Comparing the Top Universities in France: Université PSL vs École Polytechnique

The QS World University Rankings by Subject – which ranks universities in five broad subject areas and 48 subjects – reflects the focus on technical and scientific disciplines shared by both of France’s leading universities.

In this year’s ranking, PSL features 37 different subjects with 22 of these in the world top 100 and EPFL offers 14 subjects, with seven of these in the world top 100.

See how the two universities compare across the different subject areas below.

Located in the heart of Paris, PSL’s campus is the ideal setting for an enriching student experience. Throughout the year, cultural, artistic and sporting events bring the campus to life and create a warm and fulfilling environment for each and every student. There are also plenty of arts, science and music events across Paris to get involved with, and countless restaurants to enjoy.

PSL has excellent transport links, with 14 Metro lines, five RER light-rail lines and hundreds of city bus lines making it easy to travel around Paris. There are also plenty of bike lanes around campus to encourage cycling.

École Polytechnique, in contrast, is generally a bit quieter, located approximately 20km south of Paris, on a campus spanning almost 160 hectares.

There are a range of events held on campus, from scientific seminars, shows, exhibitions and Heritage Days. The school is located in the middle of the Paris-Saclay research and business cluster, which may account for at least part of its excellent employment reputation score.

You can travel to and from the university using the Massy-Palaiseau station or the Lozère station, using buses that connect the station to the campus. 

France’s fees are relatively low for domestic, EU and international students, compared to those in countries such as the US or the UK. However, since Autumn 2019, international students have paid higher tuition fees than domestic students at French universities.

If you are from France or a resident of a country within the EEA, you will be charged €170 per year for bachelor’s programs, €243 per year for master’s programs, €601 per year for engineering courses, €380 per year for PhD programs.

For international students you will need to pay €2,770 (approx. US$3,130) for bachelor’s programs, €3,770 per year (approx. US$4,260) for master’s programs, €380 per year (approx. US$430) for PhD programs. 

At École Polytechnique, tuition fees for students studying Ingénieur Polytechnicien programs are different depending on which year you’re in. For EU undergraduate students the cost of studying is €19,000 for three years: €3,500 for year one and €7,750 each for years two and three. For non-EU students, fees will cost €38,000 overall (approx. US$42,900):  €7,000 in year one (approx. US$7,900), €15,000 in year two (approx. US$16,930) and €15,000 in year three.

French students at École Polytechnique have the option to serve under military status and receive payment for the duration for their studies. There are no study costs for these French students, but they do have to work for the civil service for at least 10 years within the 20 years following graduation.

The overall cost of living in Paris is notoriously high, with a one-bedroom apartment in the city center costing you around €1,177 per month (approx. US$1,325).

There are a variety of scholarships and grants available for international students and domestic students alike, both government-funded and non-government funded.

The French Foreign Ministry awards many scholarships to international students. These include the Eiffel Scholarship program of excellence for students at master’s and PhD level and Major programs for international students who have graduated from French high schools abroad. Many of these scholarships are provided by French embassies abroad.

The ERASMUS + offers financial assistance which partly covers travel and subsistence expenses.

France also offers the Excellence-Major Scholarships Program which helps international students attend university for up to five years in France. 

PSL recommends using  Campus France grant search engine to search for grants you might be eligible for. You can also search for scholarships here. You can find out about PSL’s available funding opportunities here.

École Polytechnique offers several scholarships for international students, which you can view here.

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