best public universities in france

France is widely known for its prestigious universities that are well-equipped with high-quality curricula, state-of-the-art research facilities and experienced faculty. The country has its fair share of the top public as well as private universities. They have their own pros and cons. The major difference would be the student population, as the faculty-to-student ratio would be way higher in public universities.

Pursuing a course from one of the best public universities in France would be a wise choice for international students who are not planning to chip out a huge sum of money for tuition fees. Reducing the financial burden of students public universities offer high-quality education that covers a huge number of programs.

Some of the best public universities in France include Sorbonne University, Sciences Po, Ecole Polytechnique, IESEG School of Management, INSEAD Business School and many more. 

  • Ranked 75 by THE in 2024, Sorbonne University was established to provide various master's programs with some offering COOP programs. It has an acceptance rate of 28%. 
  • Sciences Po University is ranked 3rd for its political and international studies which international students mostly seek out. 
  • With a student population of 2700 among which 800 are international students Ecole Polytechnique is one of the best public universities in France that is home to top-notch research facilities and the alumni are in top organizations of the world.

Large university campuses, various amenities and government-funded research facilities play an important role in aspiring students make informed decisions.

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Found 5 universities

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RankingCollege InfoTop CoursesFees & Cost of Living
#44/824 Collegedunia Study Abroad Ranking 2026(Overall)

Sorbonne University, Paris

Ile-De-France, France28%Acceptance Rate
Master in Computational Mechanics
Course duration:
2 years
View 7 Other Programs
Tuition:  
$151.875/Yr
Living
$4.3K/Yr
#402/824 Collegedunia Study Abroad Ranking 2026(Overall)

Sciences Po, Valence

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France10%Acceptance Rate
M.A International Management and Sustainability
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
Duolingo130TOEFL100
View 13 Other Programs
Tuition:  
(€20,013/Yr)$23.8K/Yr
Living
(€560/Yr)$666.4/Yr
#880/2459 US News Ranking 2024(Overall)

INSEAD Business School, Evry

Ile-De-France, France32%Acceptance Rate
M.I.M
Course duration:
14 months
Exams Accepted:
TOEFL5.5PTE70
View 5 Other Programs
Tuition:  
(€94,477/Yr)$112.4K/Yr
Check Admission Requirements
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Ecole Polytechnique, Valence

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France15%Acceptance Rate
M.S Data Science For Business X-HEC Master
Course duration:
2 years
Exams Accepted:
TOEFL95
View 9 Other Programs
Tuition:  
(€16,845/Yr)$20K/Yr
Check Admission Requirements
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IESEG School of Management, Lille

Hauts-De-France, France8%Acceptance Rate
M.S International Business
Course duration:
1 year
Exams Accepted:
Duolingo115IELTS6.5
View 5 Other Programs
Tuition:  
(€17,432/Yr)$20.7K/Yr
Check Admission Requirements