Study in France: Top 10 Universities in Paris

Paris is best known as the most beautiful city in the world. It is also home to top international universities.

Studying in France means getting the best of tourism, sightseeing, and quality education.

From the patisseries and cafes to the infamous fashion sense and top universities in Paris, international students get the best of university experience in France.

Choosing to study in France is a wise decision, but a more delicate decision to make is choosing which university in Paris to attend. In this light, this article compiles the top 10 universities in Paris based on a number of factors.

Based on the QS World University Rankings, you should choose the university that best aligns with your academic interest from these top ten universities in Paris.

See a list of the best universities in Paris highlighted on the table of contents below. Other viable information you will garner from this piece includes the number of universities in the French Capital alongside if they are free to attend.

What is the Best School in Paris?

Based on QS World University Rankings, Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University Paris is the best university in Paris.

PSL Research University Paris is a collegiate university formed in 2010. The collegiate university was initially formed through the creation of five institutions. Currently, it has over 25 independent academic and research institutions.

Ecole Normale Superieure is one of its member institutions. It is the most selective of Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University Paris member institution. And, its origin is traceable to the post-revolutionary national Convention of 1794.

This best school in Paris accepts only 200 students a year in sciences and humanities. These students receive €1,300 every month in return for 10 years of service in the public sector after graduation.

How Many Universities are in Paris?

In Paris, there are over 9000 primary, secondary, and higher education schools and institutions. Of this number, 72 of them are universities.

At least 25 of these universities in Paris rank for specific subjects while others are globally ranked as top universities in the world.

In Europe, Paris is known to have the largest university student population with over 400, 000 registered students, according to Edarbaia.com.

What are the Top Ten Universities in Paris?

The top ten universities in Paris are carefully selected based on the QS World Universities Rankings. They include:

#1. École Normale Superieure, Paris (ENS Paris)

École Normale Superieure (ENS Paris) is the highest-ranked university in Paris and also in France overall, ranking 43^rd in the world in the latest QS World University Rankings.

Situated in the scholastic Latin Quarter, just west of the Seine in the center of the city, ENS Paris is within walking distance of famous sights such as the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Jardin du Luxembourg, the second-largest public park in Paris.

ENS Paris also offers the only residential campus in central Paris, along with two other campuses in the city suburbs.

A research-led institute, the school is among the prestigious French universities which form the grandes écoles and is particularly known for its departments of humanities and science.

ENS Paris boasts an alumni community that includes 13 Nobel Prize winners, as well as all eight French Fields Medals winners – the most coveted prize for young mathematicians.

#2. École Polytechnique (ParisTech)

Ranked 59^th in the world, École Polytechnique (ParisTech) is a founding member of ParisTech (an affiliated group of colleges focusing on science and business subjects) and receives its highest rank in the QS World University Rankings by Subject for mathematics, at joint 22^nd place.

Although having once been situated in the Latin Quarter, ParisTech relocated to just south of the city in 1976.

Now located approximately 30 kilometers outside of central Paris and with a community of over 4,600 students and teachers, ParisTech’s main campus offers over 160 hectares of open space and a range of outside sporting facilities that many campuses within the city center can only dream of

#3. Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC)

The Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) is up 10 places this year to now rank 131^st in the world, and is one of the largest teaching institutes of science and medicine in Europe, with more than 125 laboratories.

Established in 1971 after the division of the famous University of Paris, UPMC has a community of 34,000 students, of which 20% are international students, and a faculty of 9,600 staff, of which 80% are in research structures.

Divided among 18 different campuses into four French regions, UPMC’s central campus is located in the vibrant and historic Latin Quarter of Paris, neighboring the River Seine and the National Museum of Natural History.

#4. Sciences Po Paris

The Institute d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, commonly known as Sciences Po Paris, specializes in the humanities and social sciences, with approximately 35% of its budget being used to fund research in these subjects.

Currently ranked 220^th in the world, Sciences Po Paris has seven campuses across France, which are home to 13,000 students overall, of whom 47% are international.

Sciences Po Paris’s main campus is located in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area of the capital, which was once the center of the existentialist movement associated with author Simone de Beauvoir and philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre.

Today, the area continues to be a hub of creative culture and is also home to many famous Parisian cafés.

#5. Université Paris-Sud 11

Ranked 242^nd in the world in the latest QS World University Rankings, Université Paris-Sud 11 prides itself on its wide scope of multidisciplinary courses and is spread across four campuses in the southern suburbs of Paris.

