In less than a month, on June 5, 19-year-old Infanta Sofía will wrap up her freshman year of college and say goodbye to her life in Lisbon. The younger daughter of King Felipe and Queen Letizia is studying Political Science and International Relations at the Lisbon campus of Forward College. This private institution, accredited by the University of London, splits its coursework across three different European campuses. Following her time in neighboring Portugal, Princess Leonor’s sister is packing her bags this September for a new move, this time to Paris, where she will complete her sophomore year.
© Casa de S. M. el ReyThough she is changing cities and countries, the Infanta will continue to take her classes in English, a language she has mastered since childhood and perfected alongside the Princess of Asturias during her time at UWC Atlantic College in Wales, the international boarding school where she completed her high school diplomas. However, she will also take elective courses in Portuguese, French, and German, which will be essential for fully immersing herself in Parisian life.
Even though she is already a seasoned university student, Infanta Sofía will have to start fresh in a brand-new city. The French capital is a favorite destination for college students, not just for its beauty and sightseeing appeal, but because it stands as a world-class academic, cultural, and intellectual hub with a storied history. It is a highly welcoming hub where students from all over the globe live side-by-side in one of Europe’s major economic engines. The city offers a vibrant cultural scene spanning the visual arts, architecture, literature, theater, cinema, music, and dance, while also playing host to some of the top universities in the world.
© Casa de S. M. el ReyFounded After World War I
For this upcoming sophomore year starting after the summer break, Sofía de Borbón will live and study at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris (CIUP), the largest residence hall system for French and international students and researchers in the Île-de-France region. Every year, over 12,000 students and researchers representing 150 different nationalities pass through these facilities. It is a city within a city designed entirely around university life. Founded in 1925 in the wake of World War I, its core mission was to foster cross-cultural connections among students from different countries and build a community rooted in peace, cultural exchange, and international dialogue. The Infanta is already well-accustomed to interacting with peers her own age from every corner of the globe and from backgrounds vastly different from her own.
Many of the residence halls at the CIUP represent specific countries or institutions, such as the Spain House, the Japan House, the United States Foundation, the India House, and the Swiss Foundation. This blend turns the campus into a miniature international city where languages, activities, and experiences are shared daily. The architectural value of the CIUP is stunning. Spanning over 84 acres, its buildings showcase highly diverse architectural styles, with some holding special historical significance due to their ties to Le Corbusier. The campus boasts a highly active cultural calendar, organizing around 1,000 events a year, including concerts, exhibitions, conferences, plays, movie screenings, and international meetups.
© Casa RealWhile Sofía’s upcoming home and campus is not located right in the city center, she will be just a 20-minute commuter train ride from the Louvre Museum and a mere 9 minutes from the Latin Quarter, one of Paris’s most historic, lively, and intellectual neighborhoods, which houses the iconic Sorbonne University.
At the Cité Internationale’s International House, Sofía and her classmates will have everything they need for day-to-day student life: study rooms, a theater, a swimming pool, a gym, student-budget-friendly restaurants and catering services, a library, a language lab, and plenty of green spaces.
Just like at the Lisbon campus, the Infanta will live alongside her peers in student housing. The private rooms range from 140 to 180 square feet and offer either shared or private bathrooms and kitchens, alongside amenities like TV lounges, multimedia rooms, and lobbies featuring a cafe, foosball, pool tables, and a piano.
The athletic options available on campus are incredibly extensive. She will be able to choose from 50 different sports, a swimming pool, tennis courts, soccer fields, and basketball courts, as well as pilates and yoga studios. The campus also features 13 soundproofed music studios, and she can join one of more than 60 choirs and orchestras or even start her own band (140 already exist on site). If she prefers, she can take theater classes, attend lectures and conferences throughout the year, or volunteer with an NGO or charity. If she feels like it, Infanta Sofía could even follow in her mother’s footsteps from her days as a journalist by contributing to the student magazine, or she could try her hand at gardening by taking care of the community plot.
© Casa de S. M. el ReyThe Cost of Living in Paris
Forward College has broken down some of the expenses the Infanta and her classmates can expect while living in Paris. Student housing ranges from €820 to €1,200 a month ($951 to $1,392 USD); private health insurance runs between €10 and €20 a month ($12 to $23 USD); a public transit pass costs €40 a month ($46 USD); groceries run around €300 ($348 USD); phone plans are about €15 ($17 USD); and entertainment and daily expenses come out to roughly €200 a month ($232 USD).
In the Parisian neighborhood where she will be living, the price of a coffee ranges from €1.50 to €3 ($1.74 to $3.48 USD), a movie ticket is €15 ($17.40 USD), a nightclub cover charge is between €15 and €25 ($17.40 to $29 USD), and a single subway ticket is €2 ($2.32 USD). A meal at a mid-range restaurant costs about €22 ($25.52 USD), though that drops to €14 ($16.24 USD) if she chooses to eat on campus at the CIUP.
© Getty ImagesInfanta Sofía’s Previous Trip to Paris with Her Sister and Mother
While this will be the first time Infanta Sofía calls Paris home, she has visited the city on the Seine at least once publicly. In July 2024, Princess Leonor and her sister spent three days cheering on the Spanish teams competing in the Olympic Games. They met Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, spent time with the women’s field hockey team, visited the Olympic Village, and took in the world-class sporting event. A few days later, in early August, Queen Letizia also traveled to the French capital. The three reunited in Paris and enjoyed a girls’ trip taking in the charms of the City of Light.
