The Grandes Écoles can be classified into following broad categories:
Écoles normales supérieures
These schools train researchers, professors and may be a beginning for executive careers in public administration or business. Many French Nobel Prize and Fields Medal laureates were educated at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, Lyon or Paris-Saclay. There are four ENS:
the École Normale Supérieure of Paris, nicknamed "Ulm" from its address rue d'Ulm (Ulm Street) (sciences and humanities);
the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon in Lyon (sciences and humanities);
the École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay in Cachan, Paris (sciences, engineering, social sciences, economics and management, foreign languages).
the École Normale Supérieure de Rennes near Rennes (sciences, engineering, social sciences, economics and management, sport).
Until recently, unlike most other Grandes Écoles, the écoles normales supérieures (ENS) did not award specific diplomas. Students who completed their curriculum were entitled to be known as "ENS alumni" or "normaliens". The schools encourage their students to obtain university diplomas in partner institutions while providing extra classes and support. Many ENS students obtain more than one university diploma. Normaliens from France and other European Union countries are considered civil servants in training, and as such are paid a monthly salary in exchange for agreeing to serve France for ten years, including those years spent as students.
Engineering schools (grandes écoles d'ingénieurs)
Many engineering schools recruit most of their students who has completed their education at scientific preparatory classes (2 years of post-baccalaureat study). Many are also joint graduate schools from several regional universities, sometimes in association with other international higher education networks.
In France, the term 'engineer' has a broader meaning compared to the one understood in most other countries, and can imply a person who has achieved high level of study in both fundamental and applied sciences, as well as business management, humanities and social sciences. The best engineering schools will often provide such a general and very intensive education, although this is not always the case. Most of the schools of following first four groups train the so-called 'generaliste' engineers:
1. Centrale Graduate Schools of engineering; its students are commonly known as pistons (a reference to the piston engine, one of the centrepieces of industrial revolution)
CentraleSupélec, which is the result of the 2015 merger between École centrale Paris (ECP or Centrale Paris) founded in 1829, and Ecole Supérieure d'Electricité (or Supélec) founded in 1894.
École centrale de Lille (ECLi, EC-Lille or Centrale Lille)
École centrale de Lyon (ECL, EC-Lyon, or Centrale Lyon) was founded in 1857 as the École centrale lyonnaise pour l'Industrie et le Commerce
École centrale de Marseille (ECM, EC-Marseille, or Centrale Marseille)
École centrale de Nantes (ECN, EC-Nantes, or Centrale Nantes)
2. ParisTech schools of engineering (however, some of these schools are now part of the new Paris-Saclay University. Also some of these schools teach only a specific area)
Arts et Métiers ParisTech (École nationale d'Arts et Métiers previously called ENSAM or les Arts et Metiers or "Les Arts", administered by the French Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research) - engineering school founded in 1780
École nationale supérieure de chimie de Paris (Chimie ParisTech)
École nationale de la statistique et de l'administration économique (ENSAE ParisTech) - formed by the Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques (INSEE : French Statistical Authority) and administered by the French Ministry for the Economy and Finance;
École nationale des ponts et chaussées (École des Ponts ParisTech, administered by the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, nicknamed les Ponts) - founded in 1747
the Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (ISAE-SUPAERO) was formed from a merger of two institutes known as SUPAERO (founded in 1909) and ENSICA) (founded in 1945)in Toulouse
École nationale supérieure de techniques avancées (ENSTA ParisTech) administered by the French Ministry of Defense (more precisely the Technology and Armament Directorate General) - founded in 1741;
École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris (MINES ParisTech, administered by the French Ministry for Industry) - founded in 1783;
École nationale supérieure des télécommunications (TELECOM ParisTech, administered by the French Ministry of Industry, previously nicknamed Télécom Paris or SupTélécom) - part of Institut TELECOM;
École polytechnique (EP, nicknamed l'X) - Engineering school in France, administered by the French Ministry of Defense; founded in 1794.
École supérieure de physique et de chimie industrielles de la ville de Paris, administered by the City of Paris (ESPCI ParisTech) ;
Institut d'Optique Graduate School (IOGS, nicknamed SupOptique);
Institut des sciences et industries du vivant et de l'environnement (or AgroParisTech, administered by the French Ministry for Agriculture, nicknamed Agro includes a now internal school called École nationale des eaux et forêts founded in 1824) - part of the Pôle des sciences de la vie et environnementales et technologies de la région de Paris;
3. Institut Mines-Telecom schools of engineering
École Nationale Supérieure des Mines Telecom Atlantique Bretagne Pays de la Loire (Telecom Bretagne and École des Mines de Nantes, merged 2017);
École nationale supérieure des mines d'Albi
École nationale supérieure des mines d'Alès
École des Mines-Télécom de Lille-Douai (IMT)
École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris (MINES ParisTech)(also member of ParisTech);
École nationale supérieure des mines de Nancy
École nationale supérieure des mines de Saint-Étienne
École nationale supérieure des mines de Rabat
École nationale supérieure des télécommunications (TELECOM ParisTech)
Telecom SudParis (ex - Telecom INT). On the campus of Telecom & Management SudParis.
