AgroParisTech is a leading French public grande école in life, food, and environmental sciences. It was created in 2007 from the merger of three prestigious institutions. It is part of Université Paris-Saclay.
AgroParisTech was created in 2007 by merging three institutions: the Institut national agronomique Paris-Grignon, the École nationale du génie rural, des eaux et des forêts and the École nationale supérieure des industries agricoles et alimentaires. Its roots go back to the Institut national agronomique, founded in 1876, and to the forest school opened in Nancy in 1824, so it carries a long tradition in agronomy and forestry. It is a leading French grande école for the life, food and environmental sciences, with about 2,500 students and 1,200 staff.
The school is a component of Université Paris-Saclay, and its main campus has been on the Plateau de Saclay, in Palaiseau, since 2022. Other centres include Nancy, where forestry is taught, and Montpellier, Clamecy and the historical site of Grignon. This geographic spread allows teaching close to forests, farms and food industries. Most of its research laboratories are shared with INRAE, the French national research institute for agriculture, food and the environment.
The engineering degree of AgroParisTech is the main programme, and it is complemented by specialised master’s degrees, doctorates and training for executives. The topics include agronomy, ecology, forestry, food science, biotechnology, economics, data science and the management of natural resources. Students often work on issues such as climate adaptation, biodiversity, sustainable food systems, water, soils and the circular bioeconomy, which have gained importance in public debate.
Admission to the engineering course is mainly through competitive exams after preparatory classes in biology, and through other routes at different levels. Courses are in French, with options in English for international programmes. Check the current tariff for fees, which differ between the engineering programme and other courses.
Palaiseau is about 25 kilometres south of Paris. The RER B line and buses serve the region, and the future metro line 18 is expected to improve links. Student housing is available on and near the campus.
Domains taught:
Agriculture, AI and Machine Learning, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Food Science, Geotechnics, Life Sciences, Logistics, Manufacturing, Marine Science, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Quality, Robotics, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Part of Université Paris-Saclay. Member of Agreenium (French consortium for agriculture, food, animal health and environment). Partnerships with INRAE, CIRAD, and major agrifood companies.
Research:
Sustainable agriculture and food systems, Biodiversity and ecosystem management, Food processing and quality, Forest engineering and wood science, Environmental engineering.
Famous Alumnis:
René Dumont (INA PG legacy)
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1200
Current students***:
2500
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Top-tier institution for agricultural, food, and environmental sciences, strong research focus, excellent career prospects.
Cons
Campus located in Palaiseau, specialized focus areas.
Best For
Leading grande école for life, food, and environmental sciences and engineering.
Institut Agro Montpellier shares the core fields of this institution, namely logistics, marine science and agriculture; it runs the same master's and doctoral programmes, and is slightly smaller, at about 1,800 students against roughly 2,500 here.
Among national alternatives, Institut Agro Rennes-Angers stands out for its focus on logistics, agriculture and food science, and it is slightly smaller, at about 2,000 students against roughly 2,500 here, and is also a public institution.
Bordeaux Sciences Agro shares the core fields of this school, namely logistics, agriculture and food science; it is also a public institution and runs the same master's and doctoral programmes.
For students who like the logistics, agriculture and food science focus of this school but want another option nearby, Institut Supérieur d'Agriculture de Lille - JUNIA fits well: it is smaller, enrolling about 1,500 students against roughly 2,500 here, and is private, whereas this school is public.
Institut Agro Dijon offers a comparable education in logistics, agriculture and food science: it runs the same master's and doctoral programmes, and is smaller, enrolling about 1,000 students against roughly 2,500 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
If this school is on your list for agriculture, food science and quality, Poznań University of Life Sciences in Poland deserves a comparison, because it is also a public institution and also offers bachelor's programmes.
University of Agriculture in Krakow, in Poland, takes a similar route through agriculture, food science and quality; it is far larger, with about 9,000 students against roughly 2,500 here, and is also a public institution.
Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde, in Germany, takes a similar route through agriculture, food science and geotechnics; it also offers bachelor's programmes and covers aerospace and transportations as well.
If this institution is on your list for agriculture, food science and quality, Prefectural University of Hiroshima in Japan deserves a comparison, because it has almost the same size, at about 2,500 students, and is also a public institution.
Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, in Japan, takes a similar route through logistics, marine science and agriculture; it has almost the same size, at about 2,500 students, and is also a public institution.
*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
Where is AgroParisTech?
Its main campus is on the Plateau de Saclay, in Palaiseau, south of Paris, since 2022.
When was it created?
In 2007, by merging three institutions.
What are its roots?
The Institut national agronomique, founded in 1876, and the forest school opened in Nancy in 1824.
How large is it?
About 2,500 students and 1,200 staff.
Is it part of Université Paris-Saclay?
Yes.
Where is forestry taught?
At the centre in Nancy.
What is INRAE?
The French national research institute for agriculture, food and the environment, with which most laboratories are shared.
What fields does it cover?
Agronomy, ecology, forestry, food science, biotechnology, economics, data science and the management of natural resources.
How do students enter the engineering course?
Mainly through competitive exams after preparatory classes in biology, and through other routes at different levels.
What does it cost?
Fees differ between the engineering programme and other courses. Check the current tariff.
*: 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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