Graduate employability: top universities in France ranked by employers 2026
French universities producing the most employable graduates have been ranked by companies around the world in the Global University Employability Ranking 2026. These are the top universities in France for preparing graduates for their careers
Share
There are 18 French universities in theÌýGlobal Employability University Ranking 2026, designed by the HRÌýconsultancy Emerging and published exclusively by ̽»¨ÊÓƵ. The ranking reveals which universities recruiters at top companies think are the best at preparing students for the workplace.
The grandes écoles – elite French institutions set up to produce civil servants and businesspeople – do particularly well in the employability ranking.
Business schools also feature prominently, including ESSEC Business School and EDHEC Business School. The majority of universities on the list are located in Paris.
Top universities in the world for employability
Top universities in the United States for employability
Top universities in the UK for employability
Top universities in Canada for employability
Top universities in Australia for employability
Top universities in the Netherlands for employability
Top universities in Germany for employability
Top three universities in France for graduate employability
1. HEC Paris
HEC Paris is an international business school set up in 1881 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The university’s flagship course is a master’s in management. The institution also offers 11 specialised MSc programmes and a PhD programme.
Notable alumni include Louis Dreyfus, chairman of the newspaper ³¢±ðÌý²Ñ´Ç²Ô»å±ð; Jean-Paul Agon, CEO of L’Oréal; and René Proglio, chairman of Morgan Stanley France.
2. °ä±ð²Ô³Ù°ù²¹±ô±ð³§³Ü±èé±ô±ð³¦
In 2015, the merger of two of France’s leading engineering universities led to the creation of °ä±ð²Ô³Ù°ù²¹±ô±ð³§³Ü±èé±ô±ð³¦.
The two schools that formed °ä±ð²Ô³Ù°ù²¹±ô±ð³§³Ü±èé±ô±ð³¦ were the École Centrale Paris and the École Supérieure d’Electricité. Over the years, both schools had gained an international reputation for excellence in their fields, and their graduates were some of the highest-earning in France.
3. Institut Polytechnique de Paris
The Institut Polytechnique de Paris is a public higher education and research institution made up of five engineering graduate schools in Paris.
These schools include École Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, ENSAE Paris, Telecom Paris and Telecom SudParis.
The school was established in 2019. It teaches classes in 10 different academic disciplines, including biology, economics, physics, literature and languages, and data and artificial intelligence, among others.
Top universities in France for graduate employability 2026
Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2026Ìýresults
| France Employability Ranking 2026 | Global Employability Rank 2026 | Global Employability Rank 2025 | University | City |
| 1 | 21 | 22 | HEC Paris | Paris |
| 2 | 24 | 20 | °ä±ð²Ô³Ù°ù²¹±ô±ð³§³Ü±èé±ô±ð³¦ – Université Paris-Saclay | Paris |
| 3 | 26 | 26 | Ecole Polytechnique – Institut Polytechique de Paris | Paris |
| 4 | 44 | 42 | EMLyon Business School | Lyon |
| 5 | 45 | 53 | ESCP Business School | Paris |
| 6 | 47 | 50 | Paris | |
| 7 | 49 | 57 | ESSEC Business School | Cergy |
| 8 | 51 | 51 | Mines ParisTech – PSL University | Paris |
| 9 | 55 | 48 | Sorbonne University | Paris |
| 10 | 61 | 55 | EDHEC Business School | Paris |
| 11 | 99 | 106 | Arts et MétiersÌýÌý | Paris |
| 12 | 113 | 138 | Paris | |
| 13 | 118 | 135 | Ecole nationale des Ponts et Chaussées – Institut Polytechnique de ParisÌý | Paris |
| 14 | 194 | 212 | Télécom Paris – Institut Polytechnique de Paris | Paris |
| 15 | 199 | 197 | Ecole Centrale de LyonÌý | Lyon |
| 16 | 201 | 72 | Ecole normale supérieure Paris-Saclay – Paris Saclay University | Paris |
| 17 | 226 | 232 | MontpellierÌýUniversity | Montpellier |
| 18 | 232 | 233 | Université Grenoble Alpes | Grenobles |
Ìý
