Address: 828 boulevard des Maréchaux, 91120 Palaiseau, Île-de-France, France
Applied Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science for Engineering
ENSTA Paris traces its origins to 1741, when Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau, inspector general of the Navy, founded a school in Paris to train naval constructors. Over the centuries it changed names several times, appearing as the École d’application du Génie maritime and then the École nationale supérieure du génie maritime, and it also served as an application school of the École Polytechnique.
The present École nationale supérieure de techniques avancées dates from 1970, when several armaments engineering schools were merged. The school moved to Palaiseau, on the Paris-Saclay plateau next to the École Polytechnique, and is a member of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris. It is a public establishment placed under the armed forces ministry through the Direction générale de l’armement, although it trains civilian students.
The core programme is the diplôme d’ingénieur, a master-level engineering degree, completed by master’s courses, specialised master’s programmes (mastères spécialisés) and doctoral study. The school now operates on two campuses, Palaiseau and Brest. Its teaching and research draw on applied mathematics, mechanics and computer science, in line with its profile as a school of advanced technologies.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Chemistry, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Manufacturing, Marine Science, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Founding member of Institut Polytechnique de Paris. Partnerships with major industrial groups in defense, transport, energy, and automotive (e.g., Naval Group, DGA, ArianeGroup).
Research:
Robotics & Autonomous Systems, Ocean Engineering, Energy & Environment, Transport & Mobility, Mathematical & Digital Engineering.
Famous Alumnis:
Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, Hervé Guillou
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
400
Current students***:
1000
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
10000
Pros
High-level multidisciplinary engineering education, strong in applied maths and mechanics, close links with defense and high-tech industries.
Cons
Very selective, demanding curriculum, specialized areas of expertise.
Best For
Elite engineering school with a focus on transport, energy, defense, and complex systems engineering.
X - École Polytechnique is its neighbour in Palaiseau, with Engineering, Sciences and Research.
CentraleSupélec offers Generalist Engineering with Energy, Computer Science and Applied Physics.
ISAE-SUPAERO in Toulouse is a specialist engineering school in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Space Systems Engineering.
Mines Paris - PSL pairs Energy Engineering and Materials Science with Applied Mathematics & Computer Science.
École Centrale de Lyon covers General Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Acoustics.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Technische Universiteit Delft in the Netherlands is a technical university with Aerospace Engineering, Civil Engineering and Computer Science.
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie in Germany combines Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science with Physics & Materials Science.
EPFL in Switzerland is a technical institution for Engineering, Computer Science and Life Sciences.
Tokyo Tech in Japan teaches Mechanical, Electrical and Computer Science engineering.
Politecnico di Milano in Italy is a technical university with Engineering, Architecture and Design.
*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 ENSTA Paris created?
The school started in 1741, founded in Paris by Duhamel du Monceau to train naval constructors. The current ENSTA was formed in 1970 through a merger of several armaments schools.
Where is it located?
The main campus is in Palaiseau, south of Paris, on the Paris-Saclay plateau. The school also has a campus in Brest.
Which group does it belong to?
ENSTA Paris is a member of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris. Its official website presents it as a grande école d'ingénieurs of the Paris-Saclay area.
What degree does it award?
The main degree is the diplôme d'ingénieur, equivalent to a master of science in engineering. There are also master's programmes, specialised master's courses and PhDs.
Who supervises the school?
It is a public establishment under the armed forces ministry, exercised through the Direction générale de l'armement. The school nevertheless remains a civilian institution.
How do students enter?
The official website explains the admission routes for French and international applicants, for the engineering diploma as well as for the master's programmes.
*: 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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