Address: 96 boulevard Bessières, 75017 Paris, Île-de-France, France
Software Development, Coding & Programming, System Administration & Networks
Announced on 26 March 2013, École 42 opened in Paris on 15 July 2013 as a non-profit school of computer programming that charges no tuition. Xavier Niel founded it together with associates that include Nicolas Sadirac and Kwame Yamgnane, and he personally covered its running costs for the first ten years.
42 has no teachers and no traditional lectures. Students work through projects, and their work is assessed by other students rather than by instructors, a method the school presents as peer-to-peer learning. Candidates must be at least 18 years old, and no prior diploma is required, not even the baccalauréat. Selection starts with online tests and continues with the Piscine, a four-week immersion in which applicants code intensively, with practical work in the C language.
The model was designed for large intakes: at launch the school planned to admit about 1,000 students a year. Registration for the training is free, and the school is organised as a non-profit association located in the north-west of Paris.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Ergonomics and UX, Mathematics, Project Management, Quality, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Telecommunications
Diplomas*:
Certificate
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Supported by industry partners. Part of the global 42 Network.
Research:
Peer-to-peer project-based learning in various areas of software development, system administration, AI, cybersecurity, graphics.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
100
Current students***:
4000 (Paris campus)
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Tuition-free, innovative peer-learning pedagogy, focus on practical coding skills, open to diverse profiles (no specific prior diploma required for entry test).
Cons
Non-traditional educational model, no formal diploma (provides RNCP Level 6/7 certification), requires high self-motivation and autonomy, intense workload.
Best For
Tuition-free coding school with a unique peer-to-peer learning model for software development.
Télécom Paris is a public institution in Palaiseau whose specialties are digital technologies, data science and artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.
Another Palaiseau option, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, is public and multidisciplinary, with engineering, computer science and AI among its main fields.
In Compiègne, Université de Technologie de Compiègne is a public school combining computer engineering and AI with bioengineering and mechanics.
Rennes hosts Université de Rennes, a public university noted in the directory for computer science and cybersecurity alongside materials and environmental science.
Also located in Rennes, INSA Rennes is a public engineering school covering electronics and telecommunications, computer science and cybersecurity.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
In Switzerland, Università della Svizzera italiana is a public university specialising in computer science, computational science and biomedical sciences.
Germany's Universität des Saarlandes is public and centres on computer science and artificial intelligence, with materials science and engineering as further strengths.
Finland offers Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, a public institution teaching information technology, industrial engineering and clean technologies.
Italy's Università di Pisa is a public university whose listed specialties are computer science, engineering and physics.
The Netherlands is represented by Tilburg University, a public university working on data science and on cognitive science and AI.
*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
Who founded École 42 and when did it open?
The project was announced on 26 March 2013 and the school opened in Paris on 15 July 2013. Xavier Niel founded it with associates including Nicolas Sadirac and Kwame Yamgnane.
Does attending 42 cost anything?
Registration for the training is free, because Xavier Niel financed the running costs of the school for its first ten years.
Which age and diploma conditions apply to applicants?
Applicants must be at least 18 years old, and no diploma is required, not even the baccalauréat. Admission depends on the selection tests and on the Piscine.
What exactly is the Piscine at 42?
It is the intensive selection stage that follows the online tests and lasts four weeks. Applicants work on programming exercises, notably in the C language, and are chosen on the basis of what they achieve during that period.
How does teaching work without teachers?
Learning is organised around projects rather than lectures, and students review and grade one another's work. The school calls this approach peer-to-peer learning, in which the community of students replaces the traditional classroom.
*: 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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