Best universities in France 2025
Find the best universities in France through ̽»¨ÊÓƵ’s World University Rankings 2025 data
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Top 10 universities in France 2025
Scroll down for the full list of best universities in France
| France Rank 2025 | World University Rank 2025Ìý | World University Rank 2024Ìý | University | City |
| 1 | 42Ìý | 40Ìý | Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University Paris | Paris |
| 2 | 64Ìý | 58Ìý | Université Paris-Saclay | Paris |
| 3 | 71Ìý | 71Ìý | Institut Polytechnique de Paris | Paris |
| 4 | 76Ìý | 75Ìý | Sorbonne University | Paris |
| 5 | =183Ìý | =152Ìý | Université Paris Cité | Paris |
| 6 | 251–300Ìý | 251–300Ìý | École Normale Supérieure de Lyon | Lyon |
| =7 | 351–400Ìý | 401–500Ìý | IMT Atlantique | Nantes |
| =7 | 351–400Ìý | 401–500Ìý | Institut Agro | Nice |
| =7 | 351–400Ìý | 301–350Ìý | Montpellier University | Montpellier |
| =7 | 351–400Ìý | 301–350Ìý | Université Grenoble Alpes | Grenoble |
This league table reveals the topÌýuniversities in France, according to the trustedÌý̽»¨ÊÓƵÌýWorld University Rankings 2025.
This year, 50 French institutions are counted among the top universities in the world. The 2025 ranking includes 10 institutions in ParisÌý– the most represented city in France.
Universities in Paris take the top five spots, but institutions in Lyon, Marseille and Montpellier also feature in the top 10.
The best university in France is Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University Paris, a collegiate university formed of 25 research and higher education institutions in the Paris area and three national research institutions.Ìý
France is a popular destination for international students because of its range of high-ranking universities and reasonable tuition fees.
Top 5 universities in France
1.ÌýParis Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University Paris
Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University ParisÌýisÌýmade up of 25 higher education institutions and research centres in the Paris area.
A total of 28 Nobel prizes in physics, chemistry, literature, physiology and medicine, and economics have been awarded to researchers from the university.
Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University ParisÌýwas formed in April 2010 fromÌýfive prominent French institutions: theÌýÉcole Normale Supérieure, theÌýCollège de France, theÌýParis Observatory,ÌýChimie ParisTechÌýandÌýESPCI ParisTech.
The institutions under the umbrella of the university are a mixture of older institutions established during the Enlightenment period and new institutions.
The university’s main aim is to establish itself as one of the world’s top research institutions. It has also developed links with other top-ranking institutions around the world, including theÌýUniversity of Cambridge,ÌýUCL,ÌýPeking UniversityÌýand National Taiwan University.Ìý
2.ÌýUniversité Paris-Saclay
University of Paris was established in 2019 it became the Université Paris-Saclay.
The university is part of the Paris-Saclay project, which brings together nine higher education institutions and a business cluster onÌýa research-intensive academic campus. The campus is being developed on the Plateau de Saclay on the outskirts of the city. Its model is similar to the one adopted by the universities of Oxford and CambridgeÌýin the UK, where each college keeps its independence whileÌýremaining part of the university.
Paris-Saclay offers a range of undergraduate, master’s and PhD programmesÌýin the fields of science and engineering, life and health sciences, social sciences and humanities.
3.ÌýInstitutÌýPolytechnique de Paris
About 35 per cent of the student body at the InstitutÌýPolytechnique de ParisÌýare international students, with 88 different nationalities represented on campus.
There are 10 academic departments,Ìýincluding biology; chemistry and processes; economics; mathematics; and humanities, art, literature and languages.
The InstitutÌýPolytechnique de Paris is a publicÌýhigher education and research institution formed through the mergerÌýofÌýfiveÌýFrench engineeringÌýschools:ÌýTélécom SudParis. The admissions process is very selective.Ìý
4.ÌýSorbonne University
Sorbonne University is a public research university in Paris. It was established in 2018 through the merger of Paris-Sorbonne University, Pierre and Marie Curie University and a number of smaller institutions.
Sorbonne University has a number of campuses across Paris, as well as a satellite campus in Abu Dhabi.Ìý
It has three faculties: humanities, science and medicine. Law is taught by Panthéon-Assas University (Paris 2).
The university is home to eight notable scientific collections open to researchers, some of which are also open to the public, such as the minerals, palaeontology and zoology collections.Ìý
5.ÌýUniversité Paris Cité
The Université Paris Cité is a very young university, having only been established in 2019.
It has 14 campuses and research facilities across Parisian locations that include theÌýhistoric Latin Quarter.
It was created through the merger of Paris Diderot University, Paris Descartes University and theÌýInstitut de Physique du Globe de Paris.
The university provides teaching across the academic spectrum, including arts, humanities, languages, social science, economics, science and technology, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and nursing.
