QS World University Ranking 2025: four French institutions in the Top 100

The QS World University Ranking, an annual and international ranking, uses nine indicators setting the “score” of an institution. Criteria used in order are: the academic reputation, the reputation in relation with professional insertion, graduates’ employability, number of quotes in scientific reviews, number of professors compared with the number of students and sustainable development. In addition to these six criteria, three additional indicators are used to define the internationalisation of the institution: share of international students, share of international professors, level of international research network.

The French Top 100 is unchanged

Out of 1,503 universities analysed and implemented in 105 countries, four French institutions are in the Top 100: four institutions in Paris and the Paris region, with unchanged positions compared with the 2024 ranking.

• Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) is 24th, the same rank as last year, and first French institution ranked since 2021;
• In second position, also unchanged, is the Institut Polytechnique de Paris occupying the 46th position;
• Sorbonne University, is 63th;
• Paris-Saclay University is 73th.

14 French institutions in the Top 500

In addition to these four institutions, 10 additional universities and schools, divided all over the French territory, completed the Top 500 of the ranking:

• Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS) de Lyon, 187th;
• Ecole des Ponts ParisTech, 205th;
• Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, 283th (+45 ranks); 
• Paris Cité University, 302th;
• Grenoble Alpes University, 334th;
• Sciences Po Paris, 350th;
• INSA Lyon, 405th;
• Montpellier University, 448th;
• Strasbourg University, 456th;
• Aix-Marseille University, 481th.

A total of 35 institutions ranked

Beyond the Top 500, France still has 21 additional universities in the QS World University Ranking, for a total of 35 institutions ranked.

These are 17 major universities in regions:

• University of Bordeaux, Claude Bernard-Lyon 1 University, Lumière- Lyon 2 University, Jean Moulin-Lyon 3 University, Toulouse 1 Capitole University, Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse Jean Jaurès University, Poitiers University, Caen-Normandie University, Limoges University, Lille University, Nantes University, Lorraine University, University of Côte d’Azur, Rennes 1 University, Franche-Comté University.

Four additional universities from the Paris region complement the ranking:

• CY Cergy Paris University, Paris-Panthéon-Assas University, Sorbonne- Paris Nord University, Paris-Nanterre University.