France is home to a number of prestigious universities that are recognized internationally for their research and teaching. France has been a preferred study abroad location for international students due to the exceptional value it offers. French universities are consistently ranked among the world’s best and Europe’s best.
France is home to some of the greatest colleges in the world if you want to study business, engineering, or fashion design. When you look around carefully, you will choose the best school to help you reach your goals.
This section features a table with rankings for the top ten educational institutions in France.
1. École Normale Supérieure – PSL
PSL is a prestigious university with top rankings in a variety of disciplines, including mathematics, physics, and ecology. In addition, the university consistently places high in national rankings of both undergraduate education and doctoral programs. PSL has a good academic reputation and has established strong ties to a number of prestigious institutions throughout the world. These include Cambridge, Berkeley, and New York University. Cambridge, Berkeley, and New York University are just a few of the schools in this category. Our survey of the top 10 universities in France found that this one deserved to be at the top for a very good reason.
Graduates of ENS – PSL are not only qualified for a wide variety of careers in France and around the world, but also for positions of the highest responsibility in both the public and commercial sectors. Consequently, both domestic and overseas applicants are required to take and pass a rigorous test before they can even be considered.
2. The University of the Sorbonne
Sorbonne University is a recent addition to the world of higher education, having only welcomed its first students in 2018. The university is an academic institution with a strong focus on the humanities, science and engineering, and medicine. This academic institution grants both bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
The Sorbonne is widely recognized as one of France’s top educational institutions. Some of its most well-known courses are those in the humanities and social sciences. The university’s excellent scientific and engineering programs, however, make it an attractive option for international students planning to study in France. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at the university, with about 20% of them being international students. In addition to the arts and humanities, science and engineering, and medicine make up the school’s three distinct faculties. In addition, the university’s numerous programs can be categorized as either mono-, bi-, or multidisciplinary, so students can take classes in a wide variety of academic areas.
3. École Polytechnique
This institution has a history of providing world-class education and research. It is well recognized as a leader in both academic excellence and cutting-edge research. École Polytechnique’s programs are unrivaled in their ability to seamlessly combine theoretical study with hands-on experience.
These graduates are well-equipped to enter a wide range of professional disciplines, including business, academia, and public service. International students at École Polytechnique can choose from a wide range of courses and programs.
This illustrious university provides courses that bridge the gap between undergraduate education and graduate research in a wide range of disciplines. Because it is such an exclusive institution, prospective freshmen are also required to have completed two years of college in addition to their high school education. The next step is to prepare for a weeklong written exam and an oral exam.
4. Université Paris-Saclay
The University of Paris has been around for centuries and is widely regarded as one of the best universities in the world. Its long and distinguished history begins in the 12th century and extends back even further. The university’s innovative courses in a wide range of disciplines have helped it become a leading research center. The Orsay campus of the University of Paris was rebranded as the University of Paris-Sud in the 1970s. It was rebranded as the University of Paris–Saclay in 2019. It’s located in the southwest of Paris, the French capital. The institution also offers postgraduate programs in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health sciences.
5. Université Paris Cité
At this school, not only can students choose from a wide selection of majors, but they also have access to progressive and innovative coursework in a number of fields. It was founded in 2019 as a result of a merger of the Université Paris Diderot, the Université Paris Descartes, and the Institut de physique du globe de Paris.
Around 20% of the university’s more than 64,000 students are international students. This academic institution provides students with access to a wide range of academic programs, including those in the arts and humanities; languages; human, economic, and social sciences; medical, dental, pharmaceutical, and nursing; and scientific, technological, and other professional fields.
6. École des Ponts ParisTech
The École des Ponts ParisTech is widely regarded as one of the best engineering institutions in all of France. Founded in 1747, its major mission is to supply the French government with qualified engineers. The field used to focus mostly on civil engineering, but it has now expanded to include other types of engineering, such as environmental and transportation.
There are twelve research labs on campus, proving that the Graduate School is dedicated to academic inquiry.
7. The University of Aix-Marseille (AMU)
The University of Aix-Marseille was founded in 2012, making it one of France’s younger institutions of higher education. Over eighty thousand individuals study at the school, which is located in the Provence area of France. About 10% of the total student body at this large public institution are classified as “international students.”
The institution offers courses in a wide variety of disciplines, including medical, business, management, law, political science, the arts, literature, and the humanities, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). In addition to its 19 faculties and 12 PhD schools, the University of Aix-Marseille features five campuses in both Aix-en-Provence and Marseille. Around 600 distinct courses are available to students in fields as diverse as the arts, social sciences, literature, and STEM.
8. University of Montpellier
Located in the city of Montpellier, the University of Montpellier is a highly regarded and historically significant educational institution. Established in 1220 as a single department with a focus on the arts, this illustrious French institution is particularly popular with students from various nations. An estimated 50,000 students attend the University of Montpellier, with around 7,000 coming from other countries.
The prestigious University of Montpellier is a teaching and research institution in the southern French city of Montpellier. The prestigious institution has been around for close to eight hundred years, and its alumni roster boasts many notable figures and achievements, including no less than seven Nobel laureates.
9. Lyon Superior Institute of Technology
In addition to the other three Écoles Normales Supérieures in France, there is also the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, which is widely considered to be among the best universities in the country (ENS). Located in the heart of Lyon, the institution first opened its doors to students in the year 1880. The goal of the institution is to provide academic professionals with possibilities for growth so that it may become a leading resource in the field of Educational Sciences.
A master’s degree can be earned in English at the ENS of Lyon, and many of the institute’s courses are taught in that language. In addition, students can pursue and earn dual foreign degrees, which opens doors to advanced study.
10. ParisTech and the University of Mines
On our ranking of the top French universities, MINES ParisTech ranks tenth. The school’s full name is the École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris, and it is usually considered to be among the greatest engineering schools in all of France. The group also has a long history, having started in 1783. It’s also part of ParisTech, a group of 12 of France’s top universities and colleges that focus on education, science, engineering, and business.
Earth and environmental sciences; energy and process engineering; economics, management, and society; mathematics and systems; mechanical and materials engineering; these are the five main areas of study that are offered at this university.