Best universities in France 2025
Click each institution to view its fullÌýWorld University Rankings 2025Ìýresults
| France Rank 2025 | World University Rank 2025Ìý | World University Rank 2024Ìý | University | City |
| 1 | 42Ìý | 40Ìý | Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University Paris | Paris |
| 2 | 64Ìý | 58Ìý | Université Paris-Saclay | Paris |
| 3 | 71Ìý | 71Ìý | Institut Polytechnique de Paris | Paris |
| 4 | 76Ìý | 75Ìý | Sorbonne University | Paris |
| 5 | =183Ìý | =152Ìý | Université Paris Cité | Paris |
| 6 | 251–300Ìý | 251–300Ìý | École Normale Supérieure de Lyon | Lyon |
| =7 | 351–400Ìý | 401–500Ìý | IMT Atlantique | Nantes |
| =7 | 351–400Ìý | 401–500Ìý | Institut Agro | Nice |
| =7 | 351–400Ìý | 301–350Ìý | Montpellier University | Montpellier |
| =7 | 351–400Ìý | 301–350Ìý | Université Grenoble Alpes | Grenoble |
| =11 | 401–500Ìý | 351–400Ìý | Aix-Marseille University | Marseille |
| =11 | 401–500Ìý | 401–500Ìý | Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 | Lyon |
| =11 | 401–500Ìý | 351–400Ìý | University of Bordeaux | Bordeaux |
| =11 | 401–500Ìý | 401–500Ìý | University of Toulouse | Toulouse |
| =15 | 501–600Ìý | 401–500Ìý | Centrale Nantes | Nantes |
| =15 | 501–600Ìý | 401–500Ìý | École des Ponts ParisTech | Paris |
| =15 | 501–600Ìý | 501–600Ìý | ENSTA Bretagne | Lille |
| =18 | 601–800Ìý | 601–800Ìý | École Centrale de Lyon | Cluny |
| =18 | 601–800Ìý | 601–800Ìý | École des Mines de Saint-Étienne | Brest |
| =18 | 601–800Ìý | 601–800Ìý | École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État (ENTPE) | Clermont-Ferrand |
| =18 | 601–800Ìý | 501–600Ìý | Nantes Université | Nancy |
| =18 | 601–800Ìý | 601–800Ìý | National Institute of Applied Sciences of Lyon (INSA Lyon) | Poitiers |
| =18 | 601–800Ìý | 501–600Ìý | Sciences Po | Lyon |
| =18 | 601–800Ìý | 501–600Ìý | Université Côte d'Azur | Brest |
| =18 | 601–800Ìý | 601–800Ìý | University of Lille | Cergy-Pontoise |
| =18 | 601–800Ìý | 601–800Ìý | University of Lorraine | Paris |
| =18 | 601–800Ìý | 801–1000Ìý | University of Rennes 1 | Lyon |
| =28 | 801–1000Ìý | 801–1000Ìý | Arts et Métiers | Rennes |
| =28 | 801–1000Ìý | 801–1000Ìý | CY Cergy Paris University | Valenciennes |
| =28 | 801–1000Ìý | NRÌý | National Veterinary School of Alfort (EnvA) | Maison-Alfort |
| =28 | 801–1000Ìý | 801–1000Ìý | Panthéon-SorbonneÌýUniversity – Paris 1 | Troyes |
| =28 | 801–1000Ìý | 801–1000Ìý | Université de Bretagne Occidentale | Tours |
| =28 | 801–1000Ìý | 801–1000Ìý | University of Clermont Auvergne | µþ±ð²õ²¹²Ôç´Ç²Ô |
| =28 | 801–1000Ìý | NRÌý | University of Savoie Mont Blanc | °ä³ó²¹³¾²úé°ù²â |
| =35 | 1001–1200Ìý | 1001–1200Ìý | IMT Nord Europe | Paris |
| =35 | 1001–1200Ìý | 801–1000Ìý | Université de Poitiers | Valenciennes |
| =35 | 1001–1200Ìý | NRÌý | Université d’°¿°ù±ôé²¹²Ô²õ | °¿°ù±ôé²¹²Ô²õ |
| =35 | 1001–1200Ìý | 801–1000Ìý | University of Tours | Nanterre, Paris |
| =39 | 1201–1500Ìý | NRÌý | National Institute of Applied Sciences, Strasbourg (INSA Strasbourg) | Strasbourg |
| =39 | 1201–1500Ìý | 1201–1500Ìý | Paris Nanterre University | Nanterre, Paris |
| =39 | 1201–1500Ìý | 1201–1500Ìý | Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France | Lyon |
| =39 | 1201–1500Ìý | NRÌý | University of Angers | Angers |
| =39 | 1201–1500Ìý | 1001–1200Ìý | University of Franche-Comté | Pau |
| =39 | 1201–1500Ìý | NRÌý | University of La Rochelle | La Rochelle |
| =39 | 1201–1500Ìý | NRÌý | University of Rouen Normandie | Rouen |
| =39 | 1201–1500Ìý | 1201–1500Ìý | University of Technology of °ä´Ç³¾±è¾±Ã¨²µ²Ô±ð | °ä´Ç³¾±è¾±Ã¨²µ²Ô±ð |
| =39 | 1201–1500Ìý | 1001–1200Ìý | University of Technology of Troyes | °ä´Ç³¾±è¾±Ã¨²µ²Ô±ð |
| =48 | 1501+Ìý | 1501+Ìý | Jean Moulin University – Lyon 3 | Lyon |
| =48 | 1501+Ìý | 1201–1500Ìý | Université Sorbonne Nouvelle | Paris |
| =48 | 1501+Ìý | 1201–1500Ìý | University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour | Pau |
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