Roubaix is home to one of the most dense creative and digital ecosystems in France. Here is what you need to know before starting your housing search:
- ✓ArtFX, Piktura, Le Fresnoy, ESAAT, ENSAIT, ESMOD: rare programs in France covering digital creation, textiles, and fashion, all gathered in a compact area.
- ✓Rents in Roubaix are among the most affordable in the Lille metropolitan area, generally well below Lille’s prices.
- ✓Two Twenty Campus residences in Roubaix: Roubaix e-Camp by the canal, offering flat-sharing from €499, and Twenty Campus Roubaix, offering studios from €550, with utilities and internet included.
- ✓Online application, fast response, electronic lease: no need to visit an agency.
Studying in Roubaix means joining one of France’s densest student ecosystems for digital and creative arts. The city concentrates rare programs in a restricted area: 2D and 3D animation, visual effects, video games, design, fashion, and textiles. The schools in this sector attract hundreds of high school graduates each year who come to prepare degrees from bachelor’s to master’s level. And the rents are much lower than in central Lille.
La Plaine Images, the driving force of Roubaix’s creative ecosystem
La Plaine Images occupies a 5-hectare former textile wasteland, the Vanoutryve factory, converted into a campus dedicated to the creative industries, straddling Roubaix and Tourcoing. Structured since 2012 around its flagship building, the Imaginarium, the site now brings together a unique ecosystem in France where companies, schools, researchers, and creators cross paths daily:
La Plaine Images is recognized as the leading European hub dedicated to cultural and creative industries.
Digital creation schools in Roubaix: animation, video games, VFX
Three major digital creation schools are established in the La Plaine Images ecosystem, soon to be joined by a Rubika branch. 2D and 3D animation, video games, visual effects, illustration: the programs cover the entire spectrum of image-related professions.
ArtFX: VFX, animation, and video games
ArtFX is one of the leading French schools for visual effects, animation, and video games. Founded in Montpellier in 2004, the school opened its new campus at La Plaine Images in 2023, in an 18,000 sqm complex combining training areas and a student residence. The campus is designed to host up to 700 students. The 5-year curriculum is accessible after high school via a competitive exam and application file. Graduates go on to join VFX, animation, and video game studios in France and internationally.
ArtFX is ranked #1 worldwide in visual effects (VFX) by The Rookies (for the 7th consecutive year in 2025) and ranks in the global top 15 of creative schools. The 2025 Animation Career Review ranking places it #12 in the world (excluding the USA), #7 in Europe, and #3 in France.
Piktura: 2D/3D animation, video games, and illustration
Piktura is the art and design school of the Université Catholique de Lille, specializing in 2D/3D animation, video games, and illustration. Founded in 2003 under the name Pôle 3D, the school now has two sites in Roubaix, including one at La Plaine Images. The program lasts 5 years, with four specializations offered from the 3rd year:
- 2D Animation
- 3D Animation and visual effects
- Video games
- Illustration and digital graphics
Admission depends on your level and the desired program: some applications go through Parcoursup, involving an application file, an interview, and the presentation of a personal portfolio.
Rubika Design: coming soon to Roubaix
Rubika is soon opening a branch in Roubaix dedicated to design professions. The campus will be located along the canal on the former TERKEN site, alongside housing, shops, and restaurants. The project is part of the city’s ongoing transformation of former industrial sites.
Applied arts, fashion, and textile schools in Roubaix
The field of creation is not limited to digital arts in Roubaix. The city maintains a strong tradition in applied arts, fashion, and textiles, rooted in its industrial heritage and revitalized by three major institutions.
ESAAT: design and applied arts
The Higher School of Applied Arts and Textiles, located on Avenue des Nations-Unies, is a public institution offering courses from post-high school to master’s level in design, visual communication, and animation:
- STD2A high school diploma
- DSAA: higher diploma in applied arts, depending on the path
- DNMADE: national diploma in fine arts, crafts, and design
- BTS Textile Innovation, as a work-study program with ENSAIT
Admission via Parcoursup.
ENSAIT: textile engineering school
Founded in 1881, the National Higher School of Arts and Textile Industries is located on Allée Louise et Victor Champier, opposite the La Piscine museum. It trains about 60 to 70% of French textile engineers and 15% of European textile engineers. Three training paths:
- Textile Engineering degree (3 years)
- Specialized Master in Fashion Management and Innovation (with the Institut Français de la Mode and IAE Lille)
- BTS Textile Innovation (work-study program with ESAAT)
ENSAIT, located right across from the La Piscine museum, trains the vast majority of French textile engineers on its own. This almost national exclusivity is part of the long industrial tradition of Roubaix, the former French capital of textiles.
ESMOD Roubaix: fashion design and pattern making
ESMOD Roubaix, located on Boulevard du Général Leclerc, offers two post-high school, 3-year state-recognized paths (depending on the program):
- Fashion Design (stylist and pattern maker)
- Fashion Business (fashion marketing and communication strategy)
The ESMOD network includes 14 schools worldwide, allowing students to consider an international path from their first year.