Institut Eurécom
4. Instituts polytechniques :
the Institut polytechnique de Grenoble: includes the Grenoble Institute of Technology, and the Grenoble INP (formerly INPG) which has six departments (ENSIMAG, Ense3, Phelma, ESISAR, Génie Industriel, Pagora);
the Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine: includes the EEIGM, the European School of Materials Sciences and Engineering, the École Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie et des Industries Alimentaires (ENSAIA, the National School of Agronomy and Food Sciences), the École Nationale Supérieure d'Électricité et de Mécanique (ENSEM, the National School of Electricity and Mechanics), the École Nationale Supérieure de Géologie (ENSG, the National School of Geology), the École Nationale Supérieure en Génie des Systèmes Industriels (ENSGSI, the National School of Industrial Systems Engineering), the École Nationale Supérieure des Industries Chimiques (ENSIC, the National School of Chemical Industries), the École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Nancy (ENSMN, the National School of Mines of Nancy) and the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Nancy (ENSA Nancy, the School of Architecture));
5. Écoles Nationales Supérieures d'Ingénieurs (ENSI), which encompasses approximately 40 grandes écoles, including;
the École nationale supérieure d'électronique, d'électrotechnique, d'informatique, d'hydraulique, et de télécommunications (ENSEEIHT, nicknamed N7), considered the largest ENSI, with more than 400 graduates every year. It is one of the schools of the INP Toulouse;
the École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de Caen (ENSICAEN);
the École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de Bretagne sud (ENSIBS);
the École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de Poitiers (ENSI Poitiers);
the École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de Limoges (ENSIL);
the École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs en Génie des Systèmes Industriels (ENSGSI);
the École nationale supérieure des arts et industries textiles (ENSAIT);
the École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs en Informatique Automatique Mécanique Énergétique Électronique (ENSIAME);
6. Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) network is the largest engineer training group in France has grandes écoles of applied technology within regional universities: in Lyon, Rennes, Toulouse, Rouen, Strasbourg, Val-de-Loire.
7. Ecole Nationale d'Ingénieurs (ENI) network is an engineer training group:
the École nationale d'ingénieurs de Brest (ENIB);
the École Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Metz (ENIM);
the École Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Saint-Étienne (ENISE);
the École Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Tarbes (ENIT);
8. Réseau Polytech schools of engineering, is a French network of 13 graduate schools of engineering within France's leading technological universities. All schools in the Group offer Master of Engineering degrees in various specialities.
Polytech Clermont-Ferrand
Polytech Grenoble
Polytech Lille
Polytech Lyon
Polytech Marseille
Polytech Montpellier
Polytech Nantes
Polytech Nice Sophia
Polytech Orleans
Polytech Paris-UPMC, in the University of Pierre-Marie Curie
Polytech Paris-Sud, component of University of Paris-Sud and now also of the big scientific cluster University of Paris-Saclay.
Polytech Savoie
Polytech Tours
9. Universités de technologie (UT) group: Compiègne (UTC), Troyes (UTT); Belfort-Montbéliard (UTBM).
10. Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers
The following schools usually train each students for a more specific area in science or engineering:
11. Grandes écoles of actuarial sciences, statistics and econometrics:
the Institut de Science Financiere et d'Assurances (ISFA);
the Institut de Statistiques de l'Université de Paris (ISUP);
12. Grandes écoles of chemistry:
the École supérieure de chimie physique électronique de Lyon (ESCPE, or CPE-Lyon);
the École nationale supérieure de chimie de Rennes (ENSCR);
the École nationale supérieure de chimie de Lille (ENSCL);
the École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier (ENSCM);
the École européenne de Chimie, Polymères et Matériaux de Strasbourg (ECPM);
the École nationale supérieure de chimie de Clermont-Ferrand (ENSCCF);
13. Grandes écoles of physics:
the École supérieure de chimie physique électronique de Lyon (ESCPE, or CPE-Lyon);
the Institut d'Optique Graduate School (IOGS, nicknamed SupOptique);
the École supérieure de physique et de chimie industrielles de la ville de Paris (ESPCI ParisTech);
the École nationale supérieure de physique et chimie de Bordeaux (ENSCPB);
the École nationale supérieure des ingénieurs en arts chimiques et technologiques (ENSIACET, nicknamed A7), also part of the INP Toulouse;
the École nationale supérieure de l'électronique et de ses Applications (ENSEA).
the Institut des sciences de l'ingénieur de Toulon et du Var (ISITV).
