École Normale Supérieure de Rennes, usually shortened to ENS Rennes, is a French institution for advanced teaching and research in the Rennes area of Brittany. It belongs to the French network of écoles normales supérieures, but it became a school in its own right only recently: its history begins in 1994, when the École Normale Supérieure de Cachan opened a Brittany branch, known as the antenne de Bretagne.
For almost twenty years the branch worked under the Cachan school. In 2013 it became an independent institution under the name ENS Rennes. The school now has five teaching and research departments.
Those departments cover law, economics and management, computer science and telecommunications, mathematics, mechatronics, and sport sciences and physical education. Prospective students and researchers should consult the school’s official website for the current list of departments, entry routes and admission calendars.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Part of Université de Rennes. Partnerships with research labs in Rennes (IRISA, IETR, IGDR) and industry.
Research:
Cybersecurity and AI, Materials science and photonics, Environmental modeling and mechatronics, Sports science and engineering, Health engineering.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
300
Current students***:
500
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Focus on research-led education, interdisciplinary approach, prepares for careers in research and innovation.
Cons
Smaller and newer ENS compared to Paris/Lyon, specialized research areas.
Best For
Higher education institution focused on research and training in sciences, technology, and engineering.
École Normale Supérieure de Lyon: a sister institution in the French ENS network, with physics and chemistry, mathematics and computer science, and biology and earth sciences, located in Lyon.
IHES: an institute devoted to mathematics and theoretical physics, which makes it a close match for the mathematical side of the Rennes curriculum.
Université de Rennes: the main university of the same city, with computer science, materials science and earth sciences.
INSA Rennes: an engineering institute in the same city covering electronics and telecommunications and computer science.
École Centrale de Nantes: an engineering institution in nearby Nantes with mechanical, marine and civil engineering.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (Germany): offers physics and chemistry, molecular biosciences, and mathematics with computer science.
Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (Italy): a graduate institution in Trieste centred on theoretical particle physics and neurobiology.
Instituto de Ciencias Matemáticas (Spain): a Madrid research centre working in pure mathematics, applied mathematics and mathematical physics.
Université de Neuchâtel (Switzerland): a university with biology, computer science and hydrogeology as main fields.
Rikkyo University (Japan): a Tokyo university whose science faculty spans physics, chemistry, mathematics and life sciences, plus information science.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
When was ENS Rennes founded?
The school began in 1994 as a Brittany branch of the École Normale Supérieure de Cachan. It became an independent institution in 2013.
What was the school called before 2013?
Before it became independent it was the antenne de Bretagne, a branch of the Cachan school. It depended on the parent school until 2013.
Which disciplines are taught at ENS Rennes?
Five departments cover law, economics and management, computer science and telecommunications, mathematics, mechatronics, and sport sciences and physical education.
Where is the school located?
ENS Rennes is in the Rennes area of Brittany, in western France. Its official site gives the current campus address and travel information.
What type of school is it within the French system?
It is one of the écoles normales supérieures, a French network of selective higher-education schools. Its autonomous status dates from 2013.
Where can applicants find admission rules?
Admission routes, calendars and scholarship information are published on the school's official website and may change from one year to the next. Applicants from outside France should also check the international pages of that site.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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