The French public higher education system includes universities and other higher education institutes, that provide both education curricula and related degrees up to doctoral degree and also contribute to research activities. They are the backbone of the tertiary education institutions in France. They are listed as different categories, depending on their administrative status, size and extents of research activity compared to educational activities.
Aside from the nationally funded public education system that provides recognised degrees to the vast majority of students in France and that keeps tuition fees low, there exist private institutes.
French public universities (see List of public universities in France for a detailed list) are as of 2015 in the process of reorganization according to the Law on Higher Education and Research passed in July 2013. This includes some merging of institutions, and the previous high-level organization under Pôle de recherche et d'enseignement supérieur (PRES) has been dissolved.
Public technical universities, institutes of technologies and autonomous scientific higher education institutes
The Établissements publics à caractère scientifique, culturel et professionnel (EPCSP) that are not listed as universities in the list above operate as university-grade institutes.
Arts et Métiers ParisTech
Centrale Graduate School
École centrale de Lille
École centrale de Lyon
École centrale de Marseille
École centrale de Nantes
École centrale Paris
ISAE-SUPAERO
Collège de France
Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers
École nationale supérieure des arts et industries textiles
École Nationale des Chartes
École Normale Supérieure
École Normale Supérieure de Paris
École Normale Supérieure de Cachan
École Normale Supérieure de Lyon
École Normale Supérieure Lettres et Sciences Humaines
École des hautes études en sciences sociales
École pratique des hautes études
ESIEE Paris - École Supérieure d'Ingénieurs en Électrotechnique et Électronique
IFP School - École Nationale Supérieure du Pétrole et des Moteurs
Institut National des Sciences Appliquées
Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon
Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Toulouse
Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Rennes
Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Rouen
Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Strasbourg
Institut supérieur de mécanique de Paris
Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales
Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris
Institut Mines-Télécom
Universities of Technology
Université de technologie de Belfort-Montbéliard
University of Technology of Compiègne
University of Technology of Troyes
Grenoble Institute of Technology
Paris Dauphine University
Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse
ENSEEIHT
ENSIACET
ENSAT - École Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Toulouse
International Relations and Political Science Universities
Ecoles des Hautes Etudes Internationales et Politiques HEI-HEP, Paris
Centre d'Études Diplomatiques et Stratégiques, (Graduate / doctoral school of HEI-HEP) Paris
Catholic universities
Catholic University of Paris
Catholic University of Toulouse
Catholic University of the West
Catholic University of Lyon
Catholic University of Lille
Catholic University of the Vendée[1]
Catholic University of Rennes
Center for Philosophical Studies
Independent Cooperative Faculty
Leonardo da Vinci University Center
Free Faculties of Philosophy and Psychology
Protestant universities
Free Faculty of Reform Theology of Aix-en-Provence
Free Faculty of Protestant Theology of Montpellier
Free Faculty of Protestant Theology of Paris
Others
American University of Paris
Baruch College
Touro College France
American Graduate School in Paris[2]
Schiller International University[3]
European Global School[4]
Conservatoire de Paris
Conservatoire National Supérieur d'Art Dramatique
École des Beaux-Arts
European Academy of Art (EESAB) (France)
Paris College of Art