14. Grandes écoles of information technology and telecommunications:
the École nationale des sciences géographiques (ENSG - géomatique).
the École supérieure d'informatique, électronique et automatique (ESIEA).
the École pour l'informatique et les techniques avancées (EPITA).
the École nationale supérieure d'électronique, informatique et radiocommunications de Bordeaux (ENSEIRB).
the École Supérieure d'Électronique de l'Ouest (Groupe ESEO).
the École supérieure d'ingénieurs en génie électrique (ESIGELEC).
the École supérieure d'ingénieurs en informatique et génie des télécommunications (ESIGETEL).
the École catholique des arts et métiers (ECAM Lyon - Groupe ECAM).
the École d'électricité, de production et des méthodes industrielles (EPMI - Groupe ECAM).
the École d'ingénieurs des technologies de l'information et du management (EFREI).
the École Internationale des Sciences du Traitement de l'Information (EISTI).
the École nationale supérieure d'informatique pour l'industrie et l'enterprise (ENSIIE, previously IIE);
the Institut supérieur d'électronique de Paris (ISEP).
the Institut Superieur de l'electronique et du numerique (ISEN).
the Institut Supérieur d'Informatique, de Modélisation et de leurs Applications (ISIMA).
the Institut des Sciences et Techniques des Yvelines (ISTY).
Telecom Nancy (ex - ESIAL).
15. Grandes écoles of applied physics and technology or civil and industrial engineering:
the École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État (ENTPE, nicknamed TPE, civil engineering);
the École nationale supérieure de mécanique et d'aérotechnique (ENSMA, or ISAE-ENSMA, mechanical engineering), member of the ISAE group with the Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace; ESTACA and Ecole de l'Air
the École Supérieure des Techniques Aéronautiques et de Construction Automobile (ESTACA or ISAE-ESTACA, mechanical engineering); member of the ISAE group with the Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace, ENSMA and Ecole de l'Air
the École spéciale des travaux publics, du Bâtiment et de l'Industrie (ESTP, civil engineering);
the Ecole des ingenieurs de la Ville de Paris (EIVP) ;
the Institut Supérieur de Mécanique (SUPMECA) ;
the École Nationale Supérieure des Sciences Appliquées et de Technologie (ENSSAT);
the École Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique et des Microtechniques (ENSMM);
the Institut Français de Mécanique avancée (IFMA, mechanics, logistics, and structures ; member of the Institut Mines-Telecom);
the Institut supérieur des matériaux et mécaniques avancées (ISMANS);
the École nationale supérieure de techniques avancées de Bretagne (ENSTA Bretagne, formerly ENSIETA), training French military engineers (25%) and civilian engineers (75%);
the École nationale de l'aviation civile (ENAC), civilian air academy, also recruits Taupins.
16. Grandes écoles of biology and other natural sciences:
the other Écoles nationales supérieures d'agronomie (ENSA : Paris (AgroParisTech), Montpellier (SupAgro), Rennes (Agrocampus Ouest), Toulouse (ENSAT), Nancy (ENSAIA), Bordeaux (Sciences Agro));
the École supérieure de biotechnologie Strasbourg (ESBS);
the École nationale supérieure de géologie (ENSG), whose graduates are Géoliens;
the Ecole et Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre (EOST), whose graduates are Eostiens;
the Ecole nationale du génie de l'eau et de l'environnement de Strasbourg (ENGEES);
the École de Biologie Industrielle (EBI), whose graduates are Ebistes;
the École d'ingénieurs de Purpan (EIPurpan), formerly École Supérieure d'Agriculture de Purpan (ESAP);
the École nationale supérieure d'horticulture (ENSH)
17. Other private engineering schools
the École Supérieure d'Ingénieurs en Électrotechnique et Électronique, administered by the French Ministry for the Economy and Finance - ESIEE Paris was established in 1904 and is part of the ESIEE network of graduate schools (Official website in English).
the École Supérieure d'Ingénieurs en Électrotechnique et Électronique d'Amiens - ESIEE Amiens.
the EPF Graduate School of Engineering (EPF) known as "École Polytechnique Féminine", was only for women until 1994.
the HEI - Hautes Etudes d'Ingénieur in Lille.