Other programs in Roubaix: law, data, business, digital communication
IUT of Lille: Roubaix campus
Affiliated with the University of Lille, the Roubaix campus on Rue de l’Alma prepares students for three BUTs (University Bachelor of Technology) in three years:
- BUT Legal Careers
- BUT Data Science
- BUT Marketing Techniques
Professional bachelor’s degrees and apprenticeship paths complete the offer.
École Lybre: digital marketing and HR work-study programs
École Lybre, located on Rue d’Isly, prepares students for state-recognized degrees (RNCP titles) from bachelor’s to master’s level in digital marketing, digital communication, and human resources. Courses are available in initial training or as work-study programs, alternating 3 weeks in a company with 1 week of classes.
Successfully applying and enrolling in Roubaix
Applying in Roubaix requires adapting to the schedule of the targeted school: some go through Parcoursup, while others recruit via direct application.
Open house days
Most institutions organize their open house days between January and March. It’s the perfect opportunity to visit the premises, meet the teaching staff, and talk with students. ArtFX also offers open campus events once or twice a month throughout the year.
Parcoursup and non-Parcoursup applications
Work-study programs: a strong lever for studying in the North
Work-study programs in Roubaix rely on a dense professional network. The IUT of Lille, École Lybre, and the BTS Textile Innovation (ENSAIT / ESAAT) open their courses to apprenticeships. Students in digital creation and video games also benefit from the La Plaine Images ecosystem, which concentrates studios and potential employers.
Daily student life in Roubaix
Between the La Piscine museum, La Condition Publique, and the 34 hectares of Parc Barbieux, the city gives students plenty to do on evenings and weekends, all within an area that is often walkable.
La Piscine and La Condition Publique
Ranked by the New York Times among the most fascinating places in the world, La Piscine is located on Rue de l’Espérance, in a former Art Deco municipal swimming pool built between 1927 and 1932, and converted into the André Diligent Museum of Art and Industry in 2001. A few minutes away, La Condition Publique occupies a former textile conditioning factory, now dedicated to exhibitions, concerts, and artist residencies.
Parc Barbieux: 34 hectares in the heart of the city
Nicknamed the “little Bois de Boulogne,” Parc Barbieux spans 34 hectares of classified green space, just a few minutes’ walk from the center. It’s a landmark for running, student sports, and weekend outings.
Shops, restaurants, and outings
Roubaix in the Lille European Metropolis
Twenty minutes by metro are all it takes to reach the center of the metropolis from Roubaix via line 2, which also provides access to the Villeneuve-d’Ascq campuses and the University of Lille. From the Lille train stations, Paris is about 1 hour away by TGV, and Brussels is easily reached by train via Lille Europe.
Student housing in Roubaix: budgets and options
Roubaix is one of the most affordable student cities in the Lille metropolitan area. Rents are significantly lower than in central Lille.
Rent ranges
| Type of accommodation | Included services | Student profile |
|---|---|---|
| Private student residence | Internet, gym, cafeteria, cleaning depending on the residence | Students looking for secure, furnished, ready-to-live-in housing |
| CROUS residence | Basic services | Students eligible for social criteria, willing to wait for uncertain allocation |
| Private flat-sharing | Varies depending on the property | Students who want to optimize their budget and share a living space |
| Private studio | Rarely included | Students who prefer independence and individual housing |
Housing allowances
- APL or ALS: can be calculated via the CAF simulator on caf.fr
- Loca-Pass Advance: to finance the security deposit, subject to conditions.
- Mobili-Jeune: for work-study students under 30 with an apprenticeship or professionalization contract, subject to conditions.
It’s best to apply for housing aid as soon as the lease is signed to receive the first payments without delay.
Twenty Campus residences in Roubaix
Two Twenty Campus residences are located in Roubaix, in two neighborhoods with different atmospheres. The format of the accommodation and the environment guide the choice between the two.
Roubaix e-Camp
Location: 56 Quai de Boulogne: 5 minutes walk from the M2 Mercure metro station and Jean Lebas train station, right next to La Plaine Images.
Housing: flat-sharing from €499, as well as studios, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom apartments available. Utilities and internet included.
Process: online application, fast response, electronic lease, no agency visit required.
Ideal for students looking for a flat-share or a larger apartment, in the heart of Roubaix’s creative hub.
Twenty Campus Roubaix
Location: 177 Rue Edouard Vaillant: 10 minutes from Parc Barbieux, less than a 15-minute walk from EDHEC.
Housing: studio from €550. Utilities and internet included.
Process: online application, fast response, electronic lease, no agency visit required.
Ideal for students looking for an individual studio in a residential neighborhood, close to a large green space.
FAQ: Studying and living in Roubaix
Your student housing in Roubaix is waiting for you
The two Twenty Campus residences in Roubaix accept online applications, offering a fast response and an electronic lease. Spots fill up quickly as the start of the academic year approaches!
