Best Theoretical Universities in France [2026 Rankings]

1

Ile-de-France | Paris

Pierre and Marie Curie University

#61 in Europe #182 in the World

20% Acceptance

35,114 Enrollment

1150 Founded

2

Ile-de-France | Palaiseau

Polytechnic School

#207 in Europe #513 in the World

11% Acceptance

2,790 Enrollment

1794 Founded

3

Ile-de-France | Orsay

Paris-Sud University

#168 in Europe #397 in the World

13% Acceptance

23,270 Enrollment

2014 Founded

4

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes | Villeurbanne

Claude Bernard University Lyon 1

#100 in Europe #262 in the World

15% Acceptance

38,007 Enrollment

1809 Founded

5

Occitanie | Montpellier

University of Montpellier

#146 in Europe #358 in the World

13% Acceptance

49,000 Enrollment

1289 Founded

6

Ile-de-France | Nanterre

Paris West University Nanterre La Defense

#354 in Europe #871 in the World

54% Acceptance

31,975 Enrollment

1964 Founded

7

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes | Saint Martin d'Heres

Grenoble Alpes University

#145 in Europe #357 in the World

14% Acceptance

53,949 Enrollment

1339 Founded

8

Ile-de-France | Paris

Paris Dauphine University

#405 in Europe #1020 in the World

47% Acceptance

11,281 Enrollment

1968 Founded

9

Grand Est | Reims

University of Rheims Champagne-Ardenne

#393 in Europe #970 in the World

54% Acceptance

24,480 Enrollment

1548 Founded

10

Normandy | Caen

University of Caen Normandy

#293 in Europe #708 in the World

60% Acceptance

27,465 Enrollment

1432 Founded

11

Ile-de-France | Paris

National Graduate School for Advanced Technologies

#768 in Europe #2327 in the World

15% Acceptance

897 Enrollment

1970 Founded

12

Pays de la Loire | Angers

University of Angers

#381 in Europe #938 in the World

70% Acceptance

25,687 Enrollment

1971 Founded

13

Bourgogne-Franche-Comte | Besancon

National Engineering Graduate School of Mechanics and Microtechnologies

#1278 in Europe #5037 in the World

49% Acceptance

762 Enrollment

1902 Founded

14

Ile-de-France | Saint-Denis

University of Paris 8

#390 in Europe #961 in the World

63% Acceptance

22,023 Enrollment

1968 Founded

15

Grand Est | Strasbourg

University of Strasbourg

#175 in Europe #413 in the World

14% Acceptance

10,077 Enrollment

1621 Founded

16

Nouvelle-Aquitaine | La Rochelle

University of La Rochelle

#697 in Europe #2001 in the World

20% Acceptance

7,832 Enrollment

1993 Founded

17

Ile-de-France | Cergy-Pontoise

Cergy-Pontoise University

#665 in Europe #1871 in the World

31% Acceptance

20,784 Enrollment

1991 Founded

18

Pays de la Loire | Nantes

University of Nantes

#238 in Europe #585 in the World

70% Acceptance

42,000 Enrollment

1460 Founded

19

Bourgogne-Franche-Comte | Besancon

University of Franche-Comte

#423 in Europe #1085 in the World

32% Acceptance

21,677 Enrollment

1423 Founded

20

Ile-de-France | Versailles

Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University

#352 in Europe #865 in the World

56% Acceptance

13,816 Enrollment

1991 Founded

21

Grand Est | Nancy

University of Lorraine

#173 in Europe #407 in the World

11% Acceptance

60,404 Enrollment

2012 Founded

22

Nouvelle-Aquitaine | Pau

University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour

#505 in Europe #1310 in the World

60% Acceptance

12,629 Enrollment

1970 Founded

23

Ile-de-France | Evry

University of Evry-Val d’Essonne

#660 in Europe #1847 in the World

30% Acceptance

6,458 Enrollment

1991 Founded

24

Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur | Avignon

University of Avignon and the Vaucluse

#670 in Europe #1883 in the World

23% Acceptance

6,434 Enrollment

1984 Founded

25

Bourgogne-Franche-Comte | Dijon

University of Burgundy

#269 in Europe #652 in the World

54% Acceptance

