THE 2026 World University Rankings: four French institutions in the Top 100

Based on around twenty indicators divided into four main groups, the Times Higher Education World University Ranking is presented as ‘the only global performance table that assesses research-intensive universities across all their core missions’, namely teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

Four French institutions in the Top 100

In this ‘university performance’ table, four French institutions, which are accustomed to top positions in most international rankings, are in the Top 100. These are:

    PSL University (Paris Sciences & Lettres), the highest-ranked French university, which comes in at 48th place;
    followed by the Institut Polytechnique de Paris (68th, up three places);
    tied with Paris-Saclay University;
    Sorbonne University rounds out the French Top 100 in 76th place.

Seven institutions in the Top 500

Beyond the Top 100, 48 other French institutions are distinguished.

In the Top 500, there are seven other institutions spread across France, such as:

    Paris Cité University (190th);
    the École Normale Supérieure de Paris (between 301st and 350th place);
    Grenoble-Alpes University (between 351st and 400th place);
    IMT Atlantique (between 401st and 500th place);
    Institut Agro (between 401st and 500th place);
Université de Montpellier and Université de Bordeaux (between 401st and 500th place).

 
18 schools and universities in the Top 1000

After the 500 best institutions in the world, 18 other universities or schools in France are ranked in the Top 1000:

    the University of Toulouse;
    Centrale Nantes;
    Claude Bernard University - Lyon 1;
    the Saint-Etienne School of Mines;
    the Ecole Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'Etat (ENTPE);
    Nantes University;
    Sciences Po Paris;
    the University of Côte d'Azur;
    the University of Lille;
    the University of Rennes 1;
    the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Métiers;
    the Ecole Centrale de Lyon;
    IMT Nord-Europe;

Marie and Louis Pasteur University (formerly University of Franche-Comté);
INSA Lyon;
National Veterinary School of Alfort;
Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University;
University of Western Brittany.

Eleven other French institutions are also ranked between 1,000th and 1,500th place. It should be noted that these include two new entrants: the University of Burgundy Europe (between 1,001st and 1,200th place) and the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne (between 1,201st and 1,500th place).

Beyond that, eight other schools and universities are also ranked.