It has a total of 27,500 students studying for three-to-eight-year degrees in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

Education was still linked to religious congregations and influenced by the town's commercial, scientific and industrial requirements.

Université Lumière Lyon 2 extends over two main sites: Lyon 2 Lumière University is one of the first universities to have integrated the European higher education scheme right from the start of the academic year 2004.

Lyon 2 Lumière University offers a variety of courses in 5 fields: Lyon 2 is part of a pilot program on the intensive use of TICE (ITCE, Information and Communication Technology in Education).

The Digital Working Environment (ENT) project at Lumière Lyon 2 is part of a national, regional and local drive to accompany, support and assist individuals who make up the academic world (students, lecturers and other university staff) throughout their diverse field of activity; as part of basic training, research, advanced training or simple intellectual curiosity.