The University of Poitiers, in western France, was founded in 1431 by a bull of Pope Eugene IV, with the support of King Charles VII. Its original faculties included canon law and civil law. Figures linked to the university include the philosopher René Descartes and the writer François Rabelais.
Today the university teaches nearly all disciplines through 14 faculties, schools and institutes. These include seven faculties or training and research units, among them law and social sciences, economics, languages and literature, fundamental and applied sciences, human sciences and sport sciences. There are also two engineering and applied schools, ENSI Poitiers and ENSAR, the IAE business school, two university institutes of technology, and the IPAG and INSPE institutes.
The university is spread over several campuses: Poitiers, Futuroscope, Niort, Angoulême and Châtellerault. Its engineering school was created in 1984. In the directory, mechanics, energy and materials engineering, chemistry and environmental sciences appear among its main research fields.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Food Science, Geotechnics, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Robotics, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Member of EC2U European Campus of City-Universities. Regional partnerships.
Research:
Materials science and engineering, Water and environmental sciences, Catalysis and green chemistry, Biomechanics and health engineering.
Famous Alumnis:
Joachim du Bellay, René Descartes (attended)
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
2500
Current students***:
30000
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Historic university, wide range of programs, includes engineering schools, pleasant student city.
Cons
Some facilities may be older, less international visibility than some larger French universities.
Best For
Historic comprehensive university with strong engineering and science departments.
Université de Bordeaux, in the same Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, works in neurosciences, materials science and optics.
Nantes Université has materials science, marine and coastal sciences and engineering among its fields.
Université de Rennes combines computer science, materials science and environmental research.
Université Clermont Auvergne is a comprehensive institution in physics, chemistry and geosciences.
Université de Lorraine has a profile in materials science and engineering, computer science and chemistry.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Universiteit Gent (Belgium) covers life sciences, engineering and biotechnology, with a similar comprehensive range.
Switzerland's Université de Fribourg teaches materials science, biology, chemistry and computer science in a mid-sized setting.
Jagiellonian University in Poland is a historic university with physics, chemistry and computer science.
University of Bath, United Kingdom, has engineering, management and science.
Universität Bayreuth (Germany) works on polymer and materials science, ecology and environment.
*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
In what year was the University of Poitiers founded?
It was founded in 1431 with a papal bull from Eugene IV and the support of Charles VII.
Where are its campuses?
The main campus is in Poitiers, with other sites at Futuroscope, Niort, Angoulême and Châtellerault.
Which famous people are linked to the university?
René Descartes and François Rabelais are among the best-known names connected with it.
What kinds of programmes does it offer?
It covers law, economics, languages, sciences, human sciences, sport and health, with 14 components in total. Engineering is taught in a school created in 1984, today called ENSI Poitiers.
Does it have professional schools?
Yes, the IAE for management, the IUTs in Poitiers-Niort-Châtellerault and Angoulême, and the IPAG and INSPE are part of the structure. ENSAR is its school of applied sciences and risk.
How can I get information on admission and fees?
The official English pages describe the programmes and international student services. French national rules on enrolment apply.
*: 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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