29,508 Enrollment

1722 Founded

26

Ile-de-France | Creteil

Paris-Est Creteil Val-de-Marne University

#343 in Europe #836 in the World

56% Acceptance

37,313 Enrollment

1970 Founded

27

Hauts-de-France | Lille

Central School of Lille

#887 in Europe #2835 in the World

44% Acceptance

2,272 Enrollment

1872 Founded

28

Nouvelle-Aquitaine | Limoges

University of Limoges

#446 in Europe #1153 in the World

35% Acceptance

17,658 Enrollment

1968 Founded

29

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes | Saint-Etienne

Jean Monnet University

#560 in Europe #1486 in the World

44% Acceptance

17,195 Enrollment

1970 Founded

30

Ile-de-France | Paris

School of Industrial Physics and Chemistry of the City of Paris

#559 in Europe #1485 in the World

39% Acceptance

1,000 Enrollment

1882 Founded

31

Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur | La Garde

University of Toulon

#587 in Europe #1584 in the World

35% Acceptance

11,014 Enrollment

1979 Founded

32

Brittany | Rennes

National Institute for Applied Sciences, Rennes

#817 in Europe #2517 in the World

47% Acceptance

1,854 Enrollment

1966 Founded

33

Ile-de-France | Paris

University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne

#301 in Europe #727 in the World

58% Acceptance

42,700 Enrollment

1971 Founded

34

Hauts-de-France | Dunkirk

University of the Littoral Opal Coast

#717 in Europe #2086 in the World

29% Acceptance

10,381 Enrollment

1991 Founded

35

Nouvelle-Aquitaine | Poitiers

University of Poitiers

#289 in Europe #694 in the World

60% Acceptance

27,820 Enrollment

1431 Founded

36

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes | Ecully

Central School of Lyon

#459 in Europe #1184 in the World

15% Acceptance

2,920 Enrollment

1857 Founded

37

Ile-de-France | Champs sur Marne

National School of Bridges and Roads

#526 in Europe #1380 in the World

20% Acceptance

9,477 Enrollment

1747 Founded

38

Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur | Nice

University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis

#268 in Europe #651 in the World

47% Acceptance

25,327 Enrollment

1965 Founded

39

Brittany | Lorient

University of Southern Brittany

#705 in Europe #2024 in the World

30% Acceptance

9,477 Enrollment

1995 Founded

40

Ile-de-France | Paris

Paris Diderot University

#194 in Europe #470 in the World

20% Acceptance

25,523 Enrollment

1970 Founded

41

Hauts-de-France | Valenciennes

Polytechnic University of Hauts-de-France

#676 in Europe #1909 in the World

21% Acceptance

10,994 Enrollment

1964 Founded

42

Nouvelle-Aquitaine | Bordeaux

University of Bordeaux

#153 in Europe #369 in the World

13% Acceptance

46,845 Enrollment

1441 Founded

43

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes | Chambery

University of Savoy Mont Blanc

#434 in Europe #1128 in the World

33% Acceptance

14,498 Enrollment

1979 Founded

44

Ile-de-France | Gif-sur-Yvette

CentraleSupelec

#522 in Europe #1362 in the World

15% Acceptance

4,300 Enrollment

1894 Founded

45

Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur | Marseille

University of Aix-Marseilles

#141 in Europe #351 in the World

14% Acceptance

66,378 Enrollment

2012 Founded

46

Brittany | Brest, Brittany

University of Western Brittany

#365 in Europe #903 in the World

49% Acceptance

22,303 Enrollment

1461 Founded

47

Ile-de-France | Paris

Normal Superior School

#152 in Europe #368 in the World

10% Acceptance

2,536 Enrollment

1794 Founded

48

Hauts-de-France | Arras

Artois University

#638 in Europe #1763 in the World

60% Acceptance

12,051 Enrollment

1992 Founded

49

Occitanie | Toulouse

National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse

#645 in Europe #1797 in the World

35% Acceptance

4,148 Enrollment

