Rankings: The 60 best universities in France for 2025/2026
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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 2026 | THE Ranking 2026 | ARWU Ranking 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Université PSL | 28 | 48 | 34 |
| École Polytechnique | 41 | 68 | 201 |
| Université Paris-Saclay | 70 | 68 | 13 |
| Sorbonne University | 72 | 76 | 43 |
| ENS de Lyon | 205 | 301 | 301 |
| Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne | 257 | 801 | – |
| Université Paris Cité | 300 | 190 | 60 |
| Université Grenoble Alpes | 321 | 351 | 151 |
| Sciences Po | 367 | 601 | – |
| INSA Lyon | 406 | 801 | – |
| University of Strasbourg | 420 | – | 101 |
| Aix-Marseille University | 428 | – | 151 |
| University of Montpellier | 430 | 401 | 151 |
| University of Bordeaux | 494 | 401 | 201 |
| Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University | 587 | 601 | 201 |
| Université Paul Sabatier | 587 | – | 301 |
| University of Lille | 654 | 601 | 401 |
| Université Côte d’Azur | 688 | 601 | 401 |
| Université de Rennes 1 | 711 | 601 | 401 |
| Université de Lorraine | 751 | – | 201 |
| Marie and Louis Pasteur University | 851 | 801 | – |
| Université de Nantes | 851 | 601 | 501 |
| CY Cergy Paris University | 951 | 1001 | – |
| University of Western Brittany | 1001 | 801 | – |
| Université Lumière Lyon 2 | 1001 | – | – |
| University Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas | 1001 | – | – |
| Université Sorbonne Paris Nord | 1001 | – | – |
| Toulouse 1 Capitole University | 1001 | – | 401 |
| University of Caen Normandy | 1201 | – | – |
| University Toulouse - Jean Jaurès | 1201 | – | – |
| Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 | 1201 | – | – |
| University Paris Nanterre | 1201 | 1501 | – |
| Jean Moulin Lyon 3 University | 1201 | 1501 | – |
| University of Poitiers | 1201 | 1201 | 801 |
| University of Limoges | 1201 | – | – |
| École Centrale de Lyon | – | 801 | – |
| University of Angers | – | 1001 | – |
| University of Tours | – | 1001 | – |
| University of Orléans | – | 1201 | – |
| University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne | – | 1201 | – |
| University of Rouen Normandy | – | 1201 | – |
| University of Technology of Compiègne | – | 1201 | – |
| INSA Strasbourg | – | 1501 | – |
| Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France | – | 1501 | – |
| Université Sorbonne Nouvelle | – | 1501 | – |
| La Rochelle Université | – | 1501 | – |
| University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour | – | 1501 | – |
| University of Technology of Troyes | – | 1501 | – |
| Arts et Métiers | – | 801 | – |
| ENTPE | – | 601 | – |
| Ecole des Mines de Saint-Étienne | – | 601 | – |
| Centrale Nantes | – | 601 | – |
| Institut Agro | – | 401 | – |
| Université de Picardie Jules Verne | – | – | 901 |
| Université Savoie Mont Blanc | – | 1001 | 801 |
| Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines | – | – | 801 |
| INSA Toulouse | – | – | 801 |
| University of Clermont Auvergne | – | 1001 | 701 |
| University Paris-Est Créteil Val de Marne (UPEC) | – | – | 701 |
| Université Bourgogne Europe | – | 1001 | 601 |
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
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