Rankings: The 44 best universities in France for 2023/2024
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Universities, grand ecoles, business schools: France offers a diverse range of institutions at which you can study. And many of them rank high with the best universities in Europe and the world. Another statistic underlines France’s claim to be one of the world’s leading nations for higher education: France is high up among the countries with the most Nobel prize winners.
Thanks to the remarkable reputation of French education, a degree from a university in France will open many doors for you around the globe.
| University | QS Ranking 2023 | THE Ranking 2022 | ARWU Ranking 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Université PSL | 26 | 40 | 40 |
| École Polytechnique | 48 | – | 301 |
| Sorbonne University | 60 | 88 | 43 |
| Université Paris-Saclay | 69 | 117 | 16 |
| ENS de Lyon | 111 | 301 | 301 |
| École des ponts ParisTech | 174 | 251 | – |
| Université de Paris | 248 | 155 | 78 |
| Sciences Po | 259 | 401 | – |
| Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne | 300 | 601 | – |
| Université Grenoble Alpes | 317 | 351 | 101 |
| University of Strasbourg | 434 | 501 | 101 |
| INSA Lyon | 457 | 601 | – |
| Aix-Marseille University | 490 | 301 | 101 |
| University of Montpellier | 501 | 301 | 151 |
| University of Bordeaux | 521 | 301 | 201 |
| Université Paul Sabatier | 581 | – | 201 |
| Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University | 601 | 401 | 201 |
| University Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas | 601 | – | – |
| CY Cergy Paris University | 751 | 601 | – |
| University of Lille | 751 | 501 | 301 |
| Université Côte d’Azur | 751 | 401 | 501 |
| Université de Rennes 1 | 801 | 801 | 601 |
| Université de Nantes | 801 | 601 | 601 |
| Université de Lorraine | 801 | 601 | 201 |
| Université Lumière Lyon 2 | 1001 | 1201 | – |
| Toulouse 1 Capitole University | 1001 | – | 301 |
| Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 | 1001 | – | – |
| University Toulouse - Jean Jaurès | 1001 | – | – |
| University of Poitiers | 1001 | – | – |
| University Paris Nanterre | 1201 | 1201 | – |
| University of Caen Normandy | 1201 | – | – |
| Jean Moulin Lyon 3 University | 1201 | – | – |
| University of Clermont Auvergne | – | 801 | 501 |
| École Centrale de Lyon | – | 801 | – |
| Centrale Nantes | – | 501 | – |
| University of Technology of Compiègne | – | 1001 | – |
| EHESS - School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences | – | – | 701 |
| University Paris-Est Créteil Val de Marne (UPEC) | – | – | 801 |
| University of Tours | – | – | 901 |
| Montpellier Business School | – | – | 801 |
| INSA Toulouse | – | – | 701 |
| Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines | – | – | 601 |
| Université de Bourgogne | – | – | 501 |
| University of Savoy | – | – | 801 |
The QS World University Rankings are among the most important, most-referenced rankings. The QS ranking relies heavily on its academic survey, asking thousands of academics worldwide about the reputation of universities.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings (or the THE Rankings for short) compile a wide range of statistics. Equal weight is put on teaching quality, research excellence, and research impact through citations (meaning how often a university’s research is referenced elsewhere).
The Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (often just Shanghai Ranking, or ARWU) focuses on research output and quality, for example measured by the number of published and cited scientific papers and the number of staff or alumni winning the Nobel Prize or Fields Medal.
Thanks to world-leading universities and tuition-free education at public institutions, France is one of the most popular student host countries in the world. Many French universities have increased the number of English-taught degree programmes in recent years. Business, Engineering, Computer Science, Social Studies - in France, you can study virtually any subject in English.
Read more about studying in France