ESTIA Institute of Technology (École supérieure des technologies industrielles avancées in Biarritz), founded in 1985. A generalist engineering school, former IDLS.
the Ecole Speciale de Mecanique et d'Electricite also called ESME Sudria in Paris since 1905
the École supérieure d'ingénieurs de recherche en matériaux et en InfoTronique (ESIREM).
the Centre des études supérieures industrielles (CESI);
the École Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de Luminy (ESIL);
the École Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de Rennes (ESIR);
the École centrale d'électronique (ECE Paris);
Business schools (grandes écoles de commerce)
Most French business schools are partly privately run, often by the regional chambers of commerce.
The below list contains French business schools that are officially part of the Conférence des Grandes écoles.
1. Business schools recruiting students from post-baccalaureat preparatory classes:
HEC Paris
ESSEC Business School
ESCP Europe
EM LYON Business School
EDHEC Business School (private)
Grenoble École de Management
Audencia Business School
ESC Toulouse School of Business
NEOMA Business School
KEDGE Business School
Skema Business School
Montpellier Business School
ICN Business School
ESC Rennes School of Business
Burgundy School of Business (École supérieure de commerce de Dijon)
École de management de Normandie (Normandy Business School)
EM Strasbourg Business School (École de Management de Strasbourg)
ESC Clermont
ESC La Rochelle
Groupe ESC Pau
ESC Troyes
INSEEC Business School (private)
Institut supérieur du commerce de Paris (ISC Paris, private)
ISG Business School (private)
Telecom Business School
2. Business schools (mainly private schools) recruiting students just after taking the baccalauréat:
European Business School Paris
EDC Paris Business School
ESCE (École Supérieure du Commerce Extérieur)
ESDES
ESIEE Management
ESSCA School of Management
IESEG School of Management
IPAG Business School
IPE Management School Paris
Novancia Business School Paris
PSB Paris School of Business
3. Business schools recruiting students with professional experience:
INSEAD (Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires)
Grandes écoles without preparatory classes
Some schools are accessible after a competitive entrance exam directly after the baccalauréat. Often, students of these schools will progress to an administrative school.
These schools include:
École du Louvre, for archaeology, history of art and anthropology;
École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, trains researchers in Social and Human Sciences Anthropology, History, Mathematics;
École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs,
École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, best known as "les Beaux-Arts" (for fine arts), École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts à la Villa Arson;
École Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle,
École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Versailles (ENSAV), for architecture;
École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Saint-Etienne (ENSASE), for architecture;
Instituts Nationaux des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) in Lyon, Rennes, Rouen, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Centre-Val de Loire (located in Blois and Bourges) delivering diplôme d'ingénieur degrees in five years including two preparatory years. The three remaining years are also accessible after selection for the best students graduating a first cycle university diploma, or from institutes of technology;
Universités de Technologies (UTC, UTT, UTBM) in Compiègne, Troyes, Belfort, are also independent national schools delivering diplôme d'ingénieur and selecting students that graduated baccalaureat with top honours.
Universities that have joined the Grandes écoles Conference
In 2014, Paris-Dauphine University has joined the Grandes écoles Conference and now has the status of university, grand établissement and grande école
Paris-Dauphine University.
Administrative schools
These schools train students for civil service and other public-sector positions. Some students in these schools do end up working in the private sector. Most of these schools are reserved for French or EEA citizens only:
Institut d'études politiques (IEP).
École Nationale d'Administration (Strasbourg) (ENA), whose alumni are known as énarques and generally take up high-level management positions in government, ministries, political parties and institutions;
École Nationale de la Magistrature (Bordeaux) (ENM), which trains judicial magistrates;
École nationale supérieure des sciences de l'information et des bibliothèques (Lyon) (ENSSIB), which trains library and information managers;
École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique (Rennes), trains managers of hospitals and other leaders and technical experts in public health and health care;
Military officer academies
Today, there are only 3 grandes écoles that are officially denominated as military academies of the French Republic.
The École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr, formerly located in Saint-Cyr-l'École but now in Coëtquidan in Brittany, is the Army Academy. Nicknamed Saint-Cyr, its graduates and students are cyrards but are generally referred to as saint-cyriens;
The École de l'Air (EA) is the Air Force Academy, located in Salon-de-Provence;
The École Navale (EN) is nicknamed Navale and its graduates and students are Bordaches. It is located in Brest.
While École polytechnique is also under supervision of the French Ministry of Defence, it is no longer officially a military academy. Only a small number of its students progress to military careers, while between a fifth and a quarter choose to remain in France to work for the State's technical administrations; the majority of its graduates choose to work abroad either in US or UK.
Communication, Journalism & Media schools
CELSA Paris-Sorbonne