Top Universities for Masters Study in France - 2026

If you’re planning to study a Masters in France, you can take advantage of the intellectual and creative pursuits that have always been a hallmark of French culture. Home to a respected education system, it is no surprise that France is the seventh most popular study abroad destination in the world (according to the latest UNESCO data)!

The French government also invests massively in education and research, which adds to its appeal as a Masters study destination. This guide gives an overview of the kinds of institutes that offer postgraduate courses and how they rank with the rest of the world.

Depending on what you wish to study, you have the option to choose from a number of different world-renowned institutions. The French higher education system is divided into a few different kinds of institutions:

• Universities – Universities are financed by the French State and confer Masters and PhD degrees. Whether you want to study Science, Arts, Economics or Medicine, you can apply for a place at one of the many French universities.
• Grandes Écoles – The Grandes Écoles are a network of more specialised schools. They can either be publicly or privately funded but are all recognised by the State. However, only a selection of them confer Masters degrees and very rarely do they award PhDs. Écoles Normales Supérieures (Institutes of Advanced Education), Instituts d’Etudes Politiques (Political Science Institutes), Engineering Schools and Business and Management Schools are all part of the French Grande Écoles network.
• Schools of Art and Applied Arts – 50 French School of Arts and Applied Sciences provide specialised training in Art and Design. They are overseen by the French Ministry of Culture and some like the École Estienne and École Boulle - HESAM Université are directly overseen by the Ministry of Higher Education.
• Écoles Nationales Supérieures d’Architecture (National Schools of Architecture) – The École Spéciale d’Architecture (Special School of Architecture), the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (National Institute of Applied Sciences) along with 20 other public schools, form the ENSA network.
• Other specialised schools and institutions – France is home to nearly 3,000 higher education institutions that offer specialised courses in fields like Communication, Journalism and Medicine, among others. However, not all degrees conferred by these institutions are recognised by the State.

Even though France follows the three-level organisation of degrees as dictated by the Bologna System and most degrees are valid in other countries, you must double check with the institute you’re applying to.

Top 20 universities in France for a Masters

The history, reputation and popularity of the French education system is also reflected in the many universities featuring in global university ranking tables.

The table below lists the 20 best universities in France for Masters study according to global rankings. This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education, QS and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). It is important to note that each ranking system has their own methodology, and different factors affect the final result for a particular university.

No matter what you decide to study there is a place for you at a world-renowned French institution.

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