Address: 60 rue Mazarine, 75006 Paris, Île-de-France, France
Engineering (via member schools), Physics & Chemistry, Life Sciences
Université PSL is a public collegiate university formed by the association of several prestigious institutions in Paris, including Mines Paris, ESPCI, Chimie ParisTech, Dauphine, and ENS Ulm. It focuses on research and excellence in science, engineering, arts, and humanities.
Université PSL, Paris Sciences et Lettres, is a research university founded in 2010 that brings together some of the most selective institutions in France. It has about 17,000 students and 4,500 staff, and one student in five comes from abroad. Members include the École normale supérieure, Mines Paris, ESPCI Paris, Chimie ParisTech, the Paris Observatory, Paris-Dauphine, the Curie Institute and the Collège de France as an associate.
The members keep their own admissions and traditions, but they now teach and research together, and students can follow PSL diplomas that cross schools. The historic core lies around the Latin Quarter and the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, with the administrative address on rue Mazarine, while Paris-Dauphine sits at Porte Dauphine and the observatory occupies a 17th-century building in the 14th arrondissement. Pierre Curie did much of his work at the ESPCI, and the school carries the name of its physics and chemistry legacy.
Engineering at PSL comes through Mines Paris, founded in 1783, ESPCI, founded in 1882, and Chimie ParisTech. Physics and chemistry are the leading research fields, with strong life sciences and a growing offer in computer science and data. Dozens of Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals are linked to people who studied or worked in PSL institutions, and it appears among the top French universities in most international rankings.
Fees depend on the institution and the programme. The state schools charge the low national registration fees, while some schools set higher fees, and non-EU students may be subject to differentiated tuition. Admission to the engineering schools is selective and often passes through the preparatory classes and the competitive exams, but master’s and doctoral programmes recruit directly. Teaching is mainly in French, with many master’s degrees in English.
Living in central Paris is expensive, so students often share flats or apply for places in the CROUS and city residences. The Latin Quarter has some of the oldest libraries and bookshops in Europe. About a quarter of PSL’s students are doctoral candidates, which gives it a research-heavy atmosphere.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Geotechnics, Life Sciences, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Robotics, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Another national school that puts astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics at the centre is Sorbonne Université, and it is far larger, with about 55,000 students against roughly 17,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Another national school that puts astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics at the centre is Université Grenoble Alpes, and it is far larger, with about 59,000 students against roughly 17,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Université de Strasbourg offers a comparable education in astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics: it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers food science and civil engineering as well.
The comparison with Université Paris-Saclay is straightforward on subjects, since both focus on astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers aerospace and food science as well.
On content, Aix-Marseille Université and this university are close, as both teach astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics; it covers sound engineering and marine science as well, and is far larger, with about 78,000 students against roughly 17,000 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
UTokyo, based in Japan, is built around astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics much like this university, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers marine science and aerospace as well.
The closest overseas parallel on astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics is USTC, located in China; it is slightly larger, at about 25,000 students against roughly 17,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Tokyo Tech offers an international parallel to this institution, with astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies as common ground; it is smaller, enrolling about 10,000 students against roughly 17,000 here, and is also a public institution.
University of Warsaw in Poland is the nearest foreign match on astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers signal processing and manufacturing as well.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics is Université de Genève in Switzerland, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
*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 PSL?
The administrative address is 60 rue Mazarine in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Member institutions are spread over the Latin Quarter and other districts.
How large is PSL?
About 17,000 students and 4,500 staff, with around 20 percent of students from abroad.
Which institutions belong to PSL?
The École normale supérieure, Mines Paris, ESPCI Paris, Chimie ParisTech, the Paris Observatory, Paris-Dauphine and the Curie Institute are among them.
When was PSL founded?
In 2010 as a research university uniting several selective institutions.
What is PSL best known for?
Physics, chemistry, engineering, life sciences, mathematics and the humanities.
Which engineering schools are part of PSL?
Mines Paris, founded in 1783, ESPCI Paris, founded in 1882, and Chimie ParisTech.
How do you get in?
Some schools recruit through preparatory classes and competitive exams, while master's and doctoral programmes recruit directly.
What does it cost?
Fees depend on the institution. State schools charge the low national registration fees, and some schools set higher fees.
In which language are courses taught?
Mostly in French, with many master's degrees in English.
Is Paris expensive for students?
Yes. Many share flats or apply for CROUS or city residences.
*: 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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