Address: 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, Île-de-France, France
Physics, Chemistry, Bioengineering
Founded in 1882, ESPCI Paris – PSL is a renowned engineering grande école and research institution in physics, chemistry, and biology. It is a constituent college of Université PSL and has a strong tradition of Nobel laureates.
ESPCI Paris – PSL was founded in 1882 by the City of Paris as the École municipale de physique et de chimie industrielles, in order to train engineers and researchers for the new industries. Paul Schützenberger was its first director. The school stands on the rue Vauquelin, in the Latin Quarter, in the 5th arrondissement, and it has about 400 students and 300 staff, which makes it one of the smallest grandes écoles and among the most selective. It is a constituent college of Université PSL.
Its place in the history of science is exceptional. Pierre Curie taught and worked at the school, and he and Marie Curie discovered polonium and radium in 1898 in a shed next to the school. Paul Langevin, who developed ultrasound and the theory of magnetism, directed the school from 1926 to 1946. Frédéric Joliot-Curie, who shared the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Irène, studied there. Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, director from 1976 to 2003, won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1991, and Georges Charpak carried out part of his work here.
The teaching is based on the direct link between education and research. From the first year, students spend time in laboratories, and the programme combines physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and engineering, so graduates are comfortable moving between fields. About a third of the students go on to a doctorate, and the school has spun off many companies. The campus houses laboratories in soft matter, fluid dynamics, waves, neuroscience, microfluidics and chemistry.
Admission is by competitive entrance exams after two years of preparatory classes, and by selection for students from other paths. Courses are mainly in French, with some in English. Check the current tariff for fees. The school’s scale encourages close relationships with professors.
The setting is in the heart of the Latin Quarter, near the Panthéon, the Jardin des Plantes and the Sorbonne. Housing in Paris is expensive, but the school helps with rooms for some students.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, 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, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Constituent college of Université PSL. Part of ParisTech. Strong links with industry for R&D and innovation.
École Supérieure de Chimie Physique Électronique de Lyon works in much the same fields, chiefly bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and microbiology and genetics, and it covers structural engineering and project management as well, and is far larger, with about 1,300 students against roughly 400 here.
Télécom Physique Strasbourg is the closest domestic counterpart for nanotechnologies, microbiology and genetics and optics; it covers ergonomics and UX and telecommunications as well, and is slightly larger, at about 500 students against roughly 400 here.
École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes follows much the same lines as this school, with bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and microbiology and genetics as common ground, and it has almost the same size, at about 400 students, and is also a public institution.
École Normale Supérieure de Rennes takes a similar route through bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and microbiology and genetics, and it also offers bachelor's programmes and covers structural engineering and telecommunications as well.
Another national school that puts nanotechnologies, microbiology and genetics and optics at the centre is Chimie ParisTech - PSL, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely master's and doctoral.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Paul Scherrer Institut in Switzerland pursues a similar profile in bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and signal processing, and it is slightly smaller, at about 300 students against roughly 400 here, and is also a public institution.
Nara Institute of Science and Technology, based in Japan, is built around bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and microbiology and genetics much like this school, and it is far larger, with about 1,200 students against roughly 400 here, and is also a public institution.
Seen from abroad, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Japan) is a close relative on subject matter, since bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and microbiology and genetics are central to both, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely master's and doctoral.
University of Łódź, in Poland, takes a similar route through bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and microbiology and genetics; it covers astroscience and structural engineering as well, and is far larger, with about 26,000 students against roughly 400 here.
Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación, in Spain, takes a similar route through bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and fluid dynamics; it is slightly smaller, at about 300 students against roughly 400 here, 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 ESPCI Paris - PSL?
On the rue Vauquelin, in the Latin Quarter, 5th arrondissement of Paris.
When was it founded?
In 1882, by the City of Paris, as the École municipale de physique et de chimie industrielles.
How large is it?
About 400 students and 300 staff.
What did Pierre and Marie Curie do there?
They discovered polonium and radium in 1898 in a shed next to the school.
Who directed the school and won a Nobel Prize?
Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, director from 1976 to 2003, who won the 1991 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Who was Paul Langevin?
A physicist who developed ultrasound and the theory of magnetism and directed the school from 1926 to 1946.
What makes the teaching distinctive?
Students spend time in laboratories from the first year and combine physics, chemistry, biology and engineering.
How do students enter?
By competitive entrance exams after two years of preparatory classes, and by selection for students from other paths.
Is it part of PSL?
Yes. It is a constituent college of Université PSL.
*: 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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