Last Updated on January 17, 2023
Best universities in France for engineers and computer scientists. Find the best universities in France to study here. This list includes top universities all over France, including Paris.
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engineering universities in france for international students
The Engineering education (“Grandes Ecoles d’Ingénieur”) that France has to offer is exceptionally good considering the fact that these “Grand Ecoles” of engineering are very picky in selecting and accepting only the top students. The standard of the engineering curriculum in French engineering schools is outstanding – combining training in both theoretical and practical fields of engineering. Before we talk about the engineering degrees in France and what they actually mean let’s first list some of the best engineering Universities in France.
The reason to pick an engineering University in France is because the quality of engineering education offered in the 250+ selective engineering colleges of France is considered one of the best in the world. Here are our top picks:
- Grenoble Alpes University
- Université de Lorraine
- INSA Lyon
- Polytech Montpellier
- Sorbonne University
- Université de Lille
Grenoble Alpes University
The Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA, French: meaning “Grenoble Alps University“) is a public research university in Grenoble, France. Its Engineering and Management department is divided into 8 courses. With 55,000 students and out of those 8,500 being international students, Grenobles Alpes University just might be the place for you. It is in association with national research organizations and major international instruments and builds its research and innovation on a global scale. They compete with the best universities in the world thanks to their innovative research and rank in the top 10 French Universities and 100-250 in the world.
Université de Lorraine
The M.S. in Civil Engineering of University of Lorraine offers a program of higher education for students with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or any other related fields to Civil Engineering.The program’s objective is to train students to become future managers by providing essential scientific, technical, and economic resources in order to prepare them for supporting or leading studies in design, sizing, diagnosis and execution of various works in construction companies, engineering offices and research. The main international exchanges concern first and foremost the border universities in the Lorraine: Luxembourg, Liège, Saarbrücke.
The University of Luxembourg proposes a Master’s degree “Energy and Economic Efficiency” co-authorized with the University of Lorraine.
INSA Lyon
The Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon or INSA Lyon is a Grande École forming multidisciplinary engineers.The five-year curriculum aims at training engineers who possess skills in the primary areas of science and engineering. Students may pursue a PhD after completing the 5-year curriculum. Graduates from INSA Lyon are called Insaliens.
In addition to language, philosophy and culture lessons, engineering students benefit from training dedicated to business knowledge and management. Research at INSA Lyon consists of 23 laboratories, more than 600 researchers and teacher-researchers, 650 doctoral students and more than a thousand industrial contracts with the socio-economic world.
Polytech Montpellier
Polytech Montpellier is one of the 205 French engineering schools accredited to the 1st September 2019 to issue an engineering degree. The university offers six engineering courses. Their mission is ensuring the training of engineers, under the status of student or apprentice in initial or continuing training, to cultivate international relations, and to contribute to scientific activities by working with the University’s laboratories and to help promote the results, with the aim of raising students’ awareness of innovation and research.
Sorbonne University
Sorbonne University (with 3 campuses) is a public research University in Paris, France. It is one of the world’s most prestigious Universities having won 33 Nobel Prizes, 6 Fields Medals, and one Turing award. One of its divisions is “The Faculty of Sciences and Engineering”. Covering all fields of knowledge in science and engineering, the Sorbonne University Faculty of Sciences and Engineering supports research at the heart of disciplines, research at interfaces, the development of partnerships with companies, and promotes the emergence of new themes to respond to major challenges of the 21st century.
Université de Lille
The University of Lille is rich in an exceptional cultural and scientific heritage, with its 72,000 students (9,502 of them international), 6,700 staff, 66 research units and a training offer that covers all disciplinary fields. The University of Lille stands out in the region for training, research and innovation and through its commitment to social issues. Thanks to the multiple partners of University of Lille, you have many choices for a study trip abroad: Scotland, Germany, Spain, Austria, Finland, Portugal, Mexico.
The university’s mission is continuing to help you build your professional project by guiding you in choosing the most suitable training, advising you in finding funding for your training, supporting you in your procedures for validating prior learning to reduce training courses etc.

best universities in france for international students
1. National Institute for Applied Sciences – Lyon
- National Institute for Applied Sciences – Lyon Course Catalog
- Degrees offered: Bachelor, Masters, Doctorate
The first university we will talk about today is the National Institute for Applied Sciences (INSA) which is based in Lyon, one of the largest cities in the southeast of France. INSA is one of the best engineering universities in France, with the QS World University Rankings placing this university in the top 200 universities worldwide for engineering.
Prospective students first must take a two to three-year course equivalent to a bachelor’s degree to develop their mathematics and project management skills, which are necessary for any engineer. After this, students can specialize in areas such as environmental, industrial, and materials engineering.
The university is widely respected in France, being one of the top destinations for high school students interested in studying engineering, as well as for international students (nearly 30% of the student population is from abroad).
2. Université Paris-Saclay
- Université Paris-Saclay Undergraduate Programs
- Degrees offered: Bachelor, Masters, Doctorate
Next is the Université Paris-Saclay. The university is easily the most highly rated in all of France, finding itself in the top 100 universities worldwide according to QS rankings.
Prospective engineering students at this excellent engineering university have quite a few options to choose from, including electrical and mechanical engineering at a bachelor’s level. A greater number of choices are available at a master’s level.
The university is also well situated within the city of Paris, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Many millions of people visit Paris every year, and for good reason. The city is famous for its unique culture and many stunning monuments. Students studying at the Université Paris-Saclay should take the time to immerse themselves in the city and to visit the many famous sites such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Arc de Triomphe among others.
3. Sorbonne University
- Sorbonne University Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Degrees offered: Bachelor, Masters, Doctorate
Another university in France that is recognized as one of the best in the world is Sorbonne University in Paris. The university offers bachelor, master’s, and doctoral programs for all non-medical subjects, with engineering being one of the most important subjects in the university. There are a number of subjects taught at the undergraduate level, including mechanical and electronic engineering. More options are available at a Master’s and Ph.D. level if students are interested in continuing their studies.
Founded in 1257, the university has an extensive history and a distinct campus environment. Given the university’s long history, it is no surprise that it houses some of the rarest scientific pieces in the world. This includes the Charcot Library, the Mineral collection, as well as others that are not open to the public.
Beyond this, the campus of the university is never dull. With over 150 student organizations, the college is filled with opportunities to make lifelong friends and develop skills that will benefit your future career.
4. Université Grenoble Alpes
- Université Grenoble Alpes School of Engineering
- Degrees offered: Bachelor, Masters, Doctorate
The next university worth mentioning is the Université Grenoble Alpes. The third-largest university in all of the country, with over 60,000 students in attendance, hosts a large number of engineering programs. New courses in electrical, mechanical, and thermal engineering are being made available to facilitate international exchanges. At a Master’s level, more courses become available, including civil, materials, and biomedical engineering. It’s not surprising that Université Grenoble Alpes is one of the best engineering universities in France.
As mentioned previously, the university is interested in getting more international students to study with it. The majority of its master’s programs are taught in English and the university offers a number of language courses to help students from abroad become more familiar with French.
Another reason to consider studying with the UGA is its location; the city of Grenoble is a sight to behold, especially landmarks such as La Bastille, a vast mountain fortress, and the Grenoble Archeological Museum.
5. University de Lorraine
- University de Lorraine Science, Technology and Engineering
- Degrees offered: Bachelor, Masters, Doctorate
The final university we will mention today is the University de Lorraine. Divided between the two cities of Nancy and Metz, the university is recognized as one of the best young universities in the world. With degrees available at bachelor, master’s, and Ph.D. levels, the university is notable for its high-quality engineering programs. Subjects taught include biological, civil, and industrial engineering.
The university has partnered with over 500 universities in Europe alone, including some of the most prestigious in the world such as the Imperial College London, the University of Bern, and the University of Florence. Therefore, students interested in taking part in an exchange program have many excellent options to choose from if they study at the University de Lorraine.

best engineering universities in the world
Harvard University, US – 4.6% acceptance rate
Stanford University, US
University of California – Berkeley, US
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US
University of Cambridge, UK
University of Oxford, UK
Princeton University, US – 5.8% acceptance rate
California Institute of Technology, US – 6.4% acceptance rate
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
National University of Singapore