The scientific campus in Orsay is the furthest from the city, set on 200 hectares of land which include woodlands and a botanical garden.

While the Orsay campus is a 40-minute drive from central Paris, Université Paris-Sud 11’s medical school is much closer, in an area called Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, which is just an hour’s walk from the city center.

#6. Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne

Currently ranked 269^th in the world, the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne inherited the faculty of law and economics from the University of Paris, and is another prestigious institution for arts and humanities subjects, placing 23^rd in the world for archaeology.

One of the largest French universities, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne enrolls roughly 40,000 students in more than 14 teaching and research departments.

Located in the vibrant Latin Quarter, the university operates across several famous historic buildings, including part of the Sorbonne itself, making it a prestigious and heritage-rich place to study in Paris.

#7. École des Ponts ParisTech

One of the founding members of the ParisTech group, the École des Ponts ParisTech is now ranked joint 270^th in the world.

Known for its culture of invention and innovation, the École des Ponts ParisTech offers programs in the fields of engineering, management, economics, transportation, urban planning, and environment.

The university’s main campus is a 20-minute train ride north of central Paris, although many students choose to live in the city center to be close to the liveliest areas.

The school offers housing in the student-centered Latin Quarter and in other areas of the city. A relatively small community, the École des Ponts ParisTech enrolls just over 2,000 students, of which a quarter are female.

#8. Université Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV)

Université Paris-Sorbonne, or Paris IV, is a co-founder of the Sorbonne University alliance (another collective of leading French universities, which also includes UPMC) and is an inheritor of the arts, languages and humanities faculties from the original University of Paris.

Ranked joint 293^rd in the world overall, Paris IV has a current enrollment of 21,000 students. Within the QS World University Rankings by Subject, it ranks particularly well for subjects within the arts and humanities, receiving its highest rank for modern languages (joint 18^th).

The university has seven campuses in the lively and student-oriented Latin Quarter, where its cultural department organizes more than a hundred national and local arts events every three months, including operas, theater performances, poetry competitions, dance events, and music gigs.

After nearly half a century of existence, it’s recently been decided that Paris IV will merge with UPMC in January 2018 to create the new Sorbonne University, which will host around 55,000 students.

#9. Université Paris Diderot (Paris 7)

With its new campus located a few streets down from the National Library of France on the banks of the Seine, Université Paris Diderot, otherwise known as Paris 7, is currently ranked joint 305^th in the world and is a multidisciplinary urban university within the eastern limits of the city.

The school’s 2012 relocation away from the densely populated Latin Quarter, where many of the top universities in Paris are amassed, means Paris 7 may appeal particularly to students who are looking to combine an urban environment with a little calm and space.

It has a community of around 29,000 students, 35% of whom are international, and it inherited the University of Paris’s distinguished faculty of science.

While known for its high standards of research in this field, it’s also strong across a wide range of subjects, including medicine, dentistry, art and humanities, and the social sciences.

#10. Université Paris Dauphine

Up to one place globally to now rank joint 355^th, the Université Paris Dauphine is a multidisciplinary institution that specializes in subjects such as economics, math, business, IT, law and the social sciences.

The university has three campuses in central Paris; the main campus is located in Porte Dauphine near the famous Arc de Triomphe and hosts 8,800 students and a faculty of 569 teachers.

There is also a small school of journalism and one business center in the heart of the Parisian business district, La Defense. Proclaiming a “resolutely international outlook”, 30% of Université Paris Dauphine’s student body is from outside France.

And a bonus…

#11. Université Paris Descartes

In addition to the 10 top universities in Paris, you might also want to consider Université Paris Descartes, which is in the 441-450 range in this year’s QS World University Rankings.

Named after 17th-century philosopher René Descartes, Université Paris Descartes inherited the University of Paris’ medical department.

This legacy is still in evidence, with the institution ranking within the top 150 for anatomy & physiology, pharmacy and medicine in the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject.

With a student body of 38,900 and a faculty of just under 3,500 teachers and researchers, Université Paris Descartes is the only university in Paris (and the whole Ile-de-France region) that teaches medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry all in one institution. Like many of the top universities in Paris, it’s situated in the city’s Latin Quarter.

Top 10 Universities in Paris FAQs

Paris is known to be home to free universities for international students in France.

Universities in France are not entirely free. However, if you study at a public university, you pay a small amount as tuition.

Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University Paris is the best university in Paris based on QS World University Rankings.

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