Top Universities in France 2023
Top Universities in France 2023 - One of the most well known tourist destinations, France is also upcoming as a study abroad destination. Students from all over the world want to study in France. Top universities in France provide not only world class education, they are also very economical as France is one of those countries where the cost of education is low. The state pays for most of the education at public universities.

Careers360 lists the top universities in France for study in France aspirants. The top universities in France have been collated from the top two ranking engines in the world - Times Higher Education World University ranking and QS World University Ranking.
Top universities in France vary according to the three rankings. French universities also feature among the top global universities for a number of subjects making them a top reasons to study in France.
The table gives the details of the top universities in France 2023:
Top Universities in France 2023
S.No. | University | QS Ranking 2023 | THE Ranking 2022 |
1 | Université PSL | 26 | - |
2 | Institut Polytechnique de Paris | 48 | 91 |
3 | Sorbonne University | 60 | 88 |
4 | Université Paris-Saclay | 69 | 117 |
5 | École Normale Supérieure de Lyon | 111 | 301-350 |
6 | Ecole des Ponts ParisTech | 174 | 251-300 |
7 | Université de Paris | 248 | - |
8 | Sciences Po | 259 | 401-500 |
9 | Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne | 300 | 601-800 |
10 | Université Grenoble Alpes | 317 | 351-400 |
Here are more details about the top universities in France
Université PSL: This university consists of 25 higher education institutions and research centres and is located in the Paris area. This university was formed in April 2010 and is a combination of five famous French institutions -the École Normale Supérieure, the Collège de France, the Paris Observatory, Chimie ParisTech and ESPCI ParisTech.
Institut Polytechnique de Paris: The Institut Polytechnique de Paris is a public higher education and research institution which was formed with the merger of five French engineering schools: École Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, ENSAE Paris, Télécom Paris and Télécom SudParis. About 35% of students are international students from 88 different countries.
Sorbonne University: Sorbonne University has numerous campuses across Paris, and a satellite campus in Abu Dhabi. The university has three faculties: humanities, science and medicine. It is a public research university founded in 2018.
Université Paris-Saclay: This university is part of the Paris-Saclay project, which brings together nine higher education institutions and a business cluster in one academic campus. The university offers undergraduate, master’s and PhD programmes in the fields of science and engineering, life and health sciences, social sciences and humanities.
École Normale Supérieure de Lyon: This is a public institution that trains researchers and teachers in the humanities and sciences streams.
École des Ponts ParisTech: It is a smaller French university with only 2000 students but it is a founding member of Paris Tech.
Université de Paris: This university is located in the center of Paris and is a result of the merger between Université Paris Descartes, Université Paris Diderot (Paris 7) and the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (The Paris Institute of Earth Physics, IPGP).
Sciences Po: This is a university which specialises in law, economics, social science, politics, history and related fields. The university has around 14,000 students, half of whom are international. The university has students belonging to more than 150 nationalities in its campus.
Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne: This university was founded in 1971 from two faculties of the University of Paris. The university offers specialised courses in economic and management sciences, human sciences and legal and political sciences.
Université Grenoble Alpes: This is a public university which offers high-quality training in all disciplines. It is located in Grenoble, in the French Alps. The university offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and short-stay/certificate programs. It enrolls about 50,000 students every year.
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Frequently Asked Question (FAQs) - Top Universities in France 2023
Question: Can you stay back in France after your studies?
Answer:
Students can stay in France for an additional year after graduation on a post-study work visa in order to hunt for employment.
Question: What are the visa options for students to study in France?
Answer:
There are two visa options for students seeking to study in France. Short stay visa: The short stay student visa for France is applicable for candidates applying to study for a training or course which does not exceed 3 months in duration, long stay visa: The long stay student visa is issued to students seeking education in France for a period longer than 3 or 6 months.
Question: How many universities feature in the top in world university rankings?
Answer:
QS World University Ranking puts many universities of France amongst the best in the world. Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) and Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris stay on top of all the major universities.
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Questions related to France
Is it compulsory to know the French language to work in France?
Even though it is not compulsory to know the French language to work while studying in France, you will get better opportunities if you know the language.
What is the minimum wage an international student can earn per hour in France?
The minimum hourly wage for international students working part-time can be as high as €7.61. This means that international students can earn up to €7,900 per year part-time.
Can I work more than 20 hours on a student visa in France?
French law allows students to work up to 964 hours a year. That means she can work 20 hours a week.
Does France offer scholarships to international students?
Yes, France offers scholarships to international students. These are offered by some universities, by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or the French embassy from your country.
How much money do I need to study in France?
France has a number of affordable universities that have an average tuition fee of 170 Euros per year for undergraduate courses while engineering courses cost about 620 Euros per year and courses in medicine cost 450 Euros per year.