profile logo default

École Normale Supérieure

Ranked
Paris, France
66th in World University Rankings 2017
chevron up

About École Normale Supérieure

Basic information and contact details for École Normale Supérieure

institution

One of the so-called Grand Schools in France, which are not part of the official public university system, École Normale Supérieure (ENS) is considered one of the leading higher education institutions in Paris and is well regarded internationally.

Established in 1794, throughout the time of the French Revolution, the institution aimed to cultivate professionals from all backgrounds and social classes, who would be equipped as to participate in the ideological debates and establishment of the New Republic. ENS has then developed a positive reputation for producing well known French political figures, public servants and academia.

As one of the few universities that has a campus in the very centre of Paris, ENS offers a friendly and culturally rich environment for French and international students from a wide range of nationalities and backgrounds.

The university operates across 14 departments and 35 research branches, focusing on traditional areas of study such as social sciences and humanities, and also natural sciences and mathematics.

Being a relatively small institution, the ENS is known for its extremely competitive admission process. The majority of students commencing their undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral study are required to sit an entrance exam called a concours, attend an interview with university faculty, and in addition prove their proficiency in French.

Once admitted, students have flexibility in designing their own curriculum and also establish a close connection with a relevant tutor who supervises them during the course of their studies. To boost career prospects, scholars are encouraged to embrace ENS’s long-term traditions in interdisciplinary research approach and combine expertise from a variety of fields.

The university employs a relatively small number of professors, but remains active in the exchange of researchers, who come from a wide range of academic fields in order to assist students in delivering their research projects. ENS has as such developed close connections with partner institutions such as Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, which uses the same structure of organisation, as well as other well-known universities such as the University of Oxford, Freie Universitat Berlin and Yale University.

Some of ENS’s notable alumni include Noble Laureates Henri Bergson and Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, mathematician Marie-Louise Dubreil-Jacotin and philosopher Louis Althusser.

Until 2017 École Normale Supérieure was ranked as a separate institution by THE in the World University Rankings. Since the 2018 World University Rankings, École Normale Supérieure has been ranked as part of Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University Paris.

chevron up

Rankings

Select the type of rankings below to see stats

World University Rankings 2017
20406080
Overall 65.8
Teaching 59.8
Research 52.3
Citations 85.8
Industry 40
International Outlook 72.2
66676869201620176965.8

Breakdown via year: Overall

Ranking positions 2016 to 2017
chevron down
chevron down

Key Student Statistics

A breakdown of student statistics at École Normale Supérieure

gender ratio
Student gender ratio
40 F : 60 M (1)
globe fill
International student percentage
18% (1)
student per staff
Students per staff
9.6 (1)
student
Student total
1548 (1)

Based on data collected for the (1) World University Rankings 2017

lightbulb up

Do you work for this institution?

Build your profile to connect with students and professionals around the world

chevron down

Jobs you might be interested in

You may want to explore jobs from other universities which are relevant to you

See all

Research Associate in Environmental Time
FLINDERS UNIVERSITY

Flinders University

Australia, Bedford Park
institution

Flinders University

Australia, Bedford Park

Position Details: Fixed term until March 2028 | full time (part-time arrangements considered)

Salary

$86,423 – $104,734 p.a

Posted

24 Feb 2025

Post-doctoral Fellow in the Department of
THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

The University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong
institution

The University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Ref.: 531369 Work type: Full-time Department: Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical

Salary

Competitive

Posted

24 Feb 2025

University Assistant Predoctoral, Law
UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA

University of Vienna

Austria, Vienna
institution

University of Vienna

Austria, Vienna Danubepier Hov

34 Faculty of Law Startdate: 01.04.2025 | Working hours: 30 | Collective

Salary

The basic salary of

Posted

24 Feb 2025

Clinical Trial Coordinator/ Healthy Lifestyle
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

The University of Sydney

Australia, Saint Leonards
institution

The University of Sydney

Australia, Saint Leonards

Part-time (0.5 FTE) up to Full time (1.0 FTE) for 12 months fixed term based at Kolling Institute

Salary

$99,455 (pro-rata) + 17%

Posted

24 Feb 2025

Head of Clinical Sciences
FLINDERS UNIVERSITY

Flinders University

Australia, Adelaide
institution

Flinders University

Australia, Adelaide

Since 1966, Flinders University has been a leader in innovation, shaping the future of Australian

Salary

Competitive

Posted

24 Feb 2025