made your decision, simply click on ‘Enquire’ or ‘Book now’. You’ll then be asked to leave your contact details and one of our booking consultants will soon contact you. They’ll be able to answer any questions you may still have, or if you’re ready to book, take you through the next steps of the booking process.

What are the different types of student rooms you offer?

We currently offer two different types of rooms in Lyon.

If you book a Private room you’ll have a bedroom just for yourself. Depending on the property you choose, the bathroom may be either private or shared. Other facilities are shared with roommates.

If you choose the Entire Place you’ll get a fully private studio apartment just for yourself. You’ll have your own bedroom, bathroom and a kitchenette for cooking meals and you won’t have to share anything with anyone. The perfect choice if you love some privacy!

Do you offer accommodation for international students and Erasmus students as well?

Absolutely! We are very popular with international students and people doing student exchanges like Erasmus. As long as you are a full-time student, you can book any accommodation listed on Student.com.

Are bills included in the rent?

Usually bills are included in the properties we list in Lyon. This is not necessarily always the case though, so make sure to check on the property page what bills are included in each property.

Are the apartments fully furnished?

Most of the apartments we list in Lyon are fully furnished. You can check on the property page if this is the case with the property you’re interested in booking.