It was July last year when the Royal Household revealed the future university plans of Princess Sofia. The younger sister of Princess Leonor was going to study Political Science and International Relations at Forward College, a private institution affiliated with the University of London. The degree chosen by the youngest of King Felipe and Queen Letizia consists of a three-year program spread across Lisbon, Paris, and Berlin.
Now, at her newly turned 19, Princess Sofia is about to complete the first year in the capital of Portugal. And after passing her exams and enjoying the summer holidays, it will be time to pack her bags again. While her sister Leonor begins her university studies at the Carlos III University of Madrid, where she will study Political Science, Sofia will have to pack her bags to move to Paris.
Princess Sofia will thus begin her second year at this prestigious and modern educational center, which, according to its website, offers more than a traditional university. With a cost around €18,500 per year, Forward College’s degrees are recognized by the European Higher Education Area, and its academic leadership depends on the London School of Economics. The center only accepts one application out of eleven submitted and gathers in its classrooms students from forty nationalities.
The next home of Princess Sofia will be the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris (CIUP), the largest housing complex for students and researchers in France and international in the Île-de-France region. With more than 12,000 students and researchers from 150 nationalities each year, and 43 different houses, CIUP boasts of offering a unique multicultural and multidisciplinary university experience.
What Princess Sofia’s Life in Paris Will Be Like
The campus where the daughter of the Spanish royals will attend classes is located in the south of the city and nine minutes by train from the popular Latin Quarter of Paris. Nestled in an expansive area of gardens and ecological parks, the Cité Internationale offers a wide range of activities, from cultural events to student and sports associations. Its outdoor spaces and green areas provide a relaxed and bucolic atmosphere, without losing proximity to the vibrant center of the capital.
The Paris campus where Princess Sofia will study.
As in Lisbon, the classes Princess Sofia will attend will be in small groups. She will also have access to study rooms, as well as to the Language Laboratory and a large library. A gym, a swimming pool and a theater complete the facilities. Alongside her fellow students, the young princess will be able to actively participate in campus life, with initiatives such as the student magazine or a community garden.
Regarding student housing, Princess Sofia will be able to choose between a single room or a shared one, with prices starting at €820 per month. The living room and the kitchen are shared spaces for all residents. Forward College offers students advantages such as health insurance at reduced prices and a three-course menu in its university dining hall for only 3.30 euros.
Tips for Princess Sofia and Her Companions
In addition to providing practical information about classes and housing, the Forward College website offers future students at the Paris campus some tips for this second year. For example, they hint that, although tickets to the Opéra Garnier usually cost more than €200, once a month they host an exclusive student performance priced at only €10. Other recommendations include visiting a bar called La Lucha Libre, which has a secret dungeon where you can fight with protective gear alongside your friends.
If she wishes, Princess Sofia can pay an annual fee of €150 and access all the campus’s sports activities, which include a swimming pool, gym, the tennis courts, the football pitches, and classes of yoga, Pilates and Krav Maga. Finally, they recommend bringing warm blankets and comfortable clothing to stay at home, since Paris can be very cold in the winter months.
