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The Best Universities for Mathematics in France (2024)

Written by Vincent Hedman

Why Study Mathematics in France

There are many reasons why someone might want to study Mathematics at a university in France. Here are just a few:

  • France boasts some of the world's top-ranked institutions. They offer high-quality mathematics programmes that open doors to amazing academic and professional opportunities.
  • Choose from a diverse selection of sub-disciplines in mathematics, including applied mathematics, pure mathematics, statistical analysis, theoretical physics, and financial mathematics, allowing you to tailor your education to your specific interests and career goals.
  • Compared to other countries, tuition fees at French universities are relatively low, making quality education more accessible to a wider range of students.
  • France's central location within Europe makes it easy to travel and explore neighbouring countries during breaks and holidays, offering a broadened world perspective and unique life experiences.

The Best Universities in France for Mathematics

The following tables gives the 10 best French universities for Mathematics, according to global and local university rankings. It can show you which French universities are amongst the best in the world and help you compare institutions on an international level.

This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education, QS and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

Each ranking system uses its own methodology, with different factors having more or less influence on a university's result.

For more information on using international rankings as a postgraduate, see our guide.


Top 10 French Universities for Mathematics (Times Higher Education)
University France Rank Global Rank
Université PSL 1 20
Ecole Polytechnique 2 30
Université Paris-Saclay 3 32
Sorbonne University 4 49
Université Paris Cité 5 =90
Université Grenoble Alpes 6 101-125
École Normale Supérieure de Lyon 7 151-175
University of Toulouse 8 201-250
Aix-Marseille University 9 251-300
Montpellier University 10 251-300
This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education. Visit their website for more information.

What should I know about the Times Higher Education rankings?

The Times Higher Education rankings are strong in academic focus and diverse teaching metrics, but do not include employer-specific metrics. Additionally, the rankings may not include all specialist institutions.


Top 10 French Universities for Mathematics (QS)
University France Rank Global Rank
Sorbonne University 1 12
Université Paris-Saclay 2 13
Université PSL 3 18
Ecole Polytechnique 4 20
Université Paris Cité 5 =57
École Normale Supérieure de Lyon 6 83
Université Grenoble Alpes 7 =128
Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III 8 151-200
Aix-Marseille University 9 201-250
University of Bordeaux 10 251-300
This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by QS World University Rankings. Visit their website for more information.

What should I know about the QS rankings?

The QS World University Rankings are designed to meet the needs of prospective students, with more weight given to student-centric metrics such as staff/student ratio, international recruitment and employer opinion. The rankings are balanced between qualitative and quantitative data, but give less weight to research than some other rankings.


Top 10 French Universities for Mathematics (ARWU)
University France Rank Global Rank
Université Paris-Saclay 1 2
Sorbonne University 2 4
Université Paris Cité 3 7
Universite PSL 4 20
Université Grenoble Alpes 5 43
Ecole Polytechnique 6 44
Aix Marseille University 7 51-75
Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 8 51-75
École Centrale de Lyon 9 51-75
École Normale Supérieure de Lyon 10 51-75
This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Academic Ranking of World Universities. Visit their website for more information and a comprehensive list of engineering subject rankings.

What should I know about the ARWU rankings?

The ARWU rankings reflect the presence of elite academics and the future academic success of graduates. However, they do not directly assess the quality of education at a university or take into account other aspects of university performance.

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Search our database of Masters Mathematics courses in France.




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Last updated: 19 April 2024