1969 Founded

50

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes | Lyon

National Institute for Applied Sciences, Lyon

#422 in Europe #1080 in the World

25% Acceptance

6,067 Enrollment

1957 Founded

51

Ile-de-France | Paris

National Advanced School of Engineering

#515 in Europe #1341 in the World

25% Acceptance

6,000 Enrollment

1780 Founded

52

Centre-Val de Loire | Orleans

University of Orleans

#401 in Europe #1011 in the World

50% Acceptance

16,629 Enrollment

1962 Founded

53

Normandy | Caen

National Graduate School of Engineering, Caen

#884 in Europe #2818 in the World

45% Acceptance

818 Enrollment

1976 Founded

54

Hauts-de-France | Compiegne

University of Technology of Compiegne

#546 in Europe #1448 in the World

11% Acceptance

4,367 Enrollment

1972 Founded

55

Occitanie | Toulouse

National Institute for Applied Sciences, Toulouse

#626 in Europe #1717 in the World

11% Acceptance

3,077 Enrollment

1963 Founded

56

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes | Grenoble

Grenoble Institute of Technology

#372 in Europe #923 in the World

30% Acceptance

7,646 Enrollment

1900 Founded

57

Ile-de-France | Cachan

Normal Superior School of Paris-Saclay

#485 in Europe #1248 in the World

24% Acceptance

1,382 Enrollment

1912 Founded

58

Centre-Val de Loire | Tours

Francois Rabelais University

#331 in Europe #810 in the World

57% Acceptance

27,388 Enrollment

1969 Founded

59

Normandy | Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray

National Institute for Applied Sciences, Rouen

#787 in Europe #2400 in the World

11% Acceptance

2,003 Enrollment

1985 Founded

60

Hauts-de-France | Amiens

University of Picardie Jules Verne

#417 in Europe #1059 in the World

50% Acceptance

27,900 Enrollment

1970 Founded

61

Occitanie | Perpignan

University of Perpignan Via Domitia

#569 in Europe #1512 in the World

60% Acceptance

8,238 Enrollment

1970 Founded

62

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes | Clermont-Ferrand

University of Clermont Auvergne

#311 in Europe #760 in the World

60% Acceptance

14,690 Enrollment

1854 Founded

63

Ile-de-France | Paris

TELECOM ParisTech

#468 in Europe #1215 in the World

18% Acceptance

2,000 Enrollment

1878 Founded

64

Corsica | Corte

University of Corsica Pascal Paoli

#802 in Europe #2457 in the World

42% Acceptance

4,183 Enrollment

1981 Founded

65

Normandy | Le Havre

University of Le Havre

#769 in Europe #2330 in the World

60% Acceptance

7,591 Enrollment

1984 Founded

66

Hauts-de-France | Lille

University of Lille

#163 in Europe #389 in the World

12% Acceptance

69,000 Enrollment

2018 Founded

67

Occitanie | Toulouse

Paul Sabatier University – Toulouse III

#232 in Europe #570 in the World

25% Acceptance

29,680 Enrollment

1960 Founded

68

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes | Lyon

Normal Superior School of Lyon

#236 in Europe #580 in the World

37% Acceptance

2,297 Enrollment

1987 Founded

69

Ile-de-France | Paris

National Graduate School of Engineering, Paris

#458 in Europe #1183 in the World

15% Acceptance

1,500 Enrollment

1783 Founded

70

Grand Est | Mulhouse

Upper Alsace University

#581 in Europe #1554 in the World

39% Acceptance

9,921 Enrollment

1975 Founded

71

Normandy | Mont-Saint-Aignan

University of Rouen Normandie

#329 in Europe #805 in the World

55% Acceptance

31,500 Enrollment

1966 Founded

72

Ile-de-France | Paris

National Graduate School of Chemistry, Paris

#1537 in Europe #6654 in the World

41% Acceptance

565 Enrollment

1896 Founded

73

Pays de la Loire | Nantes

Central School of Nantes

#669 in Europe #1881 in the World

16% Acceptance

2,287 Enrollment

1919 Founded

73 Best Universities in France for Theoretical

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