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Top reasons to study in France
Edited By Shivani Bhatt | Updated on Sep 14, 2017 11:39 AM IST
Along with being a top tourist destination, France is also a well-known study destination. The country, famous for the Eiffel tower, Louvre Museum, Côte d'Azur, and the French Alps, is also well known for courses in Business Management, Performing arts, Agriculture and Forestry and Politics.
The 643,000 square km country has about 39 universities ranked by the QS. Five French universities feature in the top 200 universities lead by Ecole normale supérieure, Paris at 43rd position. The French universities also feature among the top 10 in many subject rankings as well. INSEAD and HEC Paris School of Management feature in the third and the ninth position for Business and management related courses. Agro, ParisTech holds the ninth position in the world for agriculture and forestry courses. Sciences Po stands at the 4th rank for politics. The top two universities in France are also among the top 35 in the world for studying Mathematics.
Top 25 Universities of France
Sl.no | University | Rank 2018 | Rank 2017 |
1 | Ecole normale supérieure, Paris | 43 | 33 |
2 | Ecole Polytechnique | 59 | 53 |
3 | Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) | 131 | 141 |
4 | École Normale Supérieure de Lyon | 157 | 177 |
5 | CentraleSupélec | 177 | 164 |
6 | Sciences Po | 220 | 220 |
7 | Université Grenoble-Alpes | 236 | 206 |
8 | Université Paris-Sud | 242 | 241 |
9 | Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne | 269 | 228 |
10 | Ecole des Ponts ParisTech | 270 | 268 |
11 | Université Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV) | 293 | 221 |
12 | Université de Strasbourg | 303 | 260 |
13 | Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 | 305 | 262 |
14 | Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan | 330 | 264 |
15 | Université Paris Dauphine | 355 | 356 |
16 | Université de Montpellier | 381 | 327 |
17 | Aix-Marseille University | 411-420 | 411-420 |
18 | Université Paris Descartes | 441-450 | 377 |
19 | Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (INSA) | 451-460 | 421-430 |
20 | Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 | 501-550 | 501-550 |
21 | University of Bordeaux | 501-550 | 501-550 |
22 | Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III | 501-550 | 461-470 |
23 | Université Lille 1, Sciences et Technologies | 551-600 | 501-550 |
24 | Université Panthéon-Assas (Paris 2) | 551-600 | 551-600 |
25 | Université Nice Sophia Antipolis | 601-650 | 601-650 |
Source QS Ranking
Higher Education in France:
The French higher education contains four types of organizations:
Public universities
Grandes Écoles
Schools of Art, Design and Architecture
Specialized Schools
Public universities
Most French students attend public universities. There are 77 public universities funded by the French government. They offer courses for all degree levels and disciplines. The tuition fee at public universities is funded by the French government and hence a very nominal amount in the range of €183 – €388 is charged.
Grandes Écoles
The Grandes Écoles are specialized centres of learning engage in training students in engineering, management, higher education and research, and public administration etc. Schools of management and engineering are the largest groups of Grandes Écoles.
Schools of Art, Design and Architecture
France, being the hub of arts and culture, also possesses arts schools and architecture schools. There are a total of 80 public fine arts schools and 20 schools of architecture all over France.
Specialized Schools
About 3000 public and private institutions called Specialized Schools provide training and degrees in a variety of areas such as nursing, journalism, social work, fashion, design, tourism to name a few.
Reputed Universities in France
A total of 39 French universities are ranked by QS rankings. French universities also feature in the top 100 universities in a number of course groups as well as courses making it an important reason to study in France. CentraleSupélec has been ranked at number nine in Top 50 under 50 category. Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne is placed at the 23rd position in the world for Archaeology and 26th in Law and legal studies. Université Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV) is ranked at 18th position in the world for Modern Languages.
In Arts and Humanities, Université Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV) ranks 26th in the world. The other universities in this category are:
Top Universities in France for Arts and Humanities France
Rank | Universities |
26 | Université Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV) |
61 | Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne |
114 | Ecole normale supérieure, Paris |
122 | Université Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3 |
154 | Sciences Po |
278 | Université de Strasbourg |
315 | Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense |
321 | Université Lumière Lyon 2 |
332 | Université de Toulouse II-Le Mirail |
Ecole Polytechnique and CentraleSupélec lead the French universities in Engineering and Technology. The other French universities are:
Top Universities in France for Engineering and Technology
Rank | Universities |
74 | Ecole Polytechnique |
79 | CentraleSupélec |
159 | Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) |
172 | Mines, ParisTech |
177 | Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology |
There are six universities in France which feature among the top 200 for Life sciences and medicine. In France, the Medical School is governed by the Unités de formation et de recherche de médecine (UFR). The course takes nine years to complete after the baccalauréat. Diplôme d'études spécialisées (DES) is awarded to those who complete the programme successfully.
Top Universities in France for Life sciences and Medicine
Rank | Universities |
94 | Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) |
121 | Université Paris Descartes |
154 | Université de Montpellier |
170 | Université Paris-Sud |
186 | Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 |
191 | Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 |
Natural Sciences include Chemistry, Earth & Marine Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Materials Science, Mathematics and Physics & Astronomy. Ecole Polytechnique 28th in Physics and Astronomy and is among the top 45 universities in the world for Mathematics.
Top Universities in France for Natural Sciences
Rank | Universities |
34 | Ecole Polytechnique |
55 | Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) |
108 | Ecole normale supérieure, Paris |
108 | Université Paris-Sud |
131 | Université Grenoble-Alpes |
135 | Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 |
141 | Université de Strasbourg |
174 | Université de Montpellier |
In Social sciences and management, French universities are among the top 50 universities. One of the reasons to study in France is the presence of three top 100 business schools in the world. Two of the three business schools INSEAD and HEC Paris feature at 3rd and 12th rank, while ESSEC business school is ranked between 51 – 100. Few of the subjects which feature in social sciences and management are Accounting & Finance, Anthropology, Communication & Media Studies, Development Studies, Hospitality & Leisure Management, Law and Statistics & Operational Research.
Top Schools for Social Sciences and Management in France
Rank | Universities |
32 | INSEAD |
55 | HEC Paris School of Management |
62 | Sciences Po |
67 | Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne |
159 | Université Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV) |
169 | ESSEC Business School |
Tuition Fees of Top Universities of France
An important reason to study in France is the affordable tuition fee. The tuition fees charged by French universities are affordable as compared to the institutions anywhere else. The tuition fees of public universities are borne by the government, hence a very nominal fee is charged to the students ranging from €183 – €388. The tuition fees of the top five French institutions are:
Sl.no | University | Annual tuition fee |
1 | Ecole normale supérieure, Paris | €183 - €388 |
2 | Ecole Polytechnique | € 12,000€ -€15,000 |
3 | Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) | € 183€ – € 606 |
4 | École Normale Supérieure de Lyon | € 1000 – € 1,370 |
5 | CentraleSupélec | €8,000 – €19,000 |
6 | Sciences Po | €6,550 – €14,100 |
Work opportunities during study in France
All enrolled students in French universities irrespective of nationality have the right to work during studies. The institution should be participating in the national student health-care plan by the government. The students, if not a European National, should have a French resident permit. All students irrespective of the level of education enrolled for or the year of the course currently pursuing are eligible for work during studies. International students are allowed to work for 964 hours per year.
Enrolled students are not required to apply for temporary employment authorization or APT (Autorisation Provisoire de Travail) to work during studies.
Best student cities of France
Another reason to study in France is the presence of best student cities. Paris, holding the number two position in the world, has 18 universities. Though the cost of living in Paris is considered to be high, the relatively less tuition fee balances it. Lyon the second best student city in France is also known as the gastronomic capital of France. It is situated at the confluence of Rhône and Saône rivers. Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon as the name suggests is in Lyon. France has five cities in the top 100 in the world. They are:
QS Rank | City |
2 | Paris |
34 | Lyon |
68 | Toulouse |
90 | Montpellier |
97 | Lille |
French Culture and Geography
The rich culture with the vast international exposure is also a prime reason to study in France. Historical events and the geographical position have massively affected the French culture, which in turn has impacted the fashion, cuisine, literature, technology and science. Geographically, flanked on two sides by ocean, Mediterranean sea and Atlantic ocean, France has been the bridge between the Northern and Southern Europe.
Also, read:
World University Rankings 2018 Published by Times Higher Education
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