Universities In France For PhD

Last Updated on December 15, 2022

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PhD Universities In France

In France, there are no “doctoral programmes” that enable you to enrol for a Doctorate in a particular field, leaving you the first year to choose and refine your thesis subject.

You must therefore be able to find a thesis topic and a thesis supervisor before you can enrol. The Doctoral school must also accept you.

First of all, to enter the first year of a Doctorate, you must have a Master’s degree or equivalent, so therefore during the second year of your Master’s you should start to look for a Doctorate (starting in January).

In the natural and technological sciences (physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, engineering), you need funding to enrol.

In some cases in the social sciences and humanities, you can enrol without funding. Check with the doctoral school (you will find this information on the page describing each doctoral school)

Funding for tuition is not the question (€391/year) but rather for living expenses (grants, salary, generally greater than €1,000/month).

The first question to ask yourself is the following: does my government or university have a specific programme for financing my Doctorate in France? If it is the case, it’s often the best solution when it comes to doing your Doctorate. Such programmes exist in particular in Mexico, China and Pakistan.

If no funding from your government is possible, you will find other possibilities here.

A large number of Doctorates are funded by French host universities, in the form of a doctoral fellowship, which is a work contract that lasts 3 years or takes the form of other work contracts.

Fully-Funded PhD Position in Computer Science

The French higher education system is unique in comparison to other countries, with larger education hubs housing smaller universities that share resources.

This has resulted in several different institutions within France.

Public universities

The 140 public institutions are referred to as ‘Éstablissement public á caractére scientifique, culturel et professionnel’ (EPSCP) (Public Establishments of a Scientific, Cultural or Professional Character).

The two main varieties of public university within the EPSCP grouping are:

  • Universities – France has 83 public universities, that offer comprehensive academic research and training in a wide range of subject areas. All can award PhDs.
  • Major Public Establishments – The ‘Grands éstablissements publics’ are top public universities, governed under ministerial charter by the French Government. They specialise within specific disciplines and have entrance exams.

Grandes Écoles

These are the highly specialised, elite private higher education institutions, comparable in some sense to the Ivy League or Russell Group universities in the USA and UK.

Grandes Écoles are not part of the EPSCP and include more specific groups such as the elite publically-funded universities (Écoles Normales Supérieures) and high profiles business and engineering schools (Grandes Écoles de Commerce and Grandes Écoles d’Ingénieurs).

Communautés d’Universités et d’Etablissements

These are local networks of institutions, formed from the modernisation and development of the French higher education system.

The 27 Communities of Universities and Schools (COMUE) promote collaboration between public universities, Grandes Écoles and specialist research and training centres.

Students are typically enrolled at a specific university but can use the facilities and opportunities at partnering institutions.

French university rankings

The French higher education system has a rich history and boasts a brilliant reputation; therefore, it isn’t surprising that a significant number of French universities are globally ranked. With four of the institutions featuring in the top 200 in the world.

UniversityTHE 2020QS 2020ARWU 2019
Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University Paris=4553
Sorbonne University=807744
École Polytechnique93=60301-400
University of Paris130=253
Télécom Paris188=224
École Normale Supérieure de Lyon201-250=160301-400
Paris-Sud University201-250=26237
École des Ponts ParisTech251-300250301-400
Aix-Marseille University301-350=491101-150
Grenoble Alpes University301-350=351101-150
Montpellier University301-350=498151-200
IMT Atlantique351-400
Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines351-400401-500
University of Bordeaux401-500=458201-300
Centrales Nantes401-500
University of Côte d’Azur401-500591-600
École des Mines de Saint-Étienne401-500
Federal University of Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées401-500
Sciences Po401-500242
University of Strasbourg401-500=379101-150
Information in this table is based on the latest Times Higher Education World University RankingsQS World University Rankings and Academic Ranking of World Universities. Visit their websites for more information.

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