Study in France
Sorbonne University
Sorbonne University is a public university in Paris, France, which was officially established in 2018 after the merger of Paris-Sorbonne University and Pierre and Marie Curie University. However, the institution can trace its history back to the 13th century and the University of Paris, which had the Sorbonne College and was founded in 1257 by Robert de Sorbonne. The university’s main campus is located in the Latin Quarter of Paris, on property inherited from the former University of Paris. Sorbonne University is made up of three faculties: Arts and Humanities; Science and Engineering; and Medicine. In 2008, Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi was established in the United Arab Emirates, which offers a wide range of academic disciplines in French.
Ranking: Sorbonne University is ranked 88th in the world’s best universities
University of Montpellier
Created in January 2015, the University of Montpellier (UM) is the result of the merger of the Universities of Montpellier 1 and 2, drawing on the strengths of both institutions. It now revives the global ambitions of the first university founded in Montpellier in 1289 as a secular and international institution. Over eight centuries, intellectuals and scientists, from Rabelais and Curie to Renaud, Chappal and Grothendieck, have shaped a university that is closely linked to the life of the city and engaged in the great challenges of its time. UM brings together a broad community of knowledge, from science, technology and medicine to environmental and educational sciences, as well as economics, law and political science.
Ranking: University of Montpellier is ranked 192nd in the world’s best universities
Université Saclay in Paris
Université Paris-Saclay is a public research university with locations in Paris, Orsay, Auvergne and Versailles in France.
It is the successor to the Université Paris-Sud.
Courses at Université Paris-Saclay are mainly taught in French, but a number of classes are taught in English, with the majority of English-language course options at the master’s level.
The university is made up of five faculties in the sciences, medicine, pharmacy, law-economics-management and sports sciences and engineering. There are three technical institutes specializing in scientific and technical subjects in Cachan, Orsay, Sceaux and a university school for undergraduates. The university is particularly renowned for mathematics, with 10 medalists.
Ranking: Université Paris-Saclay was ranked 30th in the world, 7th in Europe and 1st in France.
University of Grenoble Alpes
Université Grenoble Alpes is a major player in higher education and research in France. As the world becomes more and more competitive, the institution aims to better respond to the challenges that the world today and tomorrow pose to universities and to be more visible and attractive internationally. Created in Grenoble in 1339, the university brings together the four fields of medicine, liberal arts (sciences and literature), canon law and civil law. Founded by the Dauphin Humber II in the Tour-de-Isles, connected to the Museum of Contemporary Art, the University of Grenoble has sought since its creation to emulate the Sorbonne and compete with the University of Lyon.
The University of Grenoble Alpes is currently ranked in the top 100 and 200 universities in the main international rankings (e.g. Reuters, Shanghai, Times Higher Education and QS) for some of its academic disciplines. UGA competes with the best universities in the world due to the strength of its research and the numerous educational innovations it has implemented.
Ranking: University of Grenoble Alpes (UGA) is ranked 180th in the world’s best universities.
University of Bordeaux
With a history dating back to 1441, the University of Bordeaux was founded in January 2014 following the merger of three newly established universities. In 2016, the University of Bordeaux was one of the first universities in France to receive the “Initiative of Excellence” label. The University of Bordeaux offers 250 master’s programs and 150 bachelor’s programs. The four main academic disciplines are: Science and Technology / Law, Political Science, Economics, Management / Life Sciences and Health / Social Sciences and Humanities. The University of Bordeaux is ranked among the top universities in France for the quality of its academic courses and research. With its multidisciplinary teaching and research opportunities, the University of Bordeaux is certified as a Campus of Excellence with the “Initiative of Excellence” label, awarded by the French government in recognition of its successful and innovative academic development.
Ranking: University of Bordeaux is ranked 274th in the world’s best universities
Aix-Marseille University
Aix-Marseille University is a public research university in Provence that can trace its roots back to 1409, when the Pisan Antipope Alexander V commissioned the creation of the University of Provence by Louis II of Anjou. It took its current form on 1 January 2012, following the merger of the University of Provence, the University of the Mediterranean and the University of Paul Cézanne. This merger made AMU the largest university in the French-speaking world in terms of student numbers as well as its endowment, which currently stands at €750 million.
The university has five campuses located in Provence and Marseille. The university has 19 faculties and 12 doctoral schools and offers around 600 courses across disciplines including arts, literature, social sciences, science and technology. AMU also has over 500 research and teaching partnerships, working closely with institutions such as the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA). Some programs are also taught in both French and English for international students, with over 10,000 of them
They exist.
Ranking: Aix-en-Marseille University is ranked 180th in the world’s best universities
Institut Polytechnique de Paris
Institut Polytechnique de Paris is a public higher education and research institution comprising five prestigious French engineering schools: École Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, ENSAE Paris, Télécom Paris and Télécom SudParis. Founded in May 2019, Institut Polytechnique de Paris benefits from 200 years of expertise in science and technology of its 5 founding schools. Institut Polytechnique de Paris and its schools offer a wide range of educational programs to meet the needs of students as well as professionals.
Students are admitted through a highly selective recruitment process and receive high-quality training from faculty members and experts who are renowned in their fields. The programs offered at Institut Polytechnique de Paris allow future graduates to acquire the skills they need to adapt to the increasingly competitive job market, whatever their field of study.
Ranking: Polytechnic Institute of Paris is ranked 42nd in the best global universities.