France’s strong academic and artistic tradition continues in the modern day, helped by the fact there are few countries which invest as much in research and education. Global university rankings reflect this. A total of 39 French universities are included in the QS World University Rankings® 2018, of which 11 are within the global top 300. The nation’s two leading universities, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris and Ecole Polytechnique ParisTech, both make the world's top 60 at 43rd and 59th respectively, cementing their reputations as two of Europe’s and the world’s leading institutions.
In addition to the 39 French universities featured in the QS World University Rankings, France is also known for its strong contingent of specialized business schools. These are not placed in the overall rankings due to their subject-specific focus, but nonetheless enjoy wide-reaching international reputations. Notable examples include ESCP Europe, ESSEC Business School, HEC Paris and INSEAD.
What’s more, tuition fees at the leading universities in France are among the lowest in the world, with annual fees averaging under US$1,000 per year for domestic and international students alike.
