Housing

The American College of the Mediterranean has different housing options available to both undergraduate and graduate students, including a homestay with a French host family, residence halls, or apartments/independent housing.

ACM encourages students to live with a host family for at least one semester of their time in Aix-en-Provence. All undergraduate students must live with a host family during their first year of study. After their first year, they are able to find independent housing if they so choose.

MA in French Studies (MAFS), MA in International Education Administration (MAIE), and MA in International Relations (MAIR) students must reside in a homestay for at least one semester. Language development coupled with a relationship with the people and culture of France is critical to student success in these programs.

ACM onsite housing coordinator, Fleur Arella, acts as the main contact and support for students with respect to their housing and living situations.
Fleur can be contacted at fleur.arella@iau.edu for questions about housing.

PLEASE NOTE: Homestay schedules are aligned with the ACM academic calendar. Students should be aware that they will need to vacate their homestay during the December/January holiday period and at the conclusion of the Spring term in May. If a student is enrolled in a summer session, they will need to vacate the homestay at the conclusion of that session in mid-July. For MFA students enrolling in a summer course, living in a homestay is an additional cost. Students participating in a J-Term program may resume their homestay between the end of the J-Term and the beginning of the spring semester. Any exceptions to this policy will entail an additional housing cost for the student. Any student who would like to stay in a homestay outside of the published academic calendar must contact the Housing Coordinator within one month of beginning their program. 

Homestays are the only form of housing that ACM staff facilitate directly. All other forms of housing that a student may find are considered independent, and assistance in securing these other types of housing cannot be guaranteed by ACM.

Please see below for details regarding each different housing option. If you have any questions please contact ACM at admissions@ACMFrance.org 

Housing costs may be found on the Tuition & Fees page.

Homestays

• French comprehension and speaking ability improve dramatically.

• Awareness of current events, political outlook, and cultural customs enrich their lives immeasurably.

• The food may be a delightful education in itself, and dinnertime may provide a gracious and lively event each day.

Residence Halls

Please note that residence halls are considered independent living and ACM students are responsible for locating and securing their own residence hall housing.

Private Residence Halls are also available to ACM students. The private sector has been strongly developed in the past few years to compensate for the lack of housing for university students, making residence halls a good option for students in Aix-en-Provence. Most of them are located in the center of town, a 15-minute walk from ACM's campus.

Students who choose to live in Residence Halls will generally have roommates: 2 students per room, 2-5 students per apartment.

Please note: when staying in residence halls, students are responsible for their own meals which will add additional expense.

Apartments/Independent Housing

Please note that apartments are considered independent living and ACM students are responsible for locating and securing their own apartments.

Students interested in independent housing are responsible for finding and securing their own housing arrangements. In the past, Leboncoin.fr has been a good resource for students looking to locate apartments. In addition, a limited number of host families offer semi-independent arrangements in which students are responsible for their own meals. Students interested in semi-independent arrangements with host families should contact the Housing Coordinator to inquire about availability.

Most apartments available in Aix are one-room apartments (studios) or two-room apartments (a bedroom and a living room). All apartments have a bathroom and a kitchen.

Cost of living:

• Rented room (in a shared apartment): 400-450 € per month

• Studio (one person): 500-600 € per month plus utilities

• More than one bedroom: 750€ per month and more

Important items to consider:

• Living with another student or a roommate (“coloc”  or "colocotaire" in French) might help you to integrate into the French way of living more easily, and it is a way to lower all the standing expenses, such as electricity, heating, telephone, local taxes.

• Internet: you will have the possibility to order internet for approximately 40 Euros per month.

• Rent prices tend to be less expensive near Aix/Marseille University (outside of the city center) compared to living in the historical part of Aix.

• Most apartments do not have a washing machine. It is almost impossible to find a student apartment with a dryer. However, the apartment will most probably have a drying rack. If your apartment doesn’t have a washing machine, locate where the closest laundromat is.

• Students choosing to live in an apartment should be aware that, in France, landlords take little responsibility for daily maintenance.

• A deposit and guarantee letter from a person who resides in France are often requested.

• You may bring your own linens or buy them in Aix.

Devenir Famille d'Accueil

L’American College of the Mediterranean reçoive des étudiants américains ou étrangers pour des séjours de plusieurs semaines ou plusieurs mois et recherchent des familles d’accueil chaleureuses, prêtes à partager leur vie quotidienne contre dédommagement. Pour tous renseignements supplémentaires, voyez ici